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Ever since its commencement in 2001, the enthralling King’s Cup Elephant Polo Tournament in Thailand has acquired a reputation as a unique and highly entertaining sporting event. Visitors from across the globe visit the country to observe this amazing display of common endeavour from human and elephant.

The proceeds of the tournament are donated to charity, primarily for the overall benefit of elephants in Thailand. As one might expect in an event organized for this objective, the welfare of the elephants who take part is considered to be of paramount importance. Stringent guidelines have been implemented to ensure that the pachyderms are humanely treated at all times. This can be achieved effectively as Thailand uses a sophisticated system of micro-chipping all legitimate domesticated pachyderms, so that all elephants in the tournament must have been bred domestically and not acquired from the forests or illegally transported from neighbouring nations.

The spectacle of these massive creatures engaging in this captivating sport is always a memorable experience. It is amazing to witness these immensely powerful creatures obediently and with apparent enjoyment obeying the commands of their riders in this good-natured competition. The welfare of the elephants is always of supreme importance and any rider who abuses his or her elephant is penalized severely.

For this yearly event 24 young healthy elephants are given a break from their regular occupations and employed for the polo competition. The selected elephants are kept in a comfortable forest setting and provided with the best nutrition possible. They are also given a comprehensive veterinary screening to ensure that they are suitable for the competition.

The King’s Cup Tournament has taken place annually for a decade, having evolved from a minor two-day contest to an extravaganza lasting a week and featuring a dozen teams from across the globe with up to 40 players from 15 nations or more. With its international fame and renown this event is set to move from strength to strength and will appeal to anyone who has an interest in pachyderms or keen sporting competition.

Discerning visitors to the country seeking Chiang Rai hotels will be pleased by Anantara Golden Triangle Thailand. This fine hotel Chiang Rai offers provides excellent accommodations and attentive service.

Chandrishan Williams is a travel writer who writes under the pen name, Caleb Falcon. He specializes in writing content based on the many exciting world adventures that await intrepid travellers.

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