Charitable elephant polo
Like every year, Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas will host the annual King’s Cup Elephant Polo Tournament on the grounds next to the Anantara Riverside Bangkok Hotel by the Chao Phraya River from March 8-11
Numerous team, including professional horse polo players and celebrities, will compete in the event.A total of 20 ex-street elephants will take part in the event during which they will receive full veterinary check-upss from the Zoological Parks Organisation of Thailand and Department of Livestock Development. All these pachyderms are given essential vitamins, food and special care under strict rules to ensure that they are well cared for at all times. Under a “no micro-chip, no game”rule, Anantara guarantees that all participating elephants have been domestically bred, not caught from the wild or smuggled in from neighboring countries.
The four-day festival will feature the Opening Parade, Children’s Educational Day, Ladies Day known as the “Bangkok Ascot”, elephant-related activities for visitors with children, a food market and music by popular bands and DJs.
Now in its 16th year, the tournament has become one of the biggest charitable events in Southeast Asia with more than 50 million baht raised and donated to projects that improve the lives of Thailand’s wild and domesticated elephant population.
Anantara has its own elephant conservation projects which was launched in 2005. The Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation in Chiang Rai has rescued and looked after over 60 ex-street elephants.
