Thailand Requires Ivory Registration to Combat Ivory Smuggling from Africa

macro_elephant by Théo is licensed under CC BY 2.0

A new Thailand law requires ivory owners to register their pieces with the government in order to distinguish the amount of locally sourced ivory versus ivory from Africa in The Kingdom, reports The Nation. 

Nipon Chotibal, the director-general of Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP), said the ivory registration will make it easier for the DNP to crackdown the illegal smuggling of African ivory into Thailand.

The new law took effect on January 22 and restricts individuals’ ivory possession to  either two pieces of ivory, or two ivory necklaces or four ivory bracelets, and allows one household to contain only up to 12 ivory pieces, reports The Nation.    

Furthermore, Chotibal said that under the new law, these ivory pieces can only be inherited, not sold, traded, given away or transferred.

Chaninat and Leeds’ attorneys are experts on Thailandinheritance laws and have been assisting clients with probate proceedings in Thailand since 1997.

Owners of locally sourced ivory must register all their elephant tusk pieces by April 21 and owners of African ivory will be able to register within 90 days starting March 14.

For further details, read the full story here.

Related Articles:

ThailandGovernment Passes First Animal Abuse Law

Thailand’sAMLO Busts Siamese Rosewood Smugglers

Related Video: 

 Illegal Ivory Trade in Thailand, Interview 

Mahouts Oppose New Legislation

Elephant owners in Thailand are protesting against plans to treat domesticated animals the same as those born in the wild  reports English CNTV.

Thailand’s wildlife authorities now want to change the law, so they can supervise all elephants, both wild and domesticated. 

Read our full report here

Related Video: 

Related Articles:
Thailand’s Dog Smuggling Trade 

Thailand’s New Cat Smuggling Trade 

Wildlife Smuggling in Thailand: A Matter of Convenience 

Thailand’s Dog Meat and Skin Trade

Flickr photo credit: Hktang

Thai Mahouts Against Elephant Ownership Bill

Yesterday, mahouts gathered with their elephants at Ayutthaya's elephant corral to persuade the government not to approve the draft Wild Animals Preservation and Protection Bill reported The Nation.

The bill has been driven by the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department who say their aim is to prevent the poaching and illegal trade of elephants.

Thailand Attorney   

Chaninat and Leeds specialize in local and international law in Thailand 

A public forum is being held on the draft bill, which will be considered by Parliament at a later date. The mahouts have also called on the government to remove Natural Resources and Environment Vice Minister Damrong Phidet from his current position after he showed support for the draft bill. 

General members of the public in Bangkok recently took part in a march to highlight the illegal ivory trade. Similar marches were held in cities across the world. 

Read the full story here.

Related Video:

Related Articles: 

Thailand’s Dog Smuggling Trade 

Thailand’s New Cat Smuggling Trade 

Wildlife Smuggling in Thailand: A Matter of Convenience 

Thailand’s Dog Meat and Skin Trade

Flickr photo credit: rubenI

Stop The Ivory Trade: Bangkok's March For Elephants

Bangkok joined in the International March for elephants on 4 October. Around 20 cities joined in worldwide as part of an awareness campaign run by the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.

Ivory can be seen in many places around Bangkok and the rest of Thailand for sale. It is often intimated that ivory only comes from elephants that are already dead, but this is not the case. Every fifteen minutes, another elephant is killed so poachers can use their tusks.

Here is footage from the march highlighting this very important issue:

Related Articles: 

Thailand’s Dog Smuggling TradeThailand’s New Cat Smuggling TradeWildlife Smuggling in Thailand: A Matter of ConvenienceThailand’s Dog Meat and Skin Trade