Thai mahout charged after elephant kills Spanish tourist in Phang Nga
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A Spanish national died from a fatal head injury after a female elephant pushed her during a show at Koh Yao Elephant Care and House.
PHOTO: THE NATION/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
BANGKOK – The police in Phang Nga province filed charges against a Thai mahout after an elephant under his care caused the death of a Spanish tourist
Theerayut Inthaphudkij, 38, was charged with negligence resulting in the death of 23-year-old Spanish national Blanca Ojanguren Garcia on Jan 3, the Phang Nga Tourism and Sports Office said on Jan 6.
Ms Garcia was taken to Andaman International Clinic for a head injury she sustained when the 45-year-old female elephant Phang Somboon pushed her during an elephant show at Koh Yao Elephant Care and House. The show includes bathing with elephants in a pond, the office said.
Witnesses said the elephant was startled by Ms Garcia and used its trunk to push her into the cemented edge of the pond, causing a fatal head injury.
Ms Garcia succumbed to her injuries later that evening.
The victim’s body has been sent to Koh Yao Chaipat Hospital for an autopsy, while her relatives have been contacted for identification.
Ms Garcia and her boyfriend entered Thailand on Dec 26, 2024.
The office is coordinating with the attraction’s owner and the tour company to arrange compensation for her family. THE NATION/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
