Anantara Moves King’s Cup Elephant Polo Tournament to Bangkok

Anantara Hotels, Resorts and Spas has confirmed that the King’s Cup Elephant Polo Tournament will this year move from its original home of Hua Hin to the Thai capital of Bangkok.

The annual tournament, now in its thirteenth year, will take place at the Siam Polo Park at VR Sports Club in Bangkok between 28-31 August 2014.

The four day festival will have something for everyone including an opening parade, children’s day, ladies day and wide a range of fun elephant related activities for the whole family.

Last year’s event which had 16 teams encompassing over 50 players, including Thai supermodels, professional horse polo players, the New Zealand All-Blacks rugby team and Thailand’s famous transgender cabaret team Miss Tiffany’s was a far cry from the small two teamed event back when it started in 2001.

Over the years more than US$750,000 has been raised and donated to projects that better the lives of Thailand’s wild and domesticated elephant population.

Fundraising from last year’s event has been donated to a number of projects in Thailand including supporting research and clinics using elephants in therapy sessions for children living with autism; building the first elephant hospital in Krabi in the southern part of Thailand and donating a gantry to help lame elephants stand to the Thai Elephant Conservation Centre (TECC).

Other projects include planting 4,000 trees to create elephant corridors in Kui Buri to help avoid elephant/farmer conflicts; funding the roll out of children’s educational programs with the Thai Ministry to teach them the importance of conservation and protection of wild elephants in Thailand, and funding workshops showing traditional elephant trainers and camp owners the benefits of Positive Reinforcement Training for domesticated elephants.

A total of 50 street elephants will take part in this year’s tournament, during which they are well fed, provided with a native forest environment, and receive essential vitamin supplements, full veterinary checks and care for the duration of the event.

See also: HD Videos from 2012 King’s Cup Elephant Polo in Hua Hin, Thailand and other HD Videos.