On Monday, a ravenous wild elephant wreaked destruction at a grocery store in Thailand after wandering in from an adjacent national park and helping itself to provisions on the shelves.
Videos of the incident showed the huge male elephant, known as Plai Biang Lek, briefly stopping in front of the shop, located next to a main road near the Khao Yai National Park in northeastern Thailand, before ducking his whole body inside.
The elephant halted at the counter, leisurely grabbing and munching on treats without batting an eye as the national park employees attempted to coax him away.
Later, the elephant exited the store, retaining a bag of snacks in its trunk. It caused minimal destruction, save for some muddy footprints on both the floor and the ceiling of the shop.
A video shared on social media showed Kamploy Kakaew, the storeowner, reacting with amusement as she recounted how an elephant rummaged through her shop. She mentioned that the animal consumed approximately nine packets of sweet rice crackers, one sandwich, and some dried bananas which she had purchased earlier that day.
Kamploy mentioned that the elephant departed harmlessly after obtaining his treats.
Danai Sookkanthachat, a volunteer park worker acquainted with the elephant, mentioned that Plai Biang Lek, estimated to be around 30 years old, is often spotted in the vicinity and has a habit of entering peoples’ homes looking for sustenance. However, this incident marked the first time he ventured into a convenience store.
“Once he exited the store, he proceeded to open a bedroom window in another house,” he explained.
The Associated Press.
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A young male elephant, known as Plai Biang Lek, raided packets of sweet rice crackers from a store in Nakhon Ratchasima province, Thailand, on June 2, 2025. The image was captured by an Associated Press photographer. |
Danai said wild elephants in the Khao Yai National Park area have been coming out of the woods to ransack people’s kitchens for many years, but this year he has started seeing them going into more random places to find food.
There were an estimated 4,000 wild elephants in Thailand in 2024, according to the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.
As farmers push into forests for agriculture, elephants have been forced to venture out of their shrinking habitats in search of food, leading to confrontations that can turn deadly.
