Mahouts are needed at all sites where captive elephants live in Thailand — including sanctuaries, camps and community-based projects. Due to the limited land available, elephants need to be managed so that they interact safely with one another and do not stray from home, potentially causing conflict with neighbouring farmers and villagers. In particular, the strong cultural and spiritual relationships between Indigenous mahouts and elephants must be championed and supported, both by allowing the men to continue to work with elephants and helping them to engage in sensitive methods of training and care that uphold elephant welfare through education and training.

While Indigenous mahouts may have traditionally had more positive relationships with elephants, financial issues, cultural bereavement and the difficult working conditions in tourist camps may negatively influence mahout behaviour. Non-Indigenous mahouts without a strong cultural tradition may also not have learned sensitive ways to manage their elephants. For this reason, it is essential to educate mahouts and support positive practices that benefit their relationships with elephants. Alongside conservationists and welfarists, highly capable mahouts with strong principles about ethical training can be involved in tourism ventures to ensure high standards of elephant welfare.

It is not currently possible for Thailand’s captive elephants to be released into the wild in any large number. Currently, rewilding projects have been successful in returning a small number of formerly working elephants to nature. Other small community-based projects are finding success in rehabilitating and reforesting degraded land, which presents future opportunities for small-scale rewilding. These projects rely on mahouts to manage elephants and the land they inhabit. As such, it is essential that properly trained mahouts are involved in any project that aims to improve the welfare of captive elephants.