Thailand’s flourishing ivory trade
Despite strict laws, the country remains a major transit for ivory smuggled from Africa.
Published On 13 Mar 2010
It is estimated that 38,000 elephants are slaughtered for their tusks each year in Africa.
And much of it is smuggled into Thailand – a renowned hub for ivory smuggling. Most of the ivory crafted there eventually ends up in the US and Europe.
As elephants are a national symbol in the country, Thailand does allow the sale of ivory – but only under strict wildlife protection laws.
Al Jazeera’s Aela Callan reports from Nakhon Sawan, the ivory capital of Thailand – where about half the tusks sold are illegal.