Tourist holds elephant hostage in Thailand...
....ummmm, there are some things you just can't comment on.
Oil spotted this on Thai TV but I don't think it made the English language newspapers and certainly not the ele newswire. This short write up is on an Israeli website which appears to be the only place the story surfaced in English.
Thai media regretted the leniency of the fine, I am unsure what the fine would be if it were a mahout threatening to hurt his own elephant to avoid arrest, I wouldn't think it would be too much more than this unfortunately. In fact I rather suspect the fine was more for theft and threatening to damage property than for that property being a live symbol.
Anyone out there know more?
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http://web.israelinsider.com/Articles/Briefs/11286.htm
Oil spotted this on Thai TV but I don't think it made the English language newspapers and certainly not the ele newswire. This short write up is on an Israeli website which appears to be the only place the story surfaced in English.
Thai media regretted the leniency of the fine, I am unsure what the fine would be if it were a mahout threatening to hurt his own elephant to avoid arrest, I wouldn't think it would be too much more than this unfortunately. In fact I rather suspect the fine was more for theft and threatening to damage property than for that property being a live symbol.
Anyone out there know more?
_________________________________
| Israeli holds elephant hostage in Thailand |
| By: israelinsider staff |
| Published: May 1, 2007 |
| A hostage negotiation team was called in after an Israeli tourist kidnapped a baby elephant while being pursued by Thai police, Ynetnews reported Tuesday. According to the report, Yoram Ben-Hamo, an Israeli tourist, was suspected of driving drunk when he crashed into three vehicles on his way to Bangkok, injuring one. After fleeing the scene, Ben-Hamo reportedly acquired a knife and stole a baby elephant from a nearby neighborhood yard and held it hostage, threatening to hurt the elephant should police not leave him alone. Hostage negotiators were called in, and Ben-Hamo was captured while lighting a cigarette given to him but the police. Ben-Hamo claimed he fled the car accident for fear of being arrested, and captured the elephant to avoid being so. Ben-Hamo was convicted of capturing, holding hostage and endangering an elephant, and received a fine of 500 baht ($15). The Thai media criticized the lenient punishment, the elephant being the national symbol of Thailand. |
http://web.israelinsider.com/Articles/Briefs/11286.htm
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