The elephants here are chained closely together. The groups near me were in small pens, rocking back and forth with trunks extending over the bars to reach for the small treats you could buy to feed them. A little further off were two rows of elephants chained under a shelter, behaving in a similar manner. I have to apologize for the quality of this image from the elephant kraal in Ayutthaya. Every now and again I forget to check the settings on the lens and end up with images that can not stitch together properly. Normally I discard these and would not consider them for submission on Panoramic Earth, but have mad an exception here.

Royal Elephant Compound - Ayutthaya visitor guide showing a virtual tour of 'Royal Elephant Compound' linked to an interactive map with local and travel information. 360° panoramas from Central Thailand.

The elephant kraal north of Ayutthaya is a vast compound with numerous holding pens for the elephants and a couple of large enclosures for displays. Near the entrance to the kraal is the Royal Elephant Pavilion, where members of the royal family would come to see and choose elephants for royal use. This image was taken further into the kraal, where the elephants are penned and chained up. The elephants go to station next to Khum Khan Phaen, behind Wat Ket in Ayutthaya to be ridden by tourists. There are about 90 elephants at the Kraal. In past times they were very important to the military and the kraal was overseen by the monarch. Today the display area at the kraal is used for shows and has a some statues of military elephants and soldiers in it.

Ayutthaya Elephant Camp
65/12 Mu 7
Tambon Phai Ling
Amphoe Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya

Travel Directions and Getting There:
The Elephant Kraal is about 3 miles north east of Ayutthaya.