Over 40 Couples Get Married While Riding Elephants In Thailand

Over 40 Thai couples spiced up their Valentine's Day by tying the knot atop elephants on Monday at the Nong Nooch Tropical Garden in Thailand's Chonburi province.

Couples kickstarted the marriage event while riding their respective elephants as they joined the parade procession, featuring a full-blown music band performance and young elephants dancing to the beat.

"This is something that we will remember - that we signed our marriage license at the Nong Nooch Tropical Garden, that we were riding elephants, and were dressed in Thai traditional costumes on this special day," 30-year-old bride Thuchcha Pankeaw, told Reuters. The groom added that riding an elephant is a novel experience.

"I've never ridden on an elephant before. I was a bit scared but I'm also very happy," 31-year-old Chayodom Homhual said.

With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and some countries only partially opening their borders, the president of the botanical park, Kampon Tansacha, said the garden, which relies on tourism, has been affected with fewer people visiting.

"Yes, the elephants lost their jobs but we still train them every day and this is a happy event for them. Now they can have the banana that people are giving them and I think they are happy on this day too," he said.

Thailand will have talks on bilateral travel bubble arrangements with China and Malaysia later this month, an official said on February 7, as part of efforts to bolster a steady recovery in its crucial tourism sector.

Thailand received a record of nearly 40 million foreign visitors in 2019 - more than a quarter of those from China - but total arrivals slumped to about 0.5% of that last year, due to weaker external demand and tight quarantine and entry requirements.