Latest news with #PlaiBiangLek
Time of India
5 hours ago
- Time of India
Thailand Elephant goes viral after calm grocery store raid near Khao Yai –watch viral video
Thailand's 'Polite Shoplifter' Elephant caught on camera raiding grocery store: A wild elephant named Plai Biang Lek from Thailand's Khao Yai National Park recently went viral. He calmly walked into a grocery store near the park. The elephant is estimated to be 30 years old. He entered a small convenience store in Pak Chong district. He towered over the shelves and helped himself to snacks. These included sweet rice crackers, dried bananas, and a sandwich. Despite the mess, the elephant stayed calm. He left peacefully with snacks in his trunk. No one was hurt, and there was no major damage. The moment was caught on video and shared widely online. People around the world were charmed by the gentle giant's calm grocery raid. Not an ordinary SHOPLIFTERLarge male ELEPHANT raids the rice crackers in a small town store in north Thailand, then leaves without payingKnown locally as Plai Biang Lek, it's apparently not his first offense Viral Video Captures Elephant's Snack Raid and Calm Demeanor The incident was caught on video and quickly went viral on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. The footage shows Plai Biang Lek casually walking into the store. He towers over the shelves and uses his trunk to grab snacks. There are no signs of fear or aggression. The shop owner, Kamploy Kakaew, and park workers tried to shoo him away. But the elephant stayed calm and unbothered. He eventually walked out peacefully, carrying a bag of snacks in his trunk. Public reaction The video has gained more than 2 million hits on the internet, with people being enamored by his calm nature. People were in awe of the elephant. A user wrote, 'Even elephants get the munchies!' while the other said, 'Imagine heading in for snacks and running into him-only in Thailand!' The incident is an indication of a worsening problem: habitat destruction. Spreading agriculture drives elephants such as Plai Biang Lek into human areas in quest of food, and there are fears of future human-wildlife conflicts. Elephant's Behavior Highlights Growing Human-Wildlife Interaction Challenges Plai Biang Lek is locally known for wandering into nearby villages in search of food. This behaviour is becoming more common as wild elephant habitats shrink due to farming and human encroachment. Though he has entered houses before, this was reportedly his first time walking into a grocery shop. The incident caused minimal damage. Only muddy footprints and slight damage to the shop's ceiling were reported. Fortunately, no one was injured. To stay updated on the stories that are going viral, follow Indiatimes Trending.
NBC News
a day ago
- NBC News
Bull in a china shop? No, it's an elephant in a grocery store
BANGKOK — A hungry and mud-caked wild elephant surprised shopkeepers at a grocery store in Thailand this week, ransacking shelves in search of food. The male elephant, known as Plai Biang Lek, had wandered over from Khao Yai National Park into the nearby town of Pak Chong, about 125 miles northeast of Bangkok. In a video posted online, the shop owner, Kamploy Kakaew, can be heard scolding the elephant as national park workers try to usher him out. Unperturbed, the animal continues to munch on various items as he dusts the floor with crumbs and mud. The voracious pachyderm finally backed out of the store, a bag of snacks still clasped in his trunk. Kamploy said the elephant ate items she had bought at the market that morning, including about nine bags of sweet rice crackers, a sandwich and some dried bananas. 'This sandwich, the whole pack was gone,' she said. No one was hurt, she said. Elephants, a symbol of royalty and strength in Thai culture, are greatly treasured by its people. But the population of wild elephants has dwindled over the past century to several thousand as they are pushed out of their habitats by development and poaching. Encounters between elephants and humans have been known to turn violent, and the country is trying to balance protecting the public with preserving the animals' welfare.
News18
a day ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Just Another Day In Thailand As Elephant Goes For Shopping
Last Updated: A viral video shows a giant elephant casually walking into a Thai store and heading straight for the snacks. A delightful video capturing a wild elephant casually entering a convenience store in Thailand's Khao Yai region has taken social media by storm. The serene giant wandered through the shop with remarkable calm and curiosity, effortlessly navigating the aisles. The unusual sight has left viewers around the world both charmed and entertained, highlighting the often-surprising harmony between wildlife and urban life in the region. As reported by The Independent, the elephant was later identified as Plai Biang Lek, a wild resident of the nearby Khao Yai National Park. During his unexpected visit, he remained calm and composed, gently exploring the store shelves with his trunk while his massive head nearly touched the ceiling. Despite his size, the gentle giant maintained a peaceful and almost curious demeanour, endearing himself to viewers worldwide. In addition, the clip was posted on Instagram with the light-hearted caption: 'An elephant casually walked into a convenience store in Khao Yai — just another day in Thailand! On its way out, the hungry visitor even helped himself to some rice crackers for the road." Shared on June 2, the clip quickly racked up over 2.7 million views, drawing a wave of comments and reactions from amused and amazed users across the internet. Social media users were quick to flood the comments with a mix of humour, awe, and admiration. An amused viewer joked, 'Even elephants get the munchies sometimes!" while another imagined the surreal moment, writing, 'Picture walking in for a snack and bumping into that — only in Thailand!" Another comment playfully read, 'This is the most majestic shoplifter I've ever seen," while someone else praised the elephant's gentle nature, saying, 'He was so polite — didn't even knock over a single item!" The video continued to spark light-hearted banter and appreciation for nature. 'This is exactly why I love wildlife," one user shared, while another added, 'Thailand is wild — in the best way possible!" A fan of the elephant's snack choice chimed in with, 'He just wanted some rice crackers. Let the legend eat in peace!" From admiration to laughter, the viral moment struck a perfect balance of wonder and whimsy for viewers around the world.
India Today
a day ago
- Entertainment
- India Today
Hungry elephant walks into Thai store, steals snacks like a pro. Video goes viral
In a scene that left social media users amused, a wild elephant wandered into a grocery store near Khao Yai National Park in Thailand on Monday and snacked to his heart's elephant, identified by wildlife officials as Plai Biang Lek, was spotted approaching the store before squeezing himself through the front entrance, Associated Press reports.A video of the incident that went viral online shows him making a beeline for the snack counter, where he began sampling goods straight off the shelves. Although national park workers tried to usher him out, the elephant seemed unfazed by their With a bag of food secured in his trunk, he eventually reversed his way out of the the video here: View this post on Instagram A post shared by India Today (@indiatoday)While recounting the incident, Kamploy Kakaew, who is the owner of the shop, recalled how the elephant nonchalantly chomped through several items, including nine packets of sweet rice crackers, a sandwich, and dried bananas she had just stocked that Sookkanthachat, a volunteer ranger who has observed Plai Biang Lek over the years, told the Associated Press that the 30-year-old elephant is no stranger to human settlements. However, this is the first time Plai Biang Lek was seen walking into a grocery he left the shop, he went on to open a bedroom window of another house,' Sookkanthachat told The Associated Press.(With inputs from Associated Press)
CNA
a day ago
- CNA
Hungry wild elephant raids grocery store in Thailand for snacks
BANGKOK: A hungry wild elephant caused havoc in a grocery store in Thailand on Monday (Jun 2) when he strolled in from a nearby national park and helped himself to food on the shelves. Videos of the incident showed the huge male elephant, known as Plai Biang Lek, briefly stopping in front of the shop, located next to a main road near the Khao Yai National Park in northeastern Thailand, before ducking his whole body inside. The elephant stopped in front of the shop's counter, calmly snatching and chomping snacks, and did not flinch as the national park workers tried to shoo him away. The elephant later backed out of the shop still holding a bag of snacks with his trunk. He left little damage behind, except mud tracks on the floor and the ceiling of the shop. In a video posted on social media, Kamploy Kakaew, the shop owner, appeared amused as she described the moment the elephant rifled her shop. She said he ate about nine bags of sweet rice crackers, a sandwich and some dried bananas she had bought that morning. Kamploy said the elephant left without hurting anyone after getting his snacks. Danai Sookkanthachat, a volunteer park worker familiar with the elephant, said Plai Biang Lek, who is about 30 years old, is a familiar sight in the area and has been known to enter people's houses in search of food. This was the first time he had seen him going into a grocery store. "After he left the shop, he went on to open a bedroom window of another house," he told The Associated Press. Danai said wild elephants in the Khao Yai National Park area have been coming out of the woods to ransack people's kitchens for many years, but this year he has started seeing them going into more random places to find food. There were an estimated 4,000 wild elephants in Thailand in 2024, according to the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation. As farmers push into forests for agriculture, elephants have been forced to venture out of their shrinking habitats in search of food, leading to confrontations that can turn deadly.
