It was once so common to see elephants on the streets of this city but with the new crackdown they have become very rare.

I went out today to try to find out if there were any elephants left in the Thai capital, but sadly I couldn’t find one.

The tourists loved them and in truth I loved seeing them.

What could be more unique than living in a city in which an elephant could be around the next corner.

But the Bangkok authorities have had enough of these intelligent beasts. They say they are a danger to the public and make the city untidy.

They didn’t have much success recently, though, in trying to stop their owners from bringing them in.

There is good money to be made from selling bananas to tourists or the Thai public to feed their beast.

In fact the fines were so small it didn’t deter them at all.

Some owners even it seems were prepared to transport baby elephants around in trucks to the different tourist hotspots in search of a buck.

Now in their wisdom the Bangkok authorities have chosen to target tourists instead.

A fine of $300 would put off most people from feeding an elephant.

But if you want to encounter elephants on a trip to Thailand it is still possible and you won’t be fined.

I traveled just outside Bangkok to the ancient city of Ayutthaya where there are plenty of them available to feed and ride.

And it seems they are taken care of.

That is really the point. Many of the elephants that come to Bangkok have a terrible life.

They are forced to make their way through Bangkok’s busy traffic to beg for a living in tourist areas.

Many fall down drains and get injured.

Animal rights groups are right in saying its wrong to force such intelligent animals to beg on the streets.

They want now to extend this ban to all other Thai cities.

It raises a larger issue though.

Elephants are synonymous with Thailand. If you ban them except from authorized enterprises then their population here is likely to fall because owners can’t afford to keep them.

Many are brought in from poorer areas when not needed for logging. If they can’t make money from them then it seems unlikely they will be kept in such large numbers in Thailand.

And that would be a great pity because to me the elephant, or Chang, as they are known here make Thailand special.

I can live without them on the streets of Bangkok because I know its not good for them but Thailand must find a way for the elephant to prosper here or they will miss them when they are gone.