A 19-year-old male elephant named "Phet Uthai" seriously injured his owner after becoming angry when rushed during mating with a female elephant, and rampaged, stabbing and damaging two vehicles.
On 16 Feb 2026, reporters said the Wang Krut rescue unit received a report of an elephant attacking a mahout and chasing villagers in Ban Non That, Village No. 6, Tha Muang Subdistrict, Satuek District, Buriram Province. They promptly deployed forces to assist.
Upon arrival, officials found the elephant destroying a white Isuzu MU-X SUV and a green Isuzu pickup truck, causing heavy damage, while also attempting to attack several onlooking villagers.
It was later learned the elephant’s name is Phet Uthai, 19 years old. The owner, Mr. Somporn Sutthiso, 35, was severely injured by his own elephant. Rescue units rushed him to the hospital, where he was initially diagnosed with a torn lung.
Later, elephant medical staff from the Khor-Aan Kingdom Project in Surin Province arrived to assist by administering tranquilizer darts. They were cautious about giving multiple doses to avoid harming the elephant, resulting in a more than two-hour effort before Phet Uthai weakened enough for the mahout to regain control.
Mr. Uthai Yiram, the village headman of Tha Muang Subdistrict, said a female elephant in the village had been hired to mate with Phet Uthai, and the mating was arranged in a field. During the mating, while Phet Uthai was preparing to mate, his owner Mr. Somporn tried to rush him to finish, which agitated the elephant. Possibly protective of the female, Phet Uthai turned on his owner and went into a frenzy, stabbing two vehicles with his tusks and chasing villagers.
Meanwhile, Mr. Natthaphon Maliwan, 30, a villager and owner of one of the pickup trucks, said Phet Uthai was likely stressed by being forced and controlled during mating, leading him to attack his owner and destroy the vehicles belonging to the female elephant’s owner who hired Phet Uthai for mating.
Initially, Phet Uthai caused damage to two vehicles and destroyed five rural highway signs.