Survey Thai-m!

Happy Monday! Daniela, Maleeha, and Savannah here! 

This past weekend was an eventful one! 

Friday we had a vet from Patara Elephant Sanctuary,  Dr. Thittaya Janyamethakul, come and speak to us about zoonotic diseases. She talked to us about diseases like Brucellosis, TB, Leptospirosis, rabies, and more. On Friday we also went to the Romborsang Umbrella Factory and learned how the paper umbrellas were made, and we even got to paint our own! We also went to the Shinawatra Thai Silk factory where we learned how to differentiate between fake and real silk made in different regions of Asia. For dinner we were able to explore a little more of Thailand in the Night Bazaar, which is a street lined with multiple stalls of merchandise and food similar to the walking street. 

Saturday, Sunday, and Monday were full of surveys and tourists at Mae Taeng Elephant Park & Clinic. We spent about four hours a day, alternating groups during lunch, to survey the tourists that came to interact with the elephants. Furthermore, about three people were stationed at the Hug Chang facility to survey the tourists there. Many of the tourists did not speak English, but with the help of two translators we were able to effectively communicate with both the Chinese and Thai tourists. The first day was very hectic and we did not know what to expect, but by Sunday and Monday surveying became easier and eventually turned into a cut-throat (friendly) competition. 

During the weekend we also participated in a cultural dinner where the different tribes of Thailand demonstrated their various traditional dances. What made this dinner unique was the fact that it was an interactive experience where the dancers brought audience members onto the stage and taught them some of the dances. From our group Lia, Garrett, and Lohith were selected to participate. 

This past weekend we also went back to the walking street and as always it was chaotic and full of interesting sights and smells. Today our dinner was at Paak Dang, which is a restaurant right next to the Ping River, and it was nice to be able to eat while feeling like we were right outside. Overall, it was a nice weekend and a good start to this upcoming week, and it’s hard to believe time went by so fast that we’re halfway done with our trip!