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Harrowing moments for husband in Chonburi who saw his wife killed by an angry elephant Sunday morning

Wild elephant pursues and kills Wanna Sridachama, 36, after she warned her husband to run from their Chonburi rubber plantation. Three local workers have now… Read More ›

thaiexaminerJames Morris and Son Nguyen查看原文 ↗

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春武里府一名丈夫目睹妻子周日早晨被愤怒的大象咬死,悲痛欲绝。

October 4, 2026 at 8:36 pm

by James Morris and Son Nguyen

in Crime , Living , Media , Thailand

A wild elephant chased down and killed a 36-year-old woman collecting latex with her husband in Chonburi early Sunday, leaving her body severed in two. Wanna Sridachama spotted the animal first and shouted for her husband to run before it pursued her through the plantation. Her death is the latest in a grim series, with three Chonburi rubber workers killed in under four months. The tragedy exposes a far wider threat across eastern Thailand, where elephants increasingly roam beyond protected forests. Wild elephants have killed 273 people nationwide since 2012, including 141 in the eastern forest complex alone.

Wild elephant kills Wanna Sridachama, 36, after chasing her through a Chonburi rubber plantation. Three local workers have died in under four months. ( Source: Daily News )

A wild elephant chased and killed a 36-year-old woman collecting latex with her husband in Chonburi early Sunday. The attack occurred inside a rubber plantation in Nong Yai district at about 6 am. Notably, Wanna Sridachama saw the elephant first and immediately warned her husband. “The elephant’s coming, run,” she shouted.

The couple fled through the plantation in different directions as the elephant approached. Her husband, Phanmongkol Jindawan, 27, ran uphill while Ms Wanna headed another way. However, the elephant ignored him and pursued his wife. Moments later, Mr Phanmongkol heard her screaming among the rubber trees.

When he looked back, he saw the elephant attacking his wife. At that point, he could not safely reach her while the animal remained nearby. Eventually, the elephant moved away. Mr Phanmongkol rushed back and found his wife dead.

Elephant attack leaves woman dead as police and wildlife teams respond to danger in Chonburi plantation

The attack had inflicted catastrophic injuries. According to Daily News, the elephant struck Ms Wanna with such force that her body was severed in two. Her husband then contacted police and reported the killing.

Officers from Nong Yai Police Station responded alongside local rescue workers. They found Ms Wanna inside the plantation at Moo 1, Khlong Phlu subdistrict. Subsequently, police cordoned off the area and began examining the circumstances surrounding her death.

In parallel, officials contacted wildlife agencies and started checking the surrounding area. There were concerns that the elephant could remain nearby. Residents and agricultural workers near forest areas were warned to exercise particular caution.

As part of this response, officials warned people against approaching or chasing wild elephants. Instead, anyone encountering an animal was told to contact officials immediately. Wildlife teams continued monitoring elephant movements around the area.

Sunday’s killing comes amid a series of fatal elephant encounters involving plantation workers in Chonburi. Only five weeks earlier, another man was killed while working in a rubber plantation. Pichai Ngamphaeng, 38, died in neighbouring Bo Thong district on August 28.

Three fatal elephant attacks hit Chonburi rubber workers within four months as national toll rises

Mr Pichai had also been working alongside his wife when wild elephants appeared. Consequently, the two cases share striking circumstances. Both involved married couples working inside Chonburi rubber plantations when elephants entered their surroundings.

Separately, another fatal elephant attack had already occurred in Khlong Phlu this year. The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation recorded that death on June 21. The victim was found inside a rubber plantation at Ban Khlong Takhian, Moo 3.

Ms Wanna was therefore at least the second rubber worker killed by an elephant in Khlong Phlu this year. Overall, three fatal encounters have occurred around Chonburi rubber plantations within less than four months. Two happened within the same Nong Yai subdistrict.

Beyond Chonburi, the deaths form part of a much larger national toll. Official figures show wild elephants have killed hundreds of people across Thailand since 2012. The latest figures put the number of deaths at 273.

Another 245 people were injured during the same period. Significantly, eastern Thailand accounted for a large share of those casualties. The eastern forest complex alone recorded 141 of the 273 deaths.

Eastern forest region accounts for over half of Thailand’s 273 deaths as elephants move beyond forests

More than half of the recorded fatalities therefore occurred within the eastern forest region. The affected area includes Chonburi, Chachoengsao, Chanthaburi and neighbouring provinces. Annual figures also show substantial numbers of deaths continuing each year.

In 2023, wild elephants killed 22 people, according to Department of National Parks figures. The following year, the toll climbed to 39. During fiscal 2025, another 30 people died and 29 were injured.

By February 25 this year, another ten people had already been killed. In addition, 19 people had been injured by that date. Sunday’s attack adds another fatal case to the continuing toll.

Eastern Thailand remains particularly exposed to encounters between people and wild elephants. One important factor is the number of animals travelling beyond protected forests. Department of National Parks Director-General Atthapol Charoenchansa described the scale earlier this year.

According to Mr Atthapol, more than 90% of elephant attacks occur outside protected forests. Meanwhile, about 75% of elephants in eastern Thailand venture beyond protected areas. Some travel tens of kilometres outside forest boundaries.

Thousands of elephant excursions put eastern farms and rubber workers increasingly in animals’ path

As a result, elephants regularly move into areas where people live and work. These include rubber plantations, cassava fields, orchards, villages and public roads. Agricultural workers can therefore encounter animals well beyond formal wildlife areas.

Official records show how frequently these movements occur. During the first seven months of 2025, officials recorded 3,375 elephant excursions across seven eastern provinces. During that same period, twelve people were killed.

For rubber workers, working hours create another element in these encounters. Latex collection frequently takes place before dawn or during darkness. Workers can therefore be deep inside plantations while elephants are moving across surrounding agricultural land.

Visibility can also be limited among rows of rubber trees. Workers may have little warning when a large animal approaches from elsewhere in a plantation. Close encounters can therefore develop quickly.

Sunday’s killing occurred during precisely those early-morning working hours. Ms Wanna and her husband were collecting latex at around 6 am. Then she noticed the elephant entering the plantation.

Early morning rubber work raises encounter risks as researchers explain why wild elephants may attack

Immediately, she shouted her warning. The couple ran in different directions through the trees. Mr Phanmongkol headed uphill while his wife fled another way.

Yet the elephant did not follow him. Instead, it pursued Ms Wanna. Her husband soon heard her screams.

Thai wildlife researchers have identified several circumstances associated with elephant attacks. Unexpected close encounters during darkness can startle elephants and trigger defensive responses. Likewise, animals entering farmland can experience repeated confrontations with people.

Farmers sometimes use loud noises, firecrackers and other methods to drive elephants from crops. Researchers say repeated hostile encounters can affect how elephants subsequently respond to humans. Elephants also have strong memories and can change their behaviour following repeated confrontations.

Still, most encounters between wild elephants and people do not result in attacks. Their enormous size makes any physical attack exceptionally dangerous. Asian elephants can weigh several tonnes.

An attack can involve charging, trampling, tusks or powerful blows from the trunk. Accordingly, a close encounter can become fatal within seconds. The injuries inflicted on Ms Wanna demonstrated the enormous force involved.

Fatal rubber plantation attacks spread across eastern Thailand as elephants and people suffer casualties

On another front, similar deaths have occurred elsewhere within the eastern region. In August 2025, Abdullah, 66, was killed while tapping rubber in neighbouring Chachoengsao. A wild elephant attacked him at Ban Khlong Takhian in Tha Takiap district.

That plantation was approximately four kilometres from Khao Ang Rue Nai Wildlife Sanctuary. Once again, the victim was performing routine work inside a rubber plantation. The attack also occurred within the wider eastern forest region.

The conflict has inflicted casualties on the elephant population as well. Department figures show 101 wild elephants died between 2015 and early 2026. Another 51 elephants were injured during conflicts involving people.

Even so, the human toll remains heavily concentrated in eastern Thailand. Of 273 deaths nationwide since 2012, 141 occurred within the eastern forest complex. Recent cases in Chonburi illustrate that concentration at local level.

First, a rubber worker was killed inside Khlong Phlu on June 21. Then Mr Pichai died in another Chonburi rubber plantation on August 28. Five weeks later, Ms Wanna was killed back in Khlong Phlu.

Three Chonburi plantation deaths in under four months expose repeated danger for local rubber workers

Taken together, the three Chonburi deaths occurred within less than four months. Moreover, two happened within the same subdistrict. Each involved people working in rubber plantations.

The June victim was found at Ban Khlong Takhian in Moo 3. Sunday’s attack occurred at another plantation in Moo 1. Both locations are within Khlong Phlu subdistrict in Nong Yai.

Against that background, Sunday’s encounter began as routine early-morning work. Ms Wanna and Mr Phanmongkol entered their plantation together to collect rubber sap. Shortly before the attack, neither had any reported indication of immediate danger.

At around 6 am, Ms Wanna spotted the wild elephant. She reacted first and warned her husband. “The elephant’s coming, run,” she shouted.

Both immediately fled. Mr Phanmongkol ran uphill, while his wife chose another direction through the plantation. The elephant ignored him and followed Ms Wanna.

Soon afterwards, Mr Phanmongkol heard his wife’s screams. He turned and saw the animal attacking her. While the elephant remained there, he could not reach her safely.

Afterwards, the animal finally walked away from the area. Mr Phanmongkol then rushed towards his wife. By then, she was dead.

Police secure plantation after killing as Thailand records hundreds of deaths and injuries since 2012

Police and rescue workers later entered the plantation and secured the scene. At the same time, wildlife officials began checking the surrounding area. Officials also issued warnings to people living and working near forest zones.

The death comes amid thousands of recorded elephant movements beyond protected areas in eastern Thailand. It also follows years of substantial human casualties. Nationally, the annual toll reached 22 deaths in 2023 and 39 during 2024.

Another 30 people died during fiscal 2025. By late February this year, ten more people had already been killed. In total, the official toll since 2012 stands at 273 dead and 245 injured.

For the eastern forest complex, the figures are particularly concentrated. It accounts for 141 of those deaths. Furthermore, three recent Chonburi cases involved workers inside rubber plantations.

Nong Yai suffers second fatal attack in months as husband recounts wife’s final warning and pursuit

For Nong Yai, Sunday’s death also follows another fatal attack within the same subdistrict. The earlier victim died in Khlong Phlu in June. Ms Wanna was killed there little more than three months later.

The circumstances of Sunday’s attack were recorded through the account of the man who escaped. Mr Phanmongkol had been beside his wife shortly before the elephant appeared. She saw the danger first.

Her warning sent both running through the plantation. Mr Phanmongkol reached higher ground. The elephant went after his wife instead.

He then heard her screaming and saw the attack. Only after the elephant moved away could he return.

Ms Wanna was already dead.

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James Morris is a pename for an international writer based in Bangkok who works on various international news media. He is a sub editor with the Thai Examiner news website since it began in 2015. Son Nguyen is an international writer and news commentator specialising in Thai news and current affairs. He commenced working with the Thai Examiner News Desk in May 2018.

All posts by James Morris and Son Nguyen

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