PHOTOS: Elephant Santas deliver Christmas presents at Thai school

Elephants dressed as Santa Claus gave out presents and candy to students in Thailand in an annual Christmas tradition in the mostly Buddhist country. The Christmas celebration at the Jirasartwitthaya school in Ayutthaya, north of Bangkok, has run for 15 years. This year four elephants and their mahouts, also wearing Santa hats, visited the school and gave away presents to the students, said Lardthongtare Meepan, owner of the Ayuttahaya Elephant Palace, an elephant camp. “The highlight is not only handing out presents, but also students and elephants are forming a Christmas tree together,” he said. The elephants danced and showed off tricks to students.

Updated on: Dec 25, 2019 1:32 PM IST

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Bangkok: An elephant dressed in a Santa Claus costume offers gifts to children at the Jirasartwitthaya school during Christmas celebrations. (AP)

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Elephants dressed in Santa Claus costumes sit with students at the Jirasartwitthaya school during Christmas celebrations in Ayutthaya province. (AP)

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A mahout takes a photo with an elephant dressed in a Santa Claus costume during a celebration. (AP)

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Students and elephants dressed in Santa Claus costumes offer gifts to students at Jirasartwitthaya school. (AP)

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An elephant dressed in a Santa Claus costume performs for children at the Jirasartwitthaya school during Christmas celebrations. (AP)

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An elephant dressed in a Santa Claus costume performs in front of students at Jirasartwitthaya school during Christmas celebrations in Ayutthaya province north of Bangkok, Thailand. The annual event is held every year for to celebrate the upcoming Christmas. (AP)