White Elephant Monument

A sculpture/shrine to white elephants, the tusks and trunk colourfully decorated.

White elephants are considered auspicious - so much so that I think any and all of them born in Thailand automatically become property of the monarchy. I don't know what qualifies an elephant as a "white elephant." I assumed at first they were albinos, and perhaps those qualify too, but I've seen pictures of "white elephants" that didn't look any different to me than normal elephants. Apparently there are special markings ...

This is a small monument to them in Chiang Mai.