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epa04990677 YEARENDER 2015 FEATURE PACKAGES.(21/21) A Thai elephant dressed in ancient costume walks at Ban Ta Klang village known also as 'Ban Chang (Elephant Village)' in Surin province, Thailand, 29 July 2015. The villagers are descendants of the Kui ethnic people who settled along the Thai-Cambodian border and the ethnic minority are experts since ancient times for their skills in capturing wild elephants, training and raising them. Close to the village is the Elephant Study Centre, part of the Surin Project. It was primarily founded to encourage drifted mahouts and their elephants to return back home at the Elephant Village - keeping them away from begging in Bangkok and other touristic cities in the country - and support them for a better life, offering mahouts a monthly salary of 280 US dollars. EPA/RUNGROJ YONGRIT PLEASE REFER TO ADVISORY NOTICE (epa04917892) FOR FULL FEATURE TEXT