The male elephant was seen inside the grocery store, with his head and body brushing against the ceiling, snacking on food.PHOTOS: STAY IN THAILAND/FACEBOOK
A grocery store in northeastern Thailand had a recent encounter with a larger-than-life freeloader – a wild elephant that casually strolled in to snack on some sweet treats before making an exit.
The male elephant, named Plai Biang Lek, is well-known among locals near Khao Yai National Park – about 200km from Bangkok – for his habit of venturing into nearby human settlements.
He had previously wandered into a nearby village and raided a small eatery for food.
However, his latest intrusion on June 2 marks the first time he has entered a grocery store.
Videos and pictures on social media show the elephant inside the packed store, munching on snacks while his head and body brushes against the ceiling. After satisfying his cravings, he strolls out.
The shop owner, known only as Ploy, told Thai media that she was serving customers when the elephant ambled into the shop at 3 p.m. that day, causing people to flee for their safety.
She contacted officers from the national park, who arrived and tried to shoo it away.
Thai daily Khaosod English reported that the undeterred elephant continued to look for food and scoffed down sweet, crispy Thai snacks and chicken eggs.
His snack selection was notable, the newspaper said, as elephants usually prefer salty food when raiding human settlements.
The report added that the shop owner suffered 1,000 baht (S$39.53) in damage.