The relevance of elephants in Thai culture is traceable from the battle for the sovereignty of Thailand to modern times.

Elephants Play A Long And Rich Role in Thai Culture And History
There are two major elephant species today: the Asian and African elephants.
The Thai Elephant or “Chang Thai” is actually the Indian elephant: a subspecies of the Asian elephant and it is Thailand’s national animal. These animals have a long history of relationship with the Thai that goes centuries back. They often say that elephants helped them build the nation they have now.