In the army, the elephant has always been an important means of transport and several legendary battles were decided on the backs of  elephants, such as the Great Duel (fig.) fought by King Naresuan (fig.).

Here in the background, at a demonstration at the Samut Prakan Crocodile Farm (fig.) and Zoo, is a phaniad, i.e. an ‘elephant kraal’ (fig.), and these demo battle elephants are topped with a royal multi-layered parasol called a chattra (fig.).