A stubborn Thai farmer was trampled to death by a wild elephant in after repeatedly ignoring warnings to evacuate.

Prasit Sokanthat, 62, was attacked and killed by the notorious wild elephant known as Si Dor Hoo Phab while sleeping near his rice field in Khon Kaen, northeast Thailand, on October 21.

Officials had urged locals to stay away from the area - a favourite raiding spot for the jumbos roaming nearby - but Prasit insisted on staying behind, claiming he would be safe.

When the elephant appeared that evening, villagers set off firecrackers to scare it away, but the noise is believed to have startled the animal and sent it into a rampage.

The leathery beast destroyed fences and ransacked the area in search of food before turning its attention toward Prasit's hut.

Desperate Prasit ran but tripped on a patch of freshly tilled soil. The enraged beast caught up with him and brutally trampled him, leaving him with a crushed chest and fractured skull.

Rescuers later found him smashed into the ground with blood seeping out of his eyes and ears. Huge elephant tracks marked where the beast had chased him down.

Prasit's brother, Sawat, said the same elephant had been foraging in the area for more than a month, prompting officials to frequently warn residents.

He said the jumbo was fast and intelligent, often hiding in huts to avoid detection by drones.

He added: 'I hope this serves as a cautionary tale for the public to strictly follow the officials' advice. Do not be careless or make impulsive decisions.

'Wild elephants are fast, and no one can escape if they are near. I hope that my brother will be the last to die like this.'

Locals said the horror elephant attack has left them shaken and unable to work in the rice fields properly.

Somkid Pimsak, 55, said: 'I understand that the officials are working hard, but I want decisive action because we have to make a living too. Several people have died from wild elephant attacks before this.'

Suchart Chomklin, deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, said he has ordered the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation to provide compensation to Prasit's family.

He also ordered wildlife officers to ramp up monitoring and security in the region to ensure public safety.

In September, more than 200 neighbours protested at the Khon Kaen Administrative Court, slamming the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) over its alleged negligence.

Legal representatives formally filed a case against the DNP, accusing officials of failing to act as herds of tuskers trampled crops, raided homes, and crushed villagers to death over the past three years.

The jungle behemoths were believed to have strayed from the Phu Luang Wildlife Sanctuary in Loei before roaming into farming areas. Villagers believe the elephants are now camping on the edges of communities, sparking fears of attacks.

Though rangers were occasionally sent to deal with the jumbos, the animals would often return within days, leaving residents scared of staying outside for too long.

As of 2024, there are an estimated 4,013 to 4,422 wild elephants in Thailand. The population has been increasing in recent years, but it is still a fraction of the estimated 300,000 wild elephants that lived in Thailand at the beginning of the 20th century.

The main threats to wild elephants in Thailand are habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching, and conflict with humans.