Elephants spray water on revellers in Songkran celebrations In the ancient Thai capital Ayutthaya, a dozen elephants spray water on revellers to celebrate Songkran festival. Every year, the elephants and their handlers parade the streets with flowers and hearts painted on the animals. Many of Thailand's elephants are employed by tour companies that charge visitors for a chance to ride and bathe the beasts, a lucrative but controversial tourist draw in the kingdom. Activists say animals are often subject to daily abuse, while unemployed elephants face bleak lives tethered to a chain for much of the day. IMAGES