Chang Pheuak (White Elephant)
The White Elephant (Thai: ช้างเผือก, chang pheuak) is the most sacred animal in Thai mythology and a direct symbol of royal power connected to Buddhist cosmology. According to legend, Queen Maya, the mother of the Buddha, dreamt of a white elephant offering her a lotus flower before she conceived — establishing the white elephant as a symbol of spiritual purity and royal legitimacy. The discovery of a white elephant was considered a divine sign that the reigning king ruled with righteousness (dharma). The legend of Phra Phutthabat (the Buddha's footprint) tells of a white elephant that knelt t