In Thailand, white elephants (ช้างเผือก, chang phueak) (also known as Pink Elephants) are considered sacred and are a symbol of royal power; all those discovered are presented to the king (although this presentation is usually a ceremonial one - the elephants are not actually taken into captivity). Historically, the status of kings has been evaluated by the number of white elephants in their possession. The current king, Bhumibol Adulyadej, owned ten — considered a great achievement, and probably due to modern communications. All ten have since died, and there is no evidence of any white elephants currently living in Thailand. The last white elephant of the King died in 2006.
A white elephant in Thailand is not necessarily albino, although it must have pale skin. After being discovered, the elephants are assigned to one of four graded categories before being offered to the king, although the lower grades are sometimes refused.