Surly French Restaurateur in Talks to Acquire Elephant Sanctuary Recently Abandoned by Equally Surly Swiss Man
By TRENT MACGUFFIN, EDITORIAL INTERN
PHUKET, THAILAND — A well-known French restaurateur in Bangkok is reportedly in negotiations to take over an elephant sanctuary left vacant following the imprisonment of its previous Swiss owner, who was convicted last week for kicking a Thai doctor on a Buddhist holiday.
Jean-Baptiste Merdechaude, 51, owner of the much-reviewed but little-praised Bangkok bistro Le Mauvais Chat, has expressed “conditional interest” in the property once run by Urs “David” Fehr, 45 — a man known for both his elephant advocacy and his temper.
Fehr’s name made headlines in February 2024 when he filmed himself kicking a Thai doctor as she and a friend sat quietly on public stairs near his luxury villa on Yamu Beach, Phuket.
Fehr initially walked free, but on May 23 he was sentenced him to one month in prison. Since the assault, Fehr’s Green Elephant Wildlife sanctuary has been investigated by authorities who believe it may have been used for illegal purposes.
Merdechaude visited the sanctuary over the weekend, after seeing a note on an online forum suggesting it might be for sale. Reached for comment during his trip, Merdechaude said: “Perhaps I will buy it. At least elephants don’t leave TripAdvisor reviews.”
According to sources close to the pepper mill, Merdechaude has long expressed “disdain bordering on contempt for the entire brunch industry” and “people who think tofu is cuisine,” but has recently become “intrigued by the concept of large, silent mammals.”
He reportedly sees the sanctuary as a way to pivot away from hospitality, which he described as “infested with influencers, like flies in a kitchen.”
When asked if he has any animal welfare experience, Merdechaude said: “I had a dog once. It bit a food critic. I admired him for that.”
Merdechaude’s staff, however, are less optimistic about his suitability for animal stewardship.
“He once threw a carafe at a soi cat who was sleeping on a chair outside,” said one former waiter. “And when we had a rat issue, he demanded we catch one and serve it to a reviewer from Lyon ‘as a test.’”
Another recalled a kitchen incident where Merdechaude spotted a cockroach and shouted, “get that tourist out of my kitchen!” before hurling an open bottle of Chablis at it.
Authorities declined to comment. One conservation worker, speaking on condition of anonymity said, “I understand Mr Merdechaude once screamed at a customer for mispronouncing ‘bouillabaisse.’ Elephants are less forgiving.”