They are traditionally required to first seek permission from the sacred place, built during the time of the kingdom of Ayutthaya, and perform a ritual to predict the outcome.
Thongrian Miphan, president of the elephant foundation, led 10 elephants to the ceremony at the kraal in Phra Nakhon Sri Ayutthaya district. Brahmin priests and nine revered mahouts also took part.
The kraal, listed by the Fine Arts Department as a national archaeological site, is showing the wear of time and countless visitors. Authorities said its nearly 800 large talung, or pillars, where elephants are tethered, will be a focus of the repairs.
In the past, mahouts used the kraal to show the king how they rounded up and caught elephants.