SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - The first elephant ever born in Australia was given the Thai name 'Luk Chai' by his keepers on Monday after a competition which attracted 30,000 entries.

The name, which means 'son' or 'triumph,' was chosen because it should be easy for the three-week-old baby elephant to recognise, New South Wales state premier Nathan Rees said at a naming ceremony.

'Welcome to the world, Luk Chai,' he said. 'I hope you give many decades of happiness.'

Luk Chai, whose mother Thong Dee is a former Bangkok street elephant, was born in Sydney's Taronga Zoo on July 4.