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Elephants are extraordinary, magnificent, maybe even nostalgic creatures from our childhood. They are a symbol of Thailand and millions of visitors each year visit the land of smiles in the hope of riding, feeding, and swimming with the elephants. Unfortunately, this desire to capture those vacation photos with this majestic animal is only fueling a rise in elephants being captured from the wild for human entertainment.
Elephant Facts
Elephants are the largest living mammal on land, weighing between 6,600- 11,000 pounds (3,000 to 5,000 kg) and 19 feet in length (6 meters). Elephants are very social creatures living in mother-calf units and can live up to 70+ years in the wild. Unfortunately, captivated elephants often have a shorter lifespan due to physical and emotional stress.
According to the World Animal Protection (WAP), there are approximately 38,000 – 52,000 elephants in all of Asia. In comparison, the Africa elephant population is estimated to house at least 472,269 elephants. In the early 1900s there was an estimated 100,000 wild elephants in Thailand. Today, there are an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 elephants and half of them live in captivity. I love elephants and this makes me sad, and sometimes mad!
WAP reports that Thailand uses roughly twice as many elephants in tourism as all the other countries combined. Thailand gets more than 30 million visitors each year and WAP research found that 40% of tourists of visiting Thailand said they had been or were planning to ride an elephant. So, these 1500 – 2000 captive elephants in Thailand gave rides to almost 13 million people last year.
Thailand has approximately 27 laws concerning the protection of elephants and is the only country in the world where elephants are classified as both wild and domestic. Unfortunately, the allowance for domestic elephants only increases the opportunity for exploitation. Research conducted by the WPA, which assessed nearly 3,000 elephants, found almost three quarters of the elephants to be living in severely cruel conditions, bound with short chains standing on concrete floors close to busy roads, loud noises, and in the scorching sun.
What’s Wrong with Elephant Tourism?
As I mentioned above, nearly 13 million visitors a year ride an elephant in Thailand. These are wild animals; they don’t just kneel and motion for you to hop on their back. I’m pretty sure these elephant riding tourists love elephants and were thrilled to be so close to these large, majestic animals. Unfortunately, the truth behind the training and treatment of elephants used for riding and other entertainments is so cruel, it must be hidden from site.
In 2020, WPA released a video of eight baby elephants being forcibly taken from their mothers, tied to wooden structures, and starved and beaten for days until their spirit is broken and they submit. This “training” process is known as The Crush. The use of a sharp bull hook is common to keep the elephants submissive and able to perform, allow people to ride on their backs, and tolerate other tourist activities such as bathing and trunk hugging.
Elephants used for tourist pleasure feed the cycle of animal cruelty. A lot of people don’t know this. Please don’t contribute to the physical and mental suffering of these magnificent animals. To learn more about the WPA and how to help protect elephants, visit them at World Animal Protection | Move the world to protect animals.
Ethical Elephant Sanctuaries in Thailand
Visitors looking for an ethical experience need to be very careful and do diligent research when exploring where to see elephants in Thailand. Unfortunately, there are more businesses posing as an ethical sanctuary, rehab or conservation camp than there are true ethical elephant operations. The below elephant experiences are both reliable and ethical operations.
Northern Thailand: Elephant Nature Park
Visitors to Bangkok or Northern Thailand can enjoy the Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai. At the Chiang Mai Elephant Nature Park, elephants get to roam free in a safe and wild habitat. Founded in 1998, the Elephant Nature Park is a 250-acre elephant rescue and rehabilitation center providing respite for over 100 retired elephants. Most of these elephants have been rescued from tourist riding, circus shows, and logging where they have sustained physical and mental trauma.
The founder of the Elephant Nature Park, Saengduean Lek Chailert, ensures these beautiful creatures are well taken care of and able to live their best life. She is one of the Thai elephants’ best activists and strives to educate other elephant handlers about best ethical practices.
Elephant Nature Park offers a variety of tour packages, including a full day SkyWalk excursion where visitors can view elephants from an elevated boardwalk in a separate area followed by a visit to Elephant Nature Park. The park also offers an option for full-board accommodation so visitors can stay close to the elephants overnight.
For those visitors wanting a more immersive experience, adults or accompanied Children over 12 years old, can participate in a 1- or 2-week volunteer program for 12,000 Thai Baht per week. Accommodation, meals, and transport to and from Chiang Mai is included in the price and this is a great immersive way to experience and support the elephants in their natural habitat. This is on my bucket list.
Getting to Elephant Nature Park
Hotel transfer is included in the ticket price. Travelers will be transported in passenger vans and will view a video about Elephant Nature Park during the almost 90-minute drive. Visitors will be transferred back to their hotel at the end of the tour.Check out their website for more information and to support the efforts of this organization.
Southern Thailand: Phuket Elephant Sanctuary
Located in Paklok, Phuket and bordered by the Khao Phra Theo National Park, this 30-acre Elephant Sanctuary is a lush and tropical oasis for 13 rescued elephants -and growing. Established in 2016, after Mr. Montri Todtane, who had previously owned an elephant riding camp in Southern Phuket, became inspired to change his approach after visiting the Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai and meeting its founder Saengduean Lek Chailert.
Phuket Elephant Sanctuary is the first ethical sanctuary in Phuket. They offer a natural environment for retired elephants to live out the rest of their days in peace. The sanctuary rescues sick, injured, and old elephants who are not able to perform their work anymore, and one of the ways they acquire the elephants is by buying them. I learned this when we were visiting in the beginning of 2023 and had to ask just how much it costs to buy an elephant; 1 million Baht ($29,020USD). Well, I can’t buy an elephant for the sanctuary just yet, so I show my support by taking tours and visiting their great gift shop. Check out the gift shop while you’re there, they have a great variety of Thai souvenirs and clothing.
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Tours include both half and full day excursions with meals included. One of the really great features is the almost 2000 foot (600 meter) long canopy walkway where visitors can observe rescued elephants as they roam, forage, and bathe in the jungle below.
The sanctuary also has a for-cost volunteer program. This 7 day and 6-night program includes accommodation, selected meals, and daily transport from the volunteer accommodation to Phuket Elephant Sanctuary and back. The cost is 18,000 Baht and volunteers must be 18 or older.
Getting to Phuket Elephant Sanctuary
Phuket Elephant Sanctuary tours can be purchased from most online booking sites, Phuket hotels, and from the sanctuary’s website or office location. There are no public roads or parking at the sanctuary and visitors are encouraged to purchase tickets ahead of time which include hotel transfer to and from the sanctuary. Visitors that show up at the Paklok office can pick up tickets there and will be transported to the sanctuary in a group.
Conclusion
Please be mindful when researching which ethical elephant sanctuary to visit. There are many businesses in Thailand that claim to be an ethical sanctuary but allow tourists to ride and bathe with the elephants, and some even keep their elephants chained in harsh conditions. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to see these beautiful animals in their natural habit, well taken care of and loved.
Thanks for reading this post, please help to educate the people in your life and stop the cycle of elephant cruelty! Come back soon for more adventures, and as always, I invite you to reach out if you have any questions or just want to share ideas, or your travel stories.
Feel free to email me at cyanne@bestdestinationsthailand.com or leave a comment below. Together, we can share our experiences or just learn from others. The world opens to those with knowledge.
All the best,
Cyanne