Spending some time with Thai elephants is on most people checklist when coming to Thailand for holidays.
When you do so it is very important to understand some of the problems which come with it. Plan your trip well a do your research on what sanctuary to visit so you don’t contribute to any unnecessary animal cruelty.
The word sanctuary is used very loosely in some of the places and unfortunately, it doesn’t mean it is ethical and cruelty-free.
Best Ethical Elephant Sanctuaries and Volunteering Programs in Thailand
Up until late 80’s, most captive elephants were used for logging, but after the Thai government banned this activity in 1989, thousands of elephants ended up out of work.
The animals could not return to the wild due to the rapid rates of deforestation which created a financial problem for the owners. The supply of a single elephant costs several hundred dollars a month and an elephant consumes up to 200 kilograms of food a day, approximately 10 percent of its body weight per day.
Due to these financial aspects, the elephant tourism and elephant rides started to make its way to the towns and many elephants riding camps and entertainment parks were set up.
And as it is well known fact, some humans are awful being and in many of these establishments, the elephants were and still are treated badly, undernourished, not cared for or even physically harmed.
A few years back people started to talk more and more about what is going on in these places- elephants being chained up and beaten up was a norm and that had to change.
Some amazing people with help of charities, volunteers and financial help from sponsors set up a few ethical sanctuaries where the elephants are cared for.
These are the places you should visit if you want to support a good cause and help these magnificent animals to have a better life.
How do you know if the sanctuary is legit?
1. Do not support any place where they let visitors ride the animals.
2. Ideally, the camp should have a access to the forest where the elephants are free to roam and eat foods natural to their diets such as bamboo leaves, bark, and grass. Any healthy elephant needs a variety of food, so not only sweet treats like fruit and sugar canes.
3. The camp has to have a shaded area where the animals can hide from the sun and ideally a pond or a river so the elephants can bath, play and cool down in the hot Thailand weather.
How do you know if the sanctuary is legit?
1. Do not support any place where they let visitors ride the animals.
2. Ideally, the camp should have a access to the forest where the elephants are free to roam and eat foods natural to their diets such as bamboo leaves, bark, and grass. Any healthy elephant needs a variety of food, so not only sweet treats like fruit and sugar canes.
3. The camp has to have a shaded area where the animals can hide from the sun and ideally a pond or a river so the elephants can bath, play and cool down in the hot Thailand weather.
1. Following Giants, Koh Lanta
This amazing sanctuary in Koh Lanta cares for mistreated and retired elephants and they allow elephants to experience a new life which is natural and stress-free. They promise the minimum contact attitude as this is when you can really see the elephant the most content. Quietly observing the animals eating grass and interacting with each other is an incredibly positive experience.
You can choose from half day, one day or just a 2-h experience and you can be sure the money is going to a good cause.
Visit Website for more info: Following Giants
2. Phuket Elephant Sanctuary
Phuket’s first Elephant sanctuary is a home for retired working elephants, set on 30 acres of lush tropical jungle. You can observe how elephants rehabilitate into forest life after decades of abuse.
You can observe these gentle giants as they enjoy their newfound freedom, socialize with each other and bathe freely in freshwater lagoons.
In Phuket Elephant Sanctuary they take the ethical tourism even one step further as they don’t allow visitors bathing with the elephants. For some elephants, it can become stressful to have an outsider interacting with them during their bathing rituals and they prefer to play, swim, cool off and splash in the water with each other and having people crowding them can affect their natural behavior.
There are a few different “sanctuaries” with similar names in Phuket so make sure you looking at the right place as Phuket Elephant Sanctuary is the only real ethical place to visit.
For more information visit website: Phuket Elephant Sanctuary
3. Elephant Nature Park Chiang Mai
This award-winning sanctuary is a unique project set in Chiang Mai province, Northern Thailand.
It is a rescue center not only for elephants, but also cats, dogs, buffalos and other animals in need. The park is located 1-hour drive from Chiang Mai and has provided a sanctuary for dozens of distressed elephants from all over Thailand.
In Elephant Nature Park you can experience feeding and bathing elephants, join for a jungle walk, rafting or help to walk and wash rescue dogs.
They participate in many other projects such as rainforest restoration where they planting new trees in the area, cultural integrity of the local community and pro-environment education.
For more information visit website: Elephant Nature Park
4. Elephant Hills Khao Sok
To visit Elephant Hill park in Khan Sok you have to stay in the camp overnight. The camp is inspired by African jungle safaris and combines luxury tent camping with jungle experience. While experiencing the tropical forest environment, you will be able to interact with the animals during the stay, feed them and bath them.
Apart from elephant conservation project, the Elephant Hill is also involved in many other eco-projects such as Wild Life Monitoring and Children project which helps work closely with the local community.
Visit Website for more info: Elephant Hills
If you are interested in having more authentic experience and have the time, check out some of the volunteering programs. These camps only accept volunteers who stay in the sanctuary and help with the elephant care and general work around the farm. The stay is usually minimum one week and you will get the best possible authentic experience and memories for life.
BEST Volunteering programs
We all wish these beautiful animals could return back to the jungle and live undisturbed life but that is just not possible at the moment.
It’s lucky that places such as Elephant Valley and Phuket Elephant Sanctuary exist so the elephants can take care off.
You can support these establishments by visiting, donating and sharing and spreading the word on social media so everyone visiting Thailand is aware of this issue and can make the right decision.
Please share this with your friends and family.
