When you travel to Thailand, you’re more likely than not to see an elephant (or a herd of them). In fact, elephants are a mainstay in Thailand…so much so that they made it the country’s national symbol. There are about 3,500 domesticated and more than 3,000 wild elephants in Thailand, some of which you can encounter in sanctuaries and trips.
But here is the problem: not all elephant encounters being offered to tourists are ethical. Many are actually promoting or supporting animal cruelty, consciously or not.
As a traveller, it can be easy to get swept up at the moment and unconsciously become part of mistreating and hurting elephants. It can also be easy to become attracted to agents promoting so-called “eco-friendly” and “ethical” elephant parks where the animals are abused so they could perform tricks and give rides to tourists.
If you’re planning to visit Thailand, specifically the city of Chiang Mai, and seeing elephants is on your list, we recommend only supporting sanctuaries that actually give these creatures the home and life they deserve. We’ve created a list of the most ethical elephant sanctuaries in Chiang Mai for you to visit.
Set about 65 kilometres from Chiang Mai, the Elephant Nature Park is an incredible project that provides a haven for rescued elephants and animals across Thailand, including dogs, cats, cows, buffaloes, and rabbits.
Founded in the 1990s by award-winning conservationist Lek Chailert, this 250-acre park is widely known as an ethical elephant sanctuary in Chiang Mai.
On top of providing a home for elephants and other animals, the Elephant Nature Park is also engaged in the Rain Forest Restoration program. The initiative aims to plant 25 acres of trees every year. The program also involves the participation of locals who strive to educate all visitors about the consequences of the unethical elephant industry.
Can you feed elephants? Yes (along with a short lesson on their feeding habits)
Can you bathe elephants? No
Can you ride elephants? No
Website: https://www.elephantnaturepark.org/enp/
BEES, or Burm & Emily’s Elephant Sanctuary, is a community-based elephant retirement and animal rescue centre that have the creature’s best interest at heart. Founded in 2011 by Burm and Emily, BEES is perhaps the most ethical elephant sanctuary in Chiang Mai.
BEES was established after Emily’s trip to Thailand showed her the harsh conditions elephants were put in to give tourists rides and perform tricks. This program was then established with the goal of letting the elephants actually be elephants and stay true to their natural behaviours.
Unlike other elephant sanctuaries, BEES strictly follows a hands-off policy with the elephants. This means guests cannot feed, bathe, or ride elephants. However, guests are allowed to help in elephant care, which includes making their food and observing their behaviours.
Can you feed elephants? No
Can you bathe elephants? No
Can you ride elephants? No
Website: https://bees-elesanctuary.org/
Located on Ratmakka Road, the Elephant Freedom Project is an initiative run by the same people behind Elephant Nature Park. This project was established to allow the team of Elephant Nature Park to work alongside elephant owners and local communities with the aim of showcasing the benefits of ethical elephant experiences.
In addition, guests can participate in a cooking class where they will be taught how to make food for the elephants. Guests would also be taught to arrange a “feast” for the creatures. The feast includes roots, grasses, fruit, and bark.
Unlike the previous elephant sanctuaries we mentioned on this list, tourists are allowed to bathe elephants at Elephant Freedom Project. However, they can opt out of the experience.
Can you feed elephants? Yes
Can you bathe elephants? Yes
Can you ride elephants? No
Website: https://elephantfreedom.org/
Located in the Mae Taeng district, Happy Elephant Home Sanctuary offers a haven for all elephants rescued from logging or performing operations where they were held captive and suffered from abuse.
At Happy Home, the rescued elephants are allowed to enjoy their natural habitat without barricades or fences to stop them. They are also given space to swim and enjoy their favourite mud bath.
To help elephants feel safe, the sanctuary requires guests to don a special dress similar to what the local Karen hill tribe people wear. This helps the gentle giants feel that the guests are part of their team.
Can you feed elephants? Yes
Can you bathe elephants? Yes
Can you ride elephants? No
Website: https://www.happyelephanthome.com/
Located 8km from the village of Baan Tuek, Boon Lott’s Elephant Sanctuary aims to rescue and protect wild elephants from unethical practices often seen in the elephant tourism industry. Boon Lott provides a safe home to these majestic creatures, allowing them to roam freely in their natural environment.
Unlike other sanctuaries in Chiang Mai, Boon Lott is one of the few that do not encourage any hands-on, interactive experience with the elephants—such as bathing, feeding, and riding elephants—to allow the magnificent animals to go about their daily business in peace.
Can you feed elephants? No
Can you bathe elephants? No
Can you ride elephants? No
Website: https://www.blesele.org/
As mentioned above, not all elephant sanctuaries in Chiang Mai observe ethical practices. Some market themselves as ethical sanctuaries but advocate for riding the majestic animals (under the guise of “knowing them better), use bullhooks to control them, chain the elephants when no visitors are around, and refuse to feed elephants adequate amounts of food.
If you’re not sure whether the sanctuary you have on your itinerary is ethical, here are some of the signs you should look for during your visit.
Elephants are mighty creatures. Their backs, however, are quite weak and are not made to carry weight. This is why elephants opt to carry heavy objects using their trunks.
So you may be wondering, what happens when we ride elephants? Riding the elephants bareback can lead to permanent spinal injuries. Riding elephants with a chair or howdah can also cause painful blisters that can get infected.
Elephants are not born performers. They graze in the wild, eat and take mud baths together. Performing is not natural to them.
Instead, elephants used for “entertainment” go through abuse and maltreatment to learn tricks. Often, they are forced to learn that submitting to a human “trainer” and performing tricks keeps them from being hurt. This is even more prevalent in zoos and circuses where these majestic creatures are kept in small cages.
In their natural environment, elephants often avoid coming in direct contact with humans. This is why the most ethical elephant experience is taking a hands-off approach to taking care of elephants.
So does that mean bathing and feeding them are unethical? These are topics open for debate. The process of bathing elephants and feeding them healthy food is not harmful, but it goes against the animal’s natural instinct to avoid humans.
The most ideal case is for elephants to be allowed to roam freely in the wild and live without any human intervention. However, this may not always be feasible, especially among elephants who had been kept captive and taught to depend on humans.
Elephant sanctuaries that follow ethical practices provide a large and adequate space for elephants to roam around. Apart from the size of the field, the enclosure should also provide elephants access to sufficient food, shade, and water.