Thailand: See elephants responsibly

The reality of elephant rides

If you travel to Thailand, you’ll find that it’s very easy to take an elephant tour and meet these giants of nature. While it may sound dreamy and trendy, the reality behind this attraction is quite different.

Elephants are highly emotional animals, and live their entire lives with their families. When baby elephants are domesticated and taken away from their families, large numbers of elephants are killed to protect the baby from capture. Elephants born in captivity are often separated from their mothers at an early age to be used, and do not always survive. If they manage to survive this separation, they are domesticated and conditioned to obey the elephant trainers with a bull-hook. This pointed spike is used to direct the elephant, forcing it to walk, turn right or even turn around, under the pressure of this object which the elephant associates with fear. This practice, very painful for the animal, is often used by trainers during elephant rides. What’s more, the back is the most fragile part of the elephant’s body. As it’s not designed to bear such a heavy load, some elephants succumb to the weight and heat during their rides.

In an ethical sanctuary, you’ll never see a human on an elephant’s back, or even an elephant with a frame. You can approach the elephants after they have familiarized themselves with you by feeding or bathing them. These activities are not harmful to the animal’s health. Elephants feel a lot of emotions, so you’ll know right away if the animal is happy. They are very playful and love to play in water or mud, but they are still wild animals. When meeting an elephant, it’s important to behave calmly and carefully, so as not to stress it.

To differentiate “real” sanctuaries from tourist sanctuaries, a good sanctuary will regulate the number of visitors for the well-being and respect of the elephant. What’s more, you’ll see that the elephants aren’t forced to stay in the bath or play with you. If an elephant is fed up, the mahouts will let him go even if you’re still there. This action is very important, as it shows the elephant’s freedom and respect for its desires, just as we would respect a human being in the same way.

We recommend 3 ethical parks for this animal-friendly experience. The first natural park is
Khao Sok
located in southern Thailand, in the province of Surat. It offers a resort concept with a restaurant, so you can stay here for excursions during the day and sleep in a tree house at night. Several excursions are on offer, including canoeing in the park, jungle walks, elephant encounters and even night safaris.

The second is the
Khao Yai
located near Bangkok. The park offers 2 types of excursions: half-day and full-day hikes. In small groups, your guide will take you on a tour of Khao Yai’s wildlife, where you’ll come across gibbons, wild elephants and reptiles among the park’s 800 species.

The third park on our list is Khao Sam Roi Yot in Prachuap Kirikhan province. It was declared Thailand’s first marine national park in 1966. Its name, Khao Sam Roi Yot, means “mountain of 300 peaks”. The park offers a wide range of activities. It has the advantage of being right by the sea, so you can relax on Laem Sala beach and then go for a seafood dish. For hiking enthusiasts, head for the salt marshes to discover oyster and shrimp farming in Thailand, an experience not to be missed. You can also go on a caving adventure by visiting the Phraya Nakhon cave. The wildlife in this park is truly diverse. You can see birds, geckos, elephants and even Irrawaddy dolphins if you’re lucky.