If you want to see elephants in Thailand, be sure to visit an elephant sanctuary and avoid traps where elephants are mistreated for tourism.
In the summer of 2017 I had the pleasure of visiting Thailand and was eager to see elephants. However upon researching places to visit, I learned a dark truth about the management of elephants in Thailand.
The Truth about Thai Elephants
Wild elephants in Thailand are illegally captured to be used for the tourist industry.
Tourists want to see them up close, doing tricks for their amusement, and later, they want to ride them. But, these captured animals are wild and reluctant to be touched, let alone ridden.
To “fix” this, handlers put baby elephants through a process called Phajaan, literally “the crush”. First, they take baby elephants away from their mothers and put them in a small and confined space. Then they are tied down so they are unable to move and beaten with clubs, punctured with hooks, and depraved of food, water, and sleep – until finally their spirit breaks.
After Phajaan, fear remains a constant in these elephant’s lives. Their handlers use the same hooks used to beat them to now keep them in order, constantly keeping them in a state of fear. They learn how to perform tricks for an audience under the shadow of these hooks, then comes the pain of being ridden.
Riding elephants can cause serious harm to them. Most camps in Thailand allow you to ride them on their back upon a small wooden platform, directly positioned on the middle of their spine. Overtime this causes severe damage, as the spine is too weak to handle that much weight.
Luckily, sanctuaries are doing what they can to stop the mistreatment of these beautiful creatures.
My Experience with an Elephant Sanctuary
To avoid camps that allowed such atrocities, my family and I went to the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand. There we were introduced to elephants that had been rescued from these tourist traps. Many had scars of their past visible on their body – long, jagged scars and torn ears.
We spent the day in the company of the other tourists, the elephants, and their handlers. The handlers, men belonging to the Karen Hill Tribe, told us their mission was to educate tourists about Phajaan and rescue as many elephants as possible, using the money they gain from tourists who visit their camps for the purpose of feeding, vet care, and expansion.
A bit of history about elephant riding
Riding elephants in Thailand has been tradition for hundreds of years. They were used for war, logging, farm work, and more.
Aside from the elephant camps, I didn’t know if they were still used by the Thai people. Upon my way to the Elephant Sanctuary, we were brought to more rural areas where we saw them being used for farm work. More interestingly, they were ridden in a different way – directly behind their ears. Our driver said that these elephants have grown up alongside humans since birth and never went through Phajaan. Also, riding behind their ears is much less harmful to the elephant.
Feeding Time
The elephants at the camp were smaller than I had expected and appeared to always be smiling. There were five of them, all female and all with Thai names I struggled to pronounce. The handlers had laughed with us at our attempts and pointed to the smallest elephant who was swaying back and forth.
“This one is easier, her nickname is Naughty Girl,” they said.
She definitely lived up to her nickname. As soon as we tried feeding the elephants small bananas the handlers provided, she began trying to steal every banana she could, her little trunk sneaking around the tourists and grabbing bananas from their hands.
The other elephants were older and less mischievous. Two were very old and had the most scars, another was a young adult, and the last was an expectant mother.
Mud Bath
After feeding time, we led them down to a mud pit to give them a mud bath. The handlers explained that mud baths were good for the elephants on hot days because it cooled down their skin.
The elephants went first into the mud, with us following after to avoid their heavy feet. The elephants sunk deep into the mud and sat patiently, waiting for us to rub mud on them. I came in gingerly, with a fractured foot (probably not the smartest but ohhhh well).
The elephants weren’t the only ones getting a mud bath. Soon, a large, wet clump of mud landed squarely in the middle of my back. I turned, loaded with mud ammo, expecting to see my sister, but instead saw the grinning face of one of the handlers. Then another clump of mud hit me, this time from my sister. Thus ensued a mud war.
After we were coated in mud, the handlers began taking pictures of us that they said they would provide on their facebook page, free of charge. They continued taking pictures as we led the elephants down to the nearby river to wash off.
Washing the mud off
I swear elephants in water are the cutest thing in the whole world.
I couldn’t believe how exuberant they looked, rolling over and over in the water and splashing each other. We went in with them, armed with pails to throw water on their backs until all mud was washed off. Here again I was confronted with a handler who wanted to throw things at me – a water war quickly started, caught on camera this time.
A little time without the elephants
After we washed the elephants we gathered them back in their huts and rushed back down to the river. The handlers took us on a small hike that led to a gorgeous waterfall. The next half hour was dedicated to jumping off ledges into the churning water and sunning ourselves on the rocks by the shore.
Then, we had a traditional Karen tribe lunch that was included in the package we bought for the day.
Conclusion
I cannot express enough how amazing this experience was. For a very low price, we were able to see elephants, closely interact with them, and learn about elephant history and safety. All of this, plus supporting the camps cause of rescue!
The handlers were extremely personable and knowledgeable, eager to spread their message of healing. They even picked us up and dropped us off at our hotel, nearly 45 minutes away from the camp! Two days after our time with them, we looked on their Facebook page and were able to enjoy free pictures of this incredible time, up close and personal with the elephants.
If you want an amazing experience while contributing to a good cause, look no further than the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary. It will be one of the best times of your life!
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Any questions? Contact me or comment below!
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