Elephant sanctuary in Thailand

Hi everyone, despite my many trips to Thailand, I’ve never been to an elephant retirement center. This summer, I’m traveling with friends who’d like to spend a few hours with elephants. Obviously, we’re looking for an ethical center (if such a thing exists in Thailand) where the elephants enjoy a peaceful retirement, near Chiang Mai or in Samui if possible. Thanks for your help!

I'm not sure you can still find an authentic center these days. Earlier this year, I was on a pirogue with my bike on the Kok River and saw a "giraffe women" camp... in the end, it looked more like a tourist attraction, like a place where you see "monkeys in cages."

Hi,

in the area around Chiang Mai or on Samui if possible.

Oh darn... Well, if you ever decide to get off the highway, this one should meet your requirements: https://www.elephantsworld.org/

I'm not sure you can still find an authentic center these days.

There are still some left, fewer and fewer but they exist.

Hi there,

If there’s one woman globally known for loving elephants and taking great care of them, it’s little Lek. As a child, she had a wake-up call seeing elephants forced to drag trees through the forest. I’ve lost count of how many shows have been made about her and broadcast on French channels. It’s in the Chiang Mai region. A **sure bet**.

Here’s the link: https://www.elephantnaturepark.org/about-us/our-founder/

Thanks so much for the info, I’ll check all that out.

Maryork

You're welcome! Oh, just as I was about to close the page, I noticed that France awarded them the Legion of Honor in 2022. I missed that bit of news.

Here’s a link to an article mentioning the latest film—I couldn’t find it on YT:

https://www.thailandee.com/blog/index.php/18595-lek-chailert-la-femme-qui-murmurait-a-loreille-des-elephants-de-thailande

Thanks so much, that’s really kind of you.

Marsyork