Asian elephants are the largest mammals found in Thailand, and almost half of the 3,000-4,000 elephants live in captivity. These gentle giants are highly intelligent, but they are also in high demand.
Many tourists in Thailand, including myself, have dreamed of seeing beautiful Asian elephants up close. However, the question of ethics often arises. In Thailand, there are no laws against keeping animals like elephants and tigers in captivity or using them for profit.
As we found out, it’s up to the tourists to seek out and support elephant sanctuaries that provide proper care and host ethical tours. After some research online, my mother and I discovered Samui Elephant Sanctuary, located in the Gulf of Thailand on Koh Samui. We booked a half-day tour at their Bophut location and eagerly awaited the day.
This article will outline the ethical practices promoted at Samui Elephant Sanctuary, what you can expect from a visit, and some tips and tricks. This way, you’ll have all the information needed to make an informed decision about visiting Thailand’s Asian elephants.
Thinking of visiting Samui Elephant Sanctuary? Be sure to book your tickets in advance to secure your spot! This popular experience fills up quickly, especially during peak season, and you won’t want to miss the chance to meet these gentle giants in an ethical, cruelty-free setting.
Overview of Ethics
Based on our experience, Samui Elephant Sanctuary is an ethical elephant sanctuary that does not allow or promote elephant riding, force-feeding, forced bathing, forced interaction, or aggressive touching. Beating or using hooks and whips is also strictly prohibited. However, they do allow visitors to touch the trunks of the elephants so long as the elephant permits it (there is no forced interaction, and the elephants can walk away anytime).
Background of Samui Elephant Sanctuary
Samui Elephant Sanctuary was founded in 2018 by Wittaya Sala-Ngam, a local Thai who witnessed many beloved elephants die in captivity due to being overworked in tourist sanctuaries and the logging industry. This experience broke his heart, and he knew he had to do something about this tragic treatment of elephants.
Wittaya was inspired by world-renowned elephant conservationist and founder of Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai, Saengduean Lek Chailert. With the blueprint for an ethical sanctuary from Lek, Wittaya got to work on rescuing elephants and soon filled the six-acre Bophut sanctuary with six female elephants. When there was no more space to rescue additional elephants at this location, Samui Elephant Sanctuary opened a second sanctuary in 2020 on the island in Chaweng Noi. This location offers 16 acres for elephants to roam freely and is currently home to seven female elephants. The sanctuary also rescues male elephants, but due to their increased aggression during mating season, they are often sent to Chiang Mai to live in an all-male sanctuary without tourists or female elephants around.
Currently, Samui Elephant Sanctuary is listed by the international non-profit World Animal Protection as a ‘Best Practice Elephant Sanctuary.’ They are also officially certified by Thailand’s Department of Livestock Development, Ministry of Agriculture, and Cooperatives with a Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) standard for elephant camps. This certification means the sanctuary ensures its elephants have access to sufficient food, proper medical attention, safe and clean shelter, space to move, opportunities to express natural behaviors through foraging and playing, and a violence-free environment.
What Can You Expect From a Half-Day Tour at Samui Elephant Sanctuary?
Booking and Transportation
Samui Elephant Sanctuary is a popular tourist attraction on Koh Samui, so we highly recommend booking your tour at least a week in advance. Tickets can be booked on Samui Elephant Sanctuary’s official website or through GetYourGuide. While it’s slightly more expensive to book on GetYourGuide, you can pay by card, which is not an option through the official website. Those who book directly with the sanctuary will need to pay for all tickets in cash upon arrival. For groups of two or more, this can mean carrying a lot of cash. On the other hand, GetYourGuide allows you to pay upfront with your card and offers a 100% refund up to 24 hours in advance. They also provide a ‘Reserve Now and Pay Later’ option for those who prefer to book early but pay at a later date.
Tourists can choose to visit either the Bophut or Chaweng Noi location on a half-day tour, with options for a morning or afternoon visit. We chose the Bophut location in the morning, as it was closer to our accommodation and avoided the peak heat of the day. Transportation to and from the sanctuary is included in the ticket price. We were picked up 45 minutes before our tour time in a well-maintained, air-conditioned van, making a few stops to collect other tourists along the way. Our pick-up was directly from our hotel in Maenam Villa, and it took approximately 30 minutes to reach the Bophut Sanctuary with all the stops.
Arrival and Safety Presentation
Upon arriving at Bophut Elephant Sanctuary, we were greeted by several smiling faces and a small group of roughly 30 eager tourists. The elephants were roaming freely in their sanctuary in the background, nearly distracting us until we were directed to a check-in table. After check-in, we were allowed to wander around, view the elephants from behind their fence, and lock our valuables in a personal locker. Most importantly, we were introduced to the free snack table! I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of Thai and Western snacks available, along with complimentary water and soft drinks.
After all the tourists had arrived, we gathered in an open-shaded area with long tables, fans, and a projector. One of the elephant guides began a safety presentation with excellent English and an even better sense of humor. He explained that we would be divided into two groups of approximately 15-20 people each, outlined our schedule, and shared a few essential sanctuary rules: no aggressive behavior, no riding, no bathing with the elephants, and no wandering the sanctuary without a guide. A 10-minute safety video followed, explaining how elephants live in the wild and how humans can safely and respectfully interact with them. The video was both entertaining and educational, ensuring even young children understood how to behave around the elephants.
Elephant Cooking Class
Once we were split into two groups, we walked over to two long stainless-steel tables piled with bananas, sticky rice, and banana leaves. Our guide explained that elephants require 50,000 to 70,000 calories per day! Elephants thrive on a natural, fiber-rich diet, and as part of our tour, we prepared elephant sushi and elephant fiber balls. After watching our guide demonstrate the process, we rolled sticky rice and bananas into elephant sushi and prepared fiber balls made with mashed bananas, tamarind, and vitamins essential for elderly elephant care. The elephants, excited by their morning feed, walked right up to the fence in hopes of grabbing an early snack, making the cooking process both challenging and entertaining. The cooking area was not shaded, but the morning weather was comfortable and pleasant compared to the afternoon heat.
Entering the Sanctuary
The six-acre sanctuary is enclosed by a wooden fence with an access gate in the middle. After both groups finished the cooking class, we all entered the elephant sanctuary, which was filled with mud, sand, and holes — you have to keep a close eye on where you’re walking. We definitely recommend wearing closed-toed shoes! We were then split back into our groups and assigned two tour guides per group.
In the sanctuary, each elephant has a dedicated caretaker or “boyfriend,” as the employees call them. The boyfriend is responsible for ensuring their elephant has safe and respectful interactions and that she doesn’t get into trouble (you’ll hear stories about mischievous elephants who like to escape and eat fruit off nearby trees). The elephants are free to roam within their sanctuary, even with visitors present. However, tourists are not allowed to wander without their guide. Each group purposely moves to different areas of the sanctuary to ensure the elephants don’t feel overwhelmed.
Most of the elephants have a best friend they pal around with, and if they are hungry, they come to certain spots to be fed. As a small group, we moved to the feeding spots where the elephants were waiting and were told about their past working lives, how they were rescued, and how they spend their days. Lines in the sand marked where tourists should stand when offering food to the elephants, and we were only allowed to approach two at a time. Watermelon and bananas were provided for feeding, along with the pre-made elephant snacks.
All but one elephant in the Bophut sanctuary has a best friend or ‘mate’ they spend their days with. Suda, the only recluse of the group, has struggled to adapt to her new life after her baby was taken away while she was overworked in an elephant riding sanctuary. The tour guide explained that she has a broken heart and, as an emotionally intelligent animal, has succumbed to depression. I was grateful the tour guides did not hold back when speaking about the elephants’ past lives. It reinforced our belief that it’s essential to visit ethical sanctuaries and encouraged tourists to think twice about attractions that exploit animals for entertainment. It also validated the incredible work Samui Elephant Sanctuary is doing!
Throughout our time in the sanctuary, we learned a lot about African and Asian elephants, and our tour guides answered every question in detail. Any elephant that walked away from the group was not forced to return. At the end of our walk, two elephants decided to use their bathing pool, which we learned also serves as a giant toilet for elephants (definitely glad we weren’t bathing with them)! Both groups sat on benches around the pool, watching the elephants splash and play before they exited to roll in the mud — a special treat to witness!
Vegetarian Buffet Lunch
As we exited the sanctuary to the main building, we were amazed to see such a large buffet of food and drinks (along with the well-stocked snack table) provided for visitors. The complimentary, all-you-can-eat vegetarian buffet included everything from pad Thai and curries to french fries and steamed vegetables. We had roughly an hour to relax, shop, and enjoy our lunch without being rushed. The facilities at Samui Elephant Sanctuary were well-maintained and frequently cleaned, with a designated smoking area away from the elephants and the main building.
What’s the Verdict?
Samui Elephant Sanctuary is doing all the right things for all the right reasons. Not only was this an ethical tour, but it was also extremely informative and fun! From the well-planned activities and presentations to the friendly, smiling employees, I’d rate Samui Elephant Sanctuary five stars across the board.
Tips for Visiting Samui Elephant Sanctuary
Dress Appropriately
One thing that really upset me was how many tourists arrived dressed inappropriately despite the sanctuary’s guidelines. Thai culture values modest dressing, especially at family-oriented attractions. Tourists are asked to wear clothes respectful of Thai culture, meaning no crop tops, bathing suits, short shorts, or mini skirts. Generally, covering your shoulders and knees is considered respectful, but shorts that reach just above the knees are also acceptable.
We also recommend bringing a wide-brimmed hat and closed-toed shoes, as you’ll spend a lot of time in the sun during the sanctuary walk. If it rains unexpectedly, the sanctuary provides ponchos and umbrellas for tourists.
Ask Questions
The tour guides at Samui Elephant Sanctuary are incredibly knowledgeable, so don’t hesitate to ask questions. My mom even took our guide aside for 10 minutes to ask specific questions she had always wondered about. The guides are there to educate, so take advantage of the opportunity to learn!
Book in Advance
Samui Elephant Sanctuary is a popular attraction on Koh Samui, so we recommend booking your ticket one to two weeks in advance, especially during the high season (December to April). Booking through GetYourGuide allows you to pay in advance with your card.
Be Patient and Keep Your Distance
It’s essential to be a respectful visitor. While most tourists in our group were wonderful, a few overenthusiastic visitors created uncomfortable situations by jumping ahead in line and repeatedly offering food to the elephants. This caused anxiety and disrupted the experience. When tourists crowd the elephants, they often walk away. Remember, this visit is meant to be relaxing for both the elephants and the tourists.
Bring a Baby/Toddler Carrier
Visiting Samui Elephant Sanctuary is a great family activity. However, strollers are not permitted inside the sanctuary due to the uneven terrain. If you have a baby or toddler, a body carrier will make your visit much more comfortable.
Purchase Souvenirs to Support the Sanctuary
Why not buy a souvenir knowing your money will support a good cause? All proceeds from the sanctuary’s gift shop go directly towards elephant care. They offer a wide variety of T-shirts, jewelry, and trinkets — a perfect way to remember your visit.
Bring Your Passport or a Photo of It
The sanctuary provides insurance for all its visitors, but you’ll need your passport number for registration at check-in. A photo of your passport is sufficient if you prefer not to carry the physical copy.
Do Not Drive Yourself to the Sanctuary
For security and insurance reasons, neither the Bophut nor Chaweng locations are accessible by public roads. Tourists cannot drive themselves to the sanctuary, but transportation is included in your ticket price.
Frequently Asked Questions About Samui Elephant Sanctuary
Can I change the day of my tour?
Yes, Samui Elephant Sanctuary allows tourists to change their tour date, provided space is available on the desired day.
Is my ticket refundable?
Yes, whether you book through the website or GetYourGuide, tickets are refundable up to 24 hours in advance.
What time do the tours start?
There are two tours per day: a morning tour from 9 a.m. to noon, with pickups starting at 7 a.m., and an afternoon tour from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., with pickups starting at 1 p.m.
Can I bring my camera?
Absolutely! Photos and videos are encouraged. However, drones and tripods are not allowed as they may frighten the elephants.
Now that you’ve discovered this hidden gem on Koh Samui, all that’s left is to book your ticket. Next thing you know, you’ll be sliding banana sushi into the trunk of a beautiful Asian elephant!