Can You Ethically See Elephants in Thailand?

One of my most embarrassing moments in Thailand occurred at the beginning of my time here. At orientation, when people would ask what my goals are while in Thailand, I would say, "I want to ride an elephant!" with a big smile. To my surprise, people would look at me funny after I said that. One time, someone asked me in response,

"Isn't it not ethical to ride elephants?"

To which, I answered, "Oh, I would make sure to go to an ethical sanctuary!" not knowing that if a sanctuary lets you ride elephants, then it's not ethical!

My oblivious tourist mindset showed, and I felt sooooo embarrassed when I later found out how harmful elephant rides are to the animals. Just like you and me, if we had to carry things on our backs all day, walking around for hour-long intervals, elephants get tired too! Just because they're big and strong doesn't mean they can endure that treatment. When the elephants move too slowly or don't behave, some "sanctuaries" will throw slingshots at them or poke them with sharp sticks.

I would never want to give my money to a place that did not treat its animals with love and respect. However, I did find myself at one such place where I questioned how well the staff treated their elephants.

Some of my Filipino coworkers recommended I go to MongChang Café in Pattaya. They said it was a beautiful café where you get a coffee and watch elephants roaming around. This sounded great, so I went with my friend without researching how the café treats its elephants.

We arrived one Sunday afternoon and paid a 300 baht entry fee (about $10) that included one drink. The café is on the outskirts of Pattaya and was absolutely gorgeous. Tall trees towered above, shading us from the sun; a stone path led us over a creek, past a waterfall, and to a small zoo. Wild cats and funky-looking monkeys ran around their cages, pacing or climbing the walls. The greenery parted to reveal a gorgeous giant of an elephant standing on a concrete stage. She had a chain tied to her feet, keeping her in place. A worker sat on her neck, sharp stick in hand. A photographer rushed my friend and me over, pushed us next to the elephant, and began taking our picture without asking us first.

The worker sitting on the elephant seemed to truly care for her. He was gentle with her, and we did not see him poke or hurt her. Big signs next to us showed pictures of the tools and chains they used on the elephants and explained the use for each one. I felt temporary satisfaction at their marked transparency.

As we continued to walk around, we saw people taking lengthy elephant rides atop uncomfortable-looking wooden seats strapped to the animals' bellies. They walked through the cages of the zoo into a creek. We couldn't tell how long the ride was because they walked out of sight through the water. Even while walking, the elephants still had heavy chains around their legs, and the workers held out the sharp sticks at the ready-to-use. Even so, the workers were outwardly gentle to the animals, and my friend and I never saw them hurt.

We got our drinks and sat down when we heard a show would start soon. We hadn't heard of any show, so we walked over to a dock by the creek to check it out. Elephants walked up to the shore so we could pet their trunks. Bananas were available to purchase to feed them. The elephants didn't seem to mind the attention, but they were clearly just into it for the food! After about 15 minutes, staff members led the elephants away. Performers came out in elaborate costumes and began lip-singing to music that played over speakers hidden in the trees. With each song, the show became more extravagant. They came out holding lemurs, foxes, and birds. Visitors could not touch them, but the animals sat on their shoulders for the length of the show, about 30 minutes, and afterward for paid pictures. At the climax of the spectacle, performers came in riding elephants. A kaleidoscope of colors, feathers, and sparkles danced before us to the soundtrack of The Lion King. The beauty of it all took my breath away.

Yet...

I couldn't help feeling a bit uncomfortable at the use of these cute animals to put on a show. Yes, the staff seemed caring for them, but something didn't feel right. I can't quite put my finger on it even months later, but for as much as I enjoyed the experience, it made me feel a bit... wrong?

More recently, I took a solo trip to Chiang Mai, where I went on an excursion to Don Inthanon National Park, which included a visit to an elephant sanctuary. I hesitated to go because of my previous experience at MongChang, but I researched the sanctuary online and elected to go. We went to the Living Green Elephant Sanctuary. They have 20 elephants rescued from places where their owners mistreated them across three camps. One of the elephants was blind in one eye from being hit with a slingshot when she walked too slowly while giving tourists rides. The elephants had a huge expanse of land to wander around and wore no chains around their legs. The workers didn't carry any weapons, and elephant rides were NOT ALLOWED!

Before arriving, our guides told us that if the elephants did not want to be fed and bathed, then we would not get to participate in these activities. Disappointing as that would've been, it was best for the animals. Thankfully, the elephants were hungry and in much need of a bath when we arrived. After a safety debriefing, guides led to the open field where the elephants lived. We fed them shoots of sugar cane and lots of bananas. The elephants were friendly and looked healthier than the ones from my previous encounter. We walked to a nearby creek. Again, no chains were used to lead to animals. We got into our swimsuits and jumped in the water with the elephants! We splashed water on their backs and scrubbed off dirt. We really got to connect and bond with the elephants in a nurturing and non-exploitive way. All of the workers knew the elephants, their ages, their stories, and what they liked and didn't like. I left feeling peaceful from my time with these gentle giants, glad to have experienced them in a much more ethical way than before.

Moral of the story- research elephant sanctuaries before you go! Trust me, it is the ickiest feeling when you realize you gave your money to an establishment that mistreats its animals. The sanctuaries in the northern provinces seem significantly better than the more touristy ones in Pattaya and near Bangkok. There are many in Phuket too, but I cannot speak to those. I've heard Phuket, the southern region in general, is very touristy, so I would be wary!

Thank you for reading, and I hope this was helpful! Cheers to ethically treating endangered animals!

TTYL,
Lauren