There are many issues in ethics for travelers to consider, especially when visiting developing countries.
In countries where wealth and education are less evenly distributed, there is a greater risk for exploitation of those who are unable to protect themselves. This could include “beneficiaries” of corrupt aid agencies (i.e. orphanages or community projects which do not actually help those that they are supposedly designed to help), indigenous people, and of course, animals.
It can be difficult to sort through foreign attractions and uncover what’s truly ethical and what’s not, especially in countries like Thailand where many clearly unethical practices are accepted as standard. Animal tourism in particular is huge in Thailand. If you go to Thailand without taking pictures with a tiger or riding an elephant, did you really even go?
In the end, much of this comes down to personal belief and choice. As powerful as words are, it can be hard to change someone’s mind once they have decided on the ethics of a particular practice or attraction. However, having taken part in animal tourism in Thailand firsthand, here are my thoughts on the whole ordeal.
Elephants
Elephant riding is arguably one of the biggest draws for visitors to Thailand. It makes sense – elephants are amazing creatures, so who wouldn’t want to get up close and personal with one?
In the early stages of planning my trip to Thailand, I was so excited to ride an elephant. Of course, I wanted to make sure I chose the right place, so I began doing some research.
As you may or may not have guessed, I was pretty shocked by what I discovered.
There is undoubtedly a lot of corruption and straight-up cruelty at play in the elephant tourism industry. Before an elephant can be ridden, its spirit must be broken–which typically includes being separated from its mother at a young age and being continuously starved, beaten and abused until it is “tamed,” leaving it with many physical and emotional wounds.
Even if these other things weren’t true, the wooden baskets used to ride elephants can also cause spinal injuries and cuts on the belly and legs.
Knowing this, there was absolutely no way in hell I was riding an elephant, in Thailand or anywhere else.
I’m sure that most people who do choose to ride elephants have no idea that this is what’s happening behind the scenes–they just want to interact and spend some time with these amazing animals.
Luckily, there’s an alternative: Elephant Nature Park, a sanctuary for rescued elephants. I spent a full day here in lieu of riding an elephant, and I am so glad that I took this route.
I highly, highly, highly recommend Elephant Nature Park to anyone interested in interacting with elephants.
The staff and volunteers here make it an effort here to teach you a lot about the elephants, and will share personal stories about each of the elephants you meet.
The park is huge, and the elephants (as well as several hundred cats and dogs) roam freely.
The first thing that struck me about this park is that the scenery is seriously beautiful; picture Jurassic Park for elephants, and you’ll be right on target. The mountains surrounding the park are densely forested and perfectly green, and the skies are misty and mysterious. This is definitely a paradise for elephants.
There were two or three baby elephants when we visited, and obviously I fell head over heels in love with all of them. Baby creatures of any kind are always adorable, but seeing a mini version of an animal that is normally so massive and powerful was ultra special.
They were so playful and full of energy, and I felt so happy for them knowing that they were born and raised in such a kind environment.
These babies will never have to have their sweet and wild spirits broken!
You’ll get to observe the elephants, feed them, bathe them, touch them and take plenty of pictures. It made my heart soar to see these elephants and know that they would never have to work or perform again. They were free – and if you think about it, should an elephant ever be anything but free?
Tigers
There are several places in Thailand where you’re able to take your picture with both fully grown and baby tigers. The top four are Tiger Kingdom in Chiang Mai, and Tiger Temple in Bangkok, Krabi, and Phuket.
Tiger Kingdom in Chiang Mai generally receives the most positive reviews, so that was the location that we opted to check out. The controversy here is that some visitors believe the tigers have been drugged and sedated, in order to subdue them and make them safe for human interaction.
However, after visiting Tiger Kingdom for myself, it’s my honest opinion that they’re not drugged. Most of the tigers that we saw were very, very active. The babies that we played with would barely sit still. They were running and hopping all over the place, swatting and biting each other and making adorable baby tiger growling sounds. *Swoon*
The trainer tried his best to get them to sit still so that we could get a few decent pictures, but I was honestly just happy to see that they were so playful and alert. In fact, we only saw maybe two sleeping tigers during our visit. The babies were absolutely adorable, and super amusing to watch.
I was so relieved to find that our experience here was nothing like the negative reviews we had read online, and I genuinely enjoyed spending time with those little munchkins.
UPDATE December 2018: Since my visit in 2015, my views on Tiger Kingdom have shifted. Even though it did not appear that the tigers were sedated, the conditions and other practices (such as breeding new babies for profit, rather than conservation) feel exploitative, and deeply concern me. I encourage future travelers to consider these issues before making plans to visit.
We only paid to go in and play with the babies, but the big tigers that we saw in the cages were super active as well–much more active, in fact, than any tiger I had ever seen in a zoo at home in the US.
We arrived to the park right when it opened around 9am, so it may be possible that the tigers are more active at this time and less active during afternoons, when it’s hotter and after they’re been awake and playing for a while. Tigers naturally spend much of the day sleeping, so I wouldn’t be all that surprised to hear that they were sleepy and lethargic during the hot Thai afternoons.
However, I realize that some people are opposed to keeping animals in cages for human entertainment whether they are well cared for or not, so I completely understand and respect the opinions of people who opt not to visit Tiger Kingdom.
Monkeys
I had heard before coming to Thailand that there would be an abundance of monkeys, sloths, and slow lorises on the streets of Bangkok for taking pictures with. All online resources were very clear: do not take your picture with these animals.
In addition to the fact that the big city of Bangkok is clearly no place for a monkey, many of these animals are mistreated or have had to undergo painful operations (such as removing the teeth of slow lorises) in order to make them safe for handling by humans. Either this is a fading practice, or I simply missed all of the streets where these animals are kept.
Regardless, this is an attraction that I would skip.
The one place that we did actually run into some monkeys was at Monkey Beach on Koh Phi Phi. Before coming here, I had seen pictures of monkeys on this beach drinking out of Coke cans or eating from bags of chips. The idea of humans knowingly feeding junk food to an animal and getting entertainment out of it honestly infuriated me, so I was really hoping that this wasn’t too common of a practice.
Luckily, when we visited the beach we only saw people feeding the monkeys pieces of watermelon or other fruits. Although this definitely encourages the monkeys to become dependent on humans for food, I was relieved to see that they were at least becoming dependent on healthy, monkey-appropriate food.
One point I will draw attention to is the fact that this beach was covered in trash. A lot of tourists visit here, and it seems that the nature has suffered as a consequence. However, I think the monkeys themselves are doing alright – in fact, the humans on the beach seemed much more afraid of the monkeys than the monkeys were of them!
The bottom line? Animal tourism in Thailand is a tricky subject. It can be hard to differentiate right from wrong. My only advice is to do your research, use your best judgment, and consider whether or not you would put your family pet through the same experience – that should do the trick.
What are your thoughts on animal tourism abroad? Have you had any experiences that were similar to mine? Different?
Wow, this is a wonderful post! I’ve heard of Elephant Nature Park, and it seems like a truly amazing organization. Nice to see a positive perspective on Tiger Kingdom as well, but I agree that it can be hard to tell what’s truly ethical and what’s not. I feel like as long as you’re aware of the impact your choices could be making, that’s what’s really important!
Thanks Julie! It is definitely a great place, I absolutely loved my time there. And yes, that’s so true–as long as you’re aware and making informed choices, that’s all people can really ask for!
Sorry, but I disagree. What is the problem with riding elephants? Do you oppose riding horses too? Sure they have to be trained, as do horses and dogs and all other animals that interact with humans. But training does not mean abuse! There is no problem with riding elephants!
Thanks for the comment Hamid! Like I said, animal tourism is a complex subject and it’s almost impossible for everyone to share the same ideas. But, as a counter-argument to your argument, horses were domesticated a long time ago, and do not need to be repeatedly broken down generation after generation in order to be safe for humans to interact with, whereas elephants do. Also, proportionately, horses actually have much stronger backs and are more capable of carrying heavy loads. Lastly, the injuries that elephants sustain during their “training” can be permanently damaging and life altering. But, its always good to hear another perspective, so thanks for sharing!
https://www.thedodo.com/elephant-rides-trek-1132645600.html
The elephants that you ride are stolen from their mothers as babies, beaten and broken down again and again until they are broken down enough to allow humans to interact with them.
“The spirit-breaking Schmidt-Burbach refers to isn’t colloquial: It’s a method. In 2002, National Geographic aired one of the first highly publicized accounts of what’s commonly referred to as the “training crush.” In the graphic video, which can be found here, men beat and terrorize a wild-caught baby elephant in a cage over the span of days in order to crush his spirit — and ready him for a life in the tourism industry.”
I think this post was extremely well written! 🙂 I agree with all your points and you definitely have me wishing I could visit Thailand and see those beautiful (and happy) elephants in person!
Thanks so much! Thailand was so amazing, and the elephants were by FAR one of the best parts. Spending a full day with them was so cool!
I have been reading about the Tiger Temple outside of Bangkok. I am confused. Last week I read that the government was seizing the animals. This week I read that the animals are staying but the government is watching, and they can’t charge tourists to play with or take pictures with the tigers. Is the temple open to tourists, with or without fees? You went to the Tiger Park and believe that there is no abuse of the animals. Do you believe that the tigers at Tiger Temple are treated well?
I honestly don’t know much about Tiger Temple in Bangkok–I haven’t been there, and I chose not to go there because the pictures and reviews did not convince me that the tigers were treated well. But, the tigers at Tiger Kingdom in Chiang Mai did appear to be healthy and active. I think it’s possible that Tiger Kingdom may treat their tigers better than the other parks in Thailand do.
Great post and gorgeous pictures! xo
This is a great post, I can tell you put a lot of thought into the decisions you made about these practices and as an animal lover, I really appreciate that! Elephant Nature Park seems like a truly amazing place, and I really would love to go there or to a similar place sometime <3 Glad to hear that you don't think the tigers are drugged, I think that actually seems to be the more common opinion after visiting! However, there could still be some ethical issues going on behind the scenes…who really knows. Ugh. Anyways, thanks for sharing your perspective, and beautiful photos!
Thanks Hannah!! Elephant Nature Park is absolutely as amazing as it sounds. That’s a good point that you brought up about Tiger Kingdom–there is not any real transparency about what goes on behind the scenes, and there’s no easily accessible evidence one way or another. It really is a tough call.
Excellent post. This is always a controversial topic. Before I went to Thailand, riding elephants have always been on my bucket list. But after reading some articles about this practice, it made me think otherwise. Like you mentioned, there are places that truly take care of these animals without torturing or subjecting them to cruel practices just for the sake of making money. I also wrote a post about elephant riding and kinda kicking myself on my ass after I did it. Never again. If you don’t mind, I’m sharing it because this is a topic that really hits a sensitive cord in me…
https://thattravelingnurse.wordpress.com/2014/12/07/i-will-never-go-on-an-elephant-ride-again/
Thanks for sharing! I think a lot of people can relate to what you’ve said, where they do participate in elephant riding and then quickly realize that there are better options. That’s the important part!
Thats why it is important to educate and get the word out. We may not be a part of huge organizations but we can do our own little part in our own little corner of the world. 😉
Love this! I lived in Thailand for two years and I feel like only just recently have there been any discussions on the ethics of the major animal tourist attractions (the infamous Tiger Temple was recently investigated and shut down)..
One of the important things to remember about the elephant tourism in Thailand is that while the mahout-elephant relationship is an ancient one (like riding horses!), the modern day situation is so different. Elephants are highly intelligent and social animals, and living their lives chained up.. and little to no physical interaction with their families or peers and no real natural physical exercise (plodding along the same path carrying a couple tourists) is psychologically damaging. Every year, people are killed in Thailand by oppressed elephants lashing out – sometimes against their captors, sometimes against unsuspecting tourists.
One of my biggest regrets about my time in Thailand was my participation in animal tourism – going to an elephant ride (not the awesome elephant sanctuary that you mention) and also a tiger “kingdom” (in Chiang Mai.. while the little ones weren’t drugged, the big ones definitely were. When one of the adult tigers I was in an enclosure with started getting feisty – at which point all of the handlers ran away except one – they gave him an ice cream cone with “medicine”)..
And I totally have the exact same gray Chang tank and I still rock it in Rio. 🙂
Yes, I completely agree! It’s super important to talk about and get the conversation out there into the world. I feel like so many tourists get themselves into these situations without knowing the real consequences of visiting and supporting these animal attractions. The truth just isn’t that readily available, so it can be really difficult to know. Also, that’s super disappointing to hear about the drugging at the tiger kingdom! I only went in with the smallest ones, and was pretty convinced that they weren’t drugged, so I was hoping the big ones weren’t either. But, I wasn’t feeling brave enough to enter a cage with an un-drugged fully grown tiger, so I was never able to find out firsthand. Guess I should have figured! Oh, and I love my Chang tank! 🙂
I am using your blog to persuade my boyfriend to go travelling around Thailand! I definitely think the elephants will do it. I love your blog 🙂
Thanks Nicola! I have lots of Thailand posts on here (it’s one of my favorite countries) so hopefully you’ll find something to convince him 🙂
Thank you Kelly! This blog was very informative on picking and choosing animal sanctuaries to visit in Thailand. I’ll be going Jan 2017. Totally right, this can be a tricky and touchy subject. I’m all for respectful treatment and care of these beautiful species. At the same time it would awesome to take pics and be around these animals. So thank you for some of your recommendations, totally appreciate it!
Glad to hear it, thanks! Have a blast in Thailand!
Which elephant package did you go with at the ENP? I can’t seem to decide…..
Hi Danielle! I believe it was just called the “single day” package. Whichever one you choose, I’m sure you’ll have a great experience 🙂
Everything is well said thank you for such detail. I am trying to take my mom and am just questioning when would be the best time to go. When would you recommend?
Thanks Amanda! There’s different benefits to traveling to Thailand at different times of the year, but I went in January and that month is known for having some of the best weather. Happy travels!
Hi Amanda and Kelly! I went in January from the 10th-26th. January is a good time to go however we were lucky to miss some of the storms (Bangkok, Phuket, Samui, Phi Phi) we actually got some form of rain but the weather was particularly nice. Safe and happy travels!!
hello, Kelly
I love you post, I would love to travel with you any where in the world if u like, what u say ?
Best regards
An elephant ride always leaves me wondering, as I feel guilty afterward.
Think it is time to re-evaluate.
Cheers Sharon…
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First off, love your blog! You do a great job providing enough details, but also in a digestible way! Question – would you say the elephant nature park is an all day event? And if you were to want to do that, and the tiger kingdom, would you recommend two different days? I am only going to have 6 full days in Thailand, excluding traveling there and back, so am trying to make the most of it.
If I remember correctly, the elephant park was a pretty full day all on its own! If possible, I would recommend setting aside an entire day for just that.
Hi Stephanie! They’re a lot of different elephant sanctuaries in and around Thailand. Monkey Beach which you’re referring to is in Koh Phi Phi (South) part of Thailand. Your best bet is to stay in Phuket, which you’ll be able to get majority of what Thailand has to offer and then jump on a ferry to Koh Phi Phi which is about two hours off the coast of Phuket.
Hello! Found your blog. How close is monkey beach and elephant nature park to each other? One of my biggest fears is trying to navigate in a country I’m unfamiliar with. I’d prob accidently book something hours apart! Lol
Also, what airport did you fly into? I’m an inexperienced traveler. As you can prob tell!
And I flew into Bangkok originally, then took a flight to Chiang Mai to visit Elephant Nature Park.
Hi Stephanie! They are in different cities, the Elephant Nature Park is in Chiang Mai and the monkey beach is on Koh Phi Phi, an island near Phuket. To get from one to the other you’ll need to take a 2 hour flight and 2 two hour ferry. The good news is you don’t need to book the monkey beach, you can just show up 🙂
I like the photo of you and baby tiger! So adorable!
This is cruelty at its worst! I am sorry, I would have to be brutally honest here and not sugar coat. My heart goes out for those baby elephants who are deprived of every kindness and love they truly deserve or any living being deserves. This amounts to the worst kind of slavery, That elephant sanctuary really warmed my heart, it’s nice to see the rescued elephants living freely and raising their kids securely.
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