Thinking of Visiting an Elephant Sanctuary? Read this first!
Elephant Sanctuaries in Thailand: Ethical Wonderlands or Guilt-Flavored Tourist Traps? Let’s talk about elephants, those majestic, intelligent, sensitive creatures that somehow ended up as the unofficial mascots of Thailand’s tourism industry. You’ve seen the photos: a serene tourist in harem pants lovingly bathing a giant elephant while a tour guide quietly angles for a tip in the background. It looks wholesome. It feels ethical. But is it? Or is this just another case of us hugging animals because we need new content for Instagram? First, the basics. Thailand is home to thousands of elephants, both wild and captive. The wild ones are doing their best to avoid humanity altogether (understandable), while the captive ones are mostly trapped in a weird halfway house of tourism, entertainment, and vague conservation slogans. Enter: the elephant sanctuary. The Ethical Sanctuary™ This is the kind of place every well-meaning traveler thinks they’re going to. No chains, no riding, no circus t...