5 reasons why you should go to a no-touch no-bathe elephant sanctuary in Chiang Mai

5 Tips For Visiting an Ethical Elephant Sanctuary in Chiang Mai

Tried and tested elephant experiences that are actually ethical!

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Ethical Elephant Experiences in Chiang Mai

Tried and tested elephant experiences that are actually ethical! 

Our tour guide, Song (and sing who followed him around most of the day) was a legend! He had so much knowledge that it made this day all the more enjoyable! Forever will cherish this memory!!

See Happy Elephants in Paradise

Our tour guide, Song (and sing who followed him around most of the day) was a legend! He had so much knowledge that it made this day all the more enjoyable! Forever will cherish this memory!!

Elephants were so beautiful, as was the setting they are in! Mr Song is a great guide, really helpful and informative, and so nice to see the elephants properly cared for!

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Elephants were so beautiful, as was the setting they are in! Mr Song is a great guide, really helpful and informative, and so nice to see the elephants properly cared for! 

Had the most amazing time at the samctuary. People that actually seem to care for the elephants and give them a lot of space!
 Locals get involved in a fun and informative.

Thank you for the amazing experience, worth every penny!

2D1N Ethical Elephant Sanctuary Experience

Had the most amazing time at the samctuary. People that actually seem to care for the elephants and give them a lot of space!
Locals get involved in a fun and informative.

Thank you for the amazing experience, worth every penny!

It was an incredible experience! People who work there are so generous, kind and funny. We had a great time. The set up is amazing, all this nature, the elephants!!! I lived it so much.. one of my favorite experience in my travel! I would recommande it so much!!

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It was an incredible experience! People who work there are so generous, kind and funny. We had a great time. The set up is amazing, all this nature, the elephants!!! I lived it so much.. one of my favorite experience in my travel! I would recommande it so much!!

We had a lovely day with the elephants and learnt a lot from our guide Bee. She was very friendly and relaxed! The lunch provided was delicious and all veggie friendly too. 
 Best of all we got to see genuinely happy elephants looked after by their Mahouts!

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We had a lovely day with the elephants and learnt a lot from our guide Bee. She was very friendly and relaxed! The lunch provided was delicious and all veggie friendly too.  
Best of all we got to see genuinely happy elephants looked after by their Mahouts! 


Great 2 days, amazed to walk alongside those old elephants with wonderful staff and elephant caretaker. So awesome to learn more and to help preparing the food to feed them too. Such an awesome experience and chance to have been there knowing those old elephants are living a good end of their long life.

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Great 2 days, amazed to walk alongside those old elephants with wonderful staff and elephant caretaker. So awesome to learn more and to help preparing the food to feed them too. Such an awesome experience and chance to have been there knowing those old elephants are living a good end of their long life.

Great ethical sanctuary that was well organised and our tour guide Jum was great!

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Great ethical sanctuary that was well organised and our tour guide Jum was great!

This was one of the greatest experiences we had in Thailand. If you love or care for animals this is a must. It was great not only seeing but also feeling how great the elephants live here. The employees take such good care of the elephants while letting them roam free on the premises. We had been searching a long time for an ethical sanctuary - and this is truly it. We booked the full day tour and would recommend everyone to do the same - you get to spend more time observing the elephants and the extra time makes it more relaxing. Our guide Song was excellent. He was very knowledgeable, down to earth and fun. He did everything he could to make sure everyone had a good time.

This was one of the greatest experiences we had in Thailand. If you love or care for animals this is a must. It was great not only seeing but also feeling how great the elephants live here. The employees take such good care of the elephants while letting them roam free on the premises. We had been searching a long time for an ethical sanctuary - and this is truly it. We booked the full day tour and would recommend everyone to do the same - you get to spend more time observing the elephants and the extra time makes it more relaxing. Our guide Song was excellent. He was very knowledgeable, down to earth and fun. He did everything he could to make sure everyone had a good time. 

Since 2011, BEES has supported the local community by involving them in building accommodations and planting 10,000 trees, fostering both elephant conservation and environmental well-being.

Emily and her partner founded Thailand's rare no-touch, no-bathe elephant sanctuary, where elephants live freely. It's one of the few certified by World Animal Protection for ethical care.

When Emily first saw how elephants were treated in Thailand, she vowed that she would help them. Together with her partner Burm, she's pioneering a new form of wildlife tourism in Thailand. 

Founded in 2011 by Burm Pornchai Rinkaew and Emily Rose McWilliam, BEES is an acclaimed elephant sanctuary listed on the World Animal Protection Organization's Elephant Friendly Guide. Pioneering a hands-off policy, they prioritize elephant well-being and established the BEES Elephant Foundation in 2015.

Emily's commitment began in 2009 after witnessing the mistreatment of elephants in Thai tourist camps. In 2010, discussions turned into action, with Emily and her partner Burm relocating to Mae Chaem to start BEES. Burm, with a background in tourism, contributes his expertise to the project, aiming to uplift the community by teaching English.

Since 2011, BEES has been a community-driven initiative, with Burm and Emily purchasing land and involving the local village in constructing accommodations. In addition to caring for elephants, BEES focuses on environmental conservation, having planted around 10,000 trees since 2012 with the help of visitors and local kids. Together, Burm and Emily's dedication creates a sanctuary that not only protects elephants but also fosters community and environmental well-being.

Burm & Emily's Elephant Sanctuary

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Founded in 2011 by Burm Pornchai Rinkaew and Emily Rose McWilliam, BEES is an acclaimed elephant sanctuary listed on the World Animal Protection Organization's Elephant Friendly Guide. Pioneering a hands-off policy, they prioritize elephant well-being and established the BEES Elephant Foundation in 2015.

Emily's commitment began in 2009 after witnessing the mistreatment of elephants in Thai tourist camps. In 2010, discussions turned into action, with Emily and her partner Burm relocating to Mae Chaem to start BEES. Burm, with a background in tourism, contributes his expertise to the project, aiming to uplift the community by teaching English.

Since 2011, BEES has been a community-driven initiative, with Burm and Emily purchasing land and involving the local village in constructing accommodations. In addition to caring for elephants, BEES focuses on environmental conservation, having planted around 10,000 trees since 2012 with the help of visitors and local kids. Together, Burm and Emily's dedication creates a sanctuary that not only protects elephants but also fosters community and environmental well-being.

Mr. Supakorn has created jobs for local workers, including mahouts, and educates visitors on ethical wildlife tourism. This model empowers the community while prioritising the welfare of both animals 

Chang Chill is one of the few elephant reserves in Thailand meeting international standards of no-touch, no-feed, no-bathe, ensuring elephants live freely and naturally with minimal human interference

For years, elephants in Thailand were mistreated for tourism, forced to give rides and perform tricks. Mr. Supakorn, whose family has worked with elephants for generations, saw this and knew it had to change.

He shut down the riding activities and transformed his camp into Chang Chill, one of Thailand’s first ethical no-touch, no-bathe sanctuaries. Here, rescued elephants live freely, roaming and foraging as they would in the wild.

Creating Chang Chill wasn’t easy. Mr. Supakorn worked with World Animal Protection and others to build a space focused on elephant welfare. Today, six rescued elephants thrive, and visitors observe them from a respectful distance.

Chang Chill is more than a sanctuary—it’s a model for ethical tourism. By transforming his camp, Mr. Supakorn shows other elephant camps that prioritising animal welfare and offering a genuine experience is the future of tourism.

Chang Chill Elephant Camp

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For years, elephants in Thailand were mistreated for tourism, forced to give rides and perform tricks. Mr. Supakorn, whose family has worked with elephants for generations, saw this and knew it had to change.

He shut down the riding activities and transformed his camp into Chang Chill, one of Thailand’s first ethical no-touch, no-bathe sanctuaries. Here, rescued elephants live freely, roaming and foraging as they would in the wild.

Creating Chang Chill wasn’t easy. Mr. Supakorn worked with World Animal Protection and others to build a space focused on elephant welfare. Today, six rescued elephants thrive, and visitors observe them from a respectful distance.

Chang Chill is more than a sanctuary—it’s a model for ethical tourism. By transforming his camp, Mr. Supakorn shows other elephant camps that prioritising animal welfare and offering a genuine experience is the future of tourism.

Ethical Elephant Experiences in Chiang Mai

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