Thailand in July and ethical elephants?

[mysteryfairy]

We have flights to Bangkok in mid July, just me and DH.

At the moment I have sketchy itinerary for the 14 days...2 nights Bangkok, 3 nights Chiang Mai, 4 nights Koh Samui (Bophut beach?), 2 nights elephant hills, 2 nights Bangkok.

I really want to see elephants but obviously not in an exploitative setting. Trailfinders have recommended elephant hills but also wondering about elephant nature park in Chiang Mai on basis that it could reduce number of transfers.

Would really appreciate any insights plus comments on whole itinerary, hotel recommendations for Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Koh Samui etc.

Just be wary, plenty of places advertise as ‘ethical’ but sadly aren’t and offer elephant rides, forced interactions, use bullhooks etc.

Check out www.saveelephant.org/

Genuinely ethical!

They have a park in Chiang Mai so would fit in with your itinerary.

I spent a few months volunteering with elephants all over Thailand and ENP is by far the most ethical. It was a life changing experience for me, I’m sure you’ll love it.

Another vote for Elephant Nature Park. I volunteered with the dogs it was a great experience.

Aww great to hear @SlowNorris and @Mercurial123 - Save Elephant/ENP are doing amazing work 😊 I loved seeing the elephants but I was also quite upset on hearing the stories of some of their previous lives.

Pak Hotel in Chang Mai is great the food stalls are on your doorstep. Or cheaper and near the river Galore Guest House or Riverside House.

Hotel in Bangkok Sukosol, Novotel on Siam Square or River View Guest House.

@mysteryfairy should clarify for you that Save Elephant run Elephant Nature Park.

Sorry that should be Galare guest house.

Elephant nature park is totally ethical. They rescue abused elephants and rehabilitate them. You absolutely cannot ride them but you can clean them and feed them and they talk about how they support them. It’s probably the best day we have ever had. No concern at all that it’s exploitative

Swifter it's my favourite place in Thailand. I first visited nearly ten years ago when it was a much smaller operation and met Lek. She was so dedicated. We've also done walks with the elephants from neighbouring camps which was amazing. Their stories are so sad, seeing them with broken backs is heart breaking. Elephants are so much nicer than humans.

Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park is very nice in Bangkok - only a few years old and not far from the BTS and Sukhumvitt. Nice area too as in not seedy or full of backpackers!

Also in Bangkok book a guide to take you round, we booked through your Thai guide and it made the world of difference. We did 5* luxury in Chiangmai but stayed at the Obis Riverside in Bangkok. Fairly basic but spotless rooms, excellent food and stunning setting on the water, extremely cheap

My DH works in international animal welfare & recommends this place - not sure location wise it fits with your itinerary but apparently it's as good as it gets -blesele.org/meet-our-elephants/index.php

Have a great trip!

I read the title as
“Thailand in July and ethical IMPLANTS”.
Sounded intriguing.
I’ll get my coat.....

Elephant National Park now have a smaller place too. Fantastic experience

We went to Thailand last August and had a wonderful holiday.

We also visited Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai after doing lots of research about where to go that is ethical. Highly recommend them.

We passed lots of awful places on our trip to ENP and were very glad we had done the research and found such a genuine place. My children (8 and 12) both had a great day and loved feeding the elephants with watermelon slices :)

Bophut also lovely. Bangkok is hectic, but great fun if you are prepared for that. I have not been to elephant hills. We looked at it but I think it would be pretty rainy there in July?

Have a wonderful trip

PS. Trailfinders booked us in to Amari hotel on Chewang beach. The hotel was really lovely, great pools and very good food, beach nice and sandy although the sea in front of the hotel is shallow and lagoon-like so looks lovely but not great for swimming. We went to Bophut one evening - the village looked nicer than Chewang but beach in front of the restaurant we ate in was more v fine shingle than white sand. Not sure if its the same all along Bophut and that may or may not bother you

We stayed at Elephant Hills last year for 2 nights I can thoroughly recommend it, our DS10 loved it .

I wouldn’t recommend splitting your time in Bangkok between the start and end of the holiday. That’s quite disruptive., Start there for 4 nights and organise an itinerary where you just fly back to the airport and then home. You just waste time otherwise.
Maybe fly back from Chang Mai?

Krabi Elephant Santuary is also a wonderful ethical sanctuary with only 3 retired elephants. A bit out of OP's way but just a suggestion for others.

As others have said, Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai or Elephant Haven in Kanchanaburi.

Went to a good one just outside Chang Mia you get to feed pat and bath the elephants and they all looked happy and healthy (no wounds on there ears from that spike some use to control them. Mostly old working elephants but as logging is banned they have nowhere else to go.

kantaelephantsanctuary.com/

And you get a snazzy little outfit to wear

Another shout for Elephant Hills

There are elephants in Bangkok, if you know where to find them.

I’ve not been (so this is purely 2nd hand) but my DH spent some time out there last year looking into various animal ‘attractions’ & sanctuaries from an animal welfare perspective. A number around Bangkok were particularly nasty so re finding elephants in Bangkok, some of the places you’ll find them are worth a really wide swerve, Safari World in particular