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! 

This was the highlight of our trip to Chiang Mai! Our guide Neung was great and so informative. The whole visit was well organised and great for families with children. Thanks for a wonderful experience with elephants. 

Tip - if you have very small children you will have to carry them, because the small hike has some steep slopes.

See Happy Elephants in Paradise

This was the highlight of our trip to Chiang Mai! Our guide Neung was great and so informative. The whole visit was well organised and great for families with children. Thanks for a wonderful experience with elephants. 

Tip - if you have very small children you will have to carry them, because the small hike has some steep slopes. 

very cool place! great nature, sweet people and amazing elephants!

very cool place! great nature, sweet people and amazing elephants!

I really enjoyed today’s elephant visit, everything was well organised. We got to see 4 elephants wander around freely. Our guide was very knowledgeable and I’ve learned a lot from today’s visit. The team also seemed very passionate about what they do. I highly recommend.

I really enjoyed today’s elephant visit, everything was well organised. We got to see 4 elephants wander around freely. Our guide was very knowledgeable and I’ve learned a lot from today’s visit. The  team also seemed very passionate about what they do. I highly recommend. 

It was an amazing experience! Everything was wellicht organized.

It was an amazing experience! Everything was wellicht organized.

Really well handled! The elephants can roam how they like and get treated well! You can feel that they get treated with respect and are being taken care of. Definitely recommend!

Really well handled! The elephants can roam how they like and get treated well! You can feel that they get treated with respect and are being taken care of. Definitely recommend!

Amazing day with the kindest guide and magnificent elephants :)

It took me some time to decide if I wanted to see elephants in Thailand as I am a Conservation Biologist and was really doubtful that ethical sanctuaries exist. But this place proved to be just that. You could really see how much our guide Mr. Song cares about these gentle giants and how free they are to roam across the area. We also did not touch, ride or bathe the elephants. We were only allowed to cut sugar cane for them and watch them come to much on these delicious snacks.

I highly recommend this experience!

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Amazing day with the kindest guide and magnificent elephants :)

It took me some time to decide if I wanted to see elephants in Thailand as I am a Conservation Biologist and was really doubtful that ethical sanctuaries exist. But this place proved to be just that. You could really see how much our guide Mr. Song cares about these gentle giants and how free they are to roam across the area. We also did not touch, ride or bathe the elephants. We were only allowed to cut sugar cane for them and watch them come to much on these delicious snacks.

I highly recommend this experience!



It was lovely to spend time watching the elephants. A highlight was making food for the elephants.

It was lovely to spend time watching the  elephants. A highlight was making food for the elephants. 

Chang Chill offers a respectful, most ethical approach where elephants roam freely in their natural environment. The staff is very knowledgeable which makes the experience more enjoyable. I Highly recommended for anyone who wants to support responsible tourism in Thailand.

Chang Chill offers a respectful, most ethical approach where elephants roam freely in their natural environment. The staff is very knowledgeable which makes the experience more enjoyable. I Highly recommended for anyone who wants to support responsible tourism in Thailand. 

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.

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.

Ethical Elephant Experiences in Chiang Mai

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