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Burm & Emily's Elephant Sanctuary
Founded in 2011 by Burm Pornchai Rinkaew and Emily Rose McWilliam, BEES is one of the rare elephant sanctuaries in Thailand recognised by World Animal Protection for its truly ethical practices. It was an early pioneer of a fully hands-off approach — no riding, no bathing, no shows — allowing rescued elephants to roam, forage, socialise, and simply live on their own terms.
Emily’s journey began in 2009 after witnessing the mistreatment of elephants in tourist camps. Determined to do things differently, she and Burm relocated to Mae Chaem to build BEES from the ground up — combining Emily’s conservation focus with Burm’s deep local roots and commitment to supporting the community.
Since then, BEES has grown into a community-driven sanctuary. Beyond caring for elephants, the team works closely with the local village on initiatives like tree planting (over 10,000 trees since 2012), clean-ups, education programmes, irrigation projects, and post-disaster support — many of which guests can take part in during their stay.
This isn’t a polished attraction, but a long-term conservation project run by people who have dedicated their lives to doing things the right way — for both elephants and the community around them.
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