Thailand Travel Guide - Horizon Guides

Authors	Nick Stewart, Katheryn Wise, Ian Redmond, Peter Knights and Chris Draper
Editors	Karam Filfilan
Format	PDF
Published	2018
Updated	2020
No. of Pages	91

When to go to Thailand

Seasons & climate

Thailand is a tropical country known for heavy humidity and temperatures consistently topping 30C. It has three distinct seasons: hot and dry (March to May), rainy (June to October) and cool (November to February).

Month-by-month

Dry and sunny weather covers most of the kingdom from November through April, although the latter end of that stretch gets brutally hot at inland destinations like Bangkok and Sukhothai. While all of the dry months are popular for holidays, lodgings fill up around Christmas and any of three New Year festivals: the 31st December and the Chinese version a month or two later, depending on the lunar cycle, as well as the Thai New Year, or Songkran, in April.

Steer clear of the North during the April burning season when field stubble smoulders away at countless farms in Thailand, Laos and Myanmar, cloaking the whole region in a thick haze. Chiang Mai, normally a relatively pollution-free city, has some of the worst air quailty of any city in the world on certain days in April. It ends when the rains arrive in May.

All but one of the monsoons affecting Thailand arrives in May and lasts through October, a period when resorts and restaurants close on many islands, some ferries stop running due to rough seas and certain marine park islands close up entirely. Rainy season does have its advantages on the mainland, including discounted room rates, more impressive waterfalls and thinner crowds. Though flooding is relatively common in the southern and central regions, the north and northeast are both good bets during the wet season.

The rainy season arrives later on the southern Gulf coast, allowing islands like Ko Samui, Ko Phangan and Ko Tao to collect tourists when the Andaman and Eastern Gulf coasts are getting drenched. The rain finally sneaks in around August and lasts well into December or even January, when the Andaman coast is most likely bone dry only 120km away.

Floating lanterns at Loi Krathong festival, Chiang Mai

Festival and events

Songkran, or Thai New Year, might just be the world’s biggest water fight. Held in the steamy hot season, this tradition may be a full-blown water war waged by hose, pistol, balloon and bucket, but it began centuries ago with some innocent water splashing that remains part of a cleansing ritual still seen at temples. The festival runs from April 13th-15th nationwide, although Chiang Mai adds extra soakage days and the Mon enclave of Phra Phradaeng, near Bangkok, throws its own unique style of Songkran a week later.

Thailand's other big nationwide holiday is Loi Krathong, when candlelit offerings fill rivers and float through the sky in a moving ritual to release past negativity and start afresh. Accompanied by cultural performances, parades and light shows, Sukhothai's Loi Krathong festivities are unforgettable. The date changes year to year but typically falls in November, always on a full moon.

Few places do regional festivals better than the northeast Isaan region between late May and early July — the start of the rice planting season. In Loei province, Phi Ta Khon celebrates the spirit world via elaborately painted masks worn by dancing and flailing "mediums" in a spiritually charged spectacle.

For something lighter, check out Ubon Ratchathani's Hae Thian Parade of detailed carved wax image. In the nearby and otherwise obscure province of Yasothon, the Bueng Fai Festival features rockets small and large, launched day and night as part of an annual rain-making ritual.

Lastly, Thailand has a national public holiday dedicated entirely to kids. On Children's Day or Wan Dek, held on 11th January, schools close as special fairs and activities spring up across the country.

How to travel in Thailand with kids

Family-friendly adventures in Thailand

Is Thailand a suitable for a family holiday?

Thais adore kids, often doting over foreign children like they were celebrities. While travelling, foreign families usually encounter helpful and patient graciousness, catching the best of Thai charm.

Reliable roads, railways and airports join some of the region's best medical care and thousands of hotels, resorts and tour agencies built with families in mind. Internet is fast and cell signal less patchy than in many Western countries.

Staying safe as a family

Safety is often not taken seriously in Thailand. The prime example is a rate of road accident deaths that ranks among the five highest on earth every year. Plane and train travel is safer than a large tour bus, which in turn is safer than a minivan or motorbike.

Check with your travel insurance underwriter before renting a car or riding even a minimally powered scooter. Travel agencies in all major tourist areas provide cars and vans with drivers. Families with toddlers should consider bringing their own car seats, not often provided in Thai vehicles.

Though pickpockets and bag snatchers are a concern, face-to-face muggings are extremely rare. Turbulent political demonstrations hit Bangkok in 2006-07, 2010 and 2013-14, with some violence, but foreigners have never been targeted. The effects of an ongoing insurgency in Thailand's deep south-east have rarely spilled out of the provinces of Pattani, Narathiwat and Yala.

Shark attacks are nonexistent, though box jellyfish have killed off Ko Samui, Ko Phangan and Hua Hin, mainly during the wet season. Thailand's myriad poisonous snakes avoid humans; however, do beware of camouflaged tree vipers when poking around waterfalls. Use pedestrian bridges where possible in the cities, and watch for motorbikes darting in the wrong direction.

Practical tips

Thailand is not the most punctual country and the heat takes its toll on children and adults alike. When in crowded cities, give the family plenty of breaks, stay hydrated and try to avoid the worst of the midday heat. Keep jetlag in mind if flying into Bangkok on a long-haul flight — all it takes is one tired little one to put a dampener on that first-day tour. Patience is a supremely valued virtue among Thais; lose it and things only get worse.

Those carting over the littlest ones should bring baby slings and light, foldable prams for managing compact urban quarters. 7-Eleven and other ubiquitous minimarts carry nappies and wet wipes, with larger stores like Big C and Tesco Lotus, found in most provincial capitals and large tourist centres. They may not always be clean, but public restrooms are easy to find in Thailand.

Family kayaking on Chiew Lan lake

The best national parks in Thailand for families

Khao Sok: Out on the water

The only Thai lake that ranks among Asia's most dazzling is truthfully a reservoir. Ratchaprapha or Chiew Lan, formed in the 1980s by one dam and countless vertical limestone castles sculpted by nature's hand, lies in the Khao Sok national park.

Also meeting the clear emerald water is virgin jungle containing many orchids and a type of rafflesia that ranks among the largest known flowers on earth.

As the South's most popular national park, Khao Sok is also a top kayaking, rafting, trekking and caving venue, with rooms built among treetops and floating on the lake.

Khao Yai: Going up "Big Mountain"

A three-hour drive from Bangkok introduces travellers to Thailand's oldest national park, Khao Yai, founded in 1962. Its grandest waterfall is Haew Narok, often overshadowed by the 20-metre high Haew Suwat ever since Leo Dicaprio leapt off its ledge during the 1999 filming of The Beach.

After hiking, wildlife spotting and resting in a tent or cabin within park boundaries, visit surrounding vineyards and sunflower farms. Some resorts offer waterslides and go-kart tracks to entertain children.

Thailand_Haew-Narok-waterfall-in-Khao-Yai-National-Park

Haew Narok waterfall, Khao Yai National Park

Erawan and Huai Mae Khamin: Therapeutic waters

Erawan National Park's namesake waterfall was named after the same three-headed elephant of Hindu lore depicted at Erawan Museum near Bangkok. Here, the sacred pachyderm's image is naturally formed in calcite stone that paints milky shades of ice blue and deep emerald in its pools.

Park-run lodgings have more scenic outlooks further north near Huai Mae Khamin, another breathtaking multi-tier waterfall with thinner crowds. Every tour company in Kanchanaburi town offers day tours to Erawan. Huai Mae Khamin is best reached by private vehicle on the country roads enwrapping Srinagarindra Lake.

Doi Inthanon: Thailand's tallest peak

A viewpoint set amid cloud forest at the 2,565m summit of Doi Inthanon attracts quite a few domestic tourists keen to cross this Chiang Mai province landmark off their bucket lists. On the road down, don't forget waterfalls like Siriphum, which thunders over a steep 40m cliff visible from various vantages. Most hit the park on a day trip and facilities are not the greatest; look into other national parks like Khun Tan, Ob Luang and Salawin for better lodgings and similarly beautiful mountain vistas.

Before visiting an "elephant camp" in Thailand, do your research

Thailand's wildlife for kids

Before visiting any animal care centre or "elephant camp" in Thailand, do your research to find out whether the animals are treated in a humane way and not abused, which includes prolonged elephant riding and performing. Avoid "tiger attractions" where the animals are drugged to docility. if possible, always aim to see Thailand’s animals in the wild.

Watching a wild elephant saunter through its natural habitat is something children never forget and a pair of national parks west of Hua Hin towards the Myanmar border gives you the best odds of spotting one. At Kui Buri, a pick-up truck will rumble through grassland and forest where more than 200 wild elephants join hundreds of enormous horned gaur (Indian bison), making this fairly obscure park a fun family safari venue.

Covering nearly 3,000km of an immense forest that continues far north and west into Myanmar, Kaeng Krachan supports its own large herd of wild elephants to go with clouded leopards, dusky langurs and 400 species of birds. Watch wreathed hornbills or an elusive scops owl on a hike at Khao Phanoen Thung, where you can unzip the tent at dawn to see a vista of fog folded like sheets between layered mountain peaks. Bring binoculars.

Seeing elephants as a family

On a day programme at a reputable care centre or sanctuary, families will likely feed, bathe and prepare food for elephants, leaving plenty of time to engage with these deeply sensitive animals.

Set amid bushy mountains up north, Mahouts Elephant Foundation near Chiang Mai and Burm and Emily's Elephant Sanctuary in far-flung Chiang Rai are two of Thailand's most reputable elephant care venues for tourists. Also in the North and with 600 square acres of forest, Boon Lott's Elephant Sanctuary in Sukhothai is another terrific choice.

Further south, Wildlife Friends Foundation cares for elephants as well as gibbons and other rescued animals northwest of Hua Hin. For more of a luxury elephant care experience with jungle tours and plush tents in the style of African safari camps, check out Elephant Hills in the Khao Sok region.

Seeing snakes safely

Kids with a fascination for snakes will love the demonstrations held at Queen Saovabha Institute in Bangkok, one of the world's leading venom antiserum institutes. King cobras are the stars but you'll also watch vipers, kraits and pythons that daring spectators are allowed to hold for photos afterwards. The adept snake handlers demonstrate daily at 14:30.

Where monkeys rule

Some places in Thailand are positively overrun by monkeys. Keep a grip on valuables — they will steal anything. Prachuap Khiri Khan town's Khao Chong Prachok is one of several hilltop temples overrun by simian hordes that delight kids without fail, even when parents find them pesky. Nearby Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park is home to Ko Kho Ram, an island where the macaques rule undeterred by us humans.

Thailand's best cities for families

Wat Benchamabophit Dusitvanaram Rajawarawiharn,
the 'Marble Temple', Bangkok

Bangkok

A half-day in the capital's historic district is a must for key sites like Wat Pho's 46m-long gilded reclining Buddha; the lavish mix of 18th and 19th century architecture at the Grand Palace; and Phu Kaho Thong (the Golden Mount) affording a city vista set to chiming prayer bells. In between, thrill the kids with a ride in one of the Big Mango's (Bangkok’s nickname) endearingly sputtering tuk-tuks.

You haven't really been to a mall until you've done the malls of Bangkok. At Terminal 21, teens lose hours browsing boutiques full of cool Thai and other Asian designs. Great for rainy days, many malls also have children play centres plus extras like Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum at Siam Discovery, Siam Ocean World at Siam Paragon, an ice-skating rink at Central World and all the games you can handle at MBK's huge seventh-floor arcades.

Engage imaginations with mask painting, puppetry and picturesque canal-side life at the Artist House of Khlong Bang Luang, one of several stops offered on Thonburi's famous khlong tours. Before or after you visit the well-known Jim Thompson's House near Siam Square, cross the canal to Baan Krua Nua and observe some of the forgotten yet functioning studios that first inspired the world-famous Jim Thompson silk brand in the mid 20th century.

For an all-out kids day in Bangkok, find out how the Thais do an amusement park at Dream World, head to the open zoo at Safari World and education made fun at the Children’s Discovery Museum. Throw in a river ferry ride on the Chao Phraya followed by dinner and a spin on the ferris wheel at Asiatique, and you can bet your cubs will sleep soundly.

Don't forget a day trip to the colourful floating markets that dot Bangkok's fringe, including Amphawa and Tha Kha in nearby Samut Songkram province, and Khlong Lat Mayom within city limits. Cycling is another option, with several tour companies leading trips to two unlikely pockets of farmland — Bang Kachao and Ko Kret — that burst with green despite the urban sprawl that surrounds.

Pagoda at Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai Province

Chiang Mai

Northern Thailand's metropolis is best known for its 14th to 17th-century Lanna-style temples, including the former royal temple Wat Chedi Luang and Wat Doi Suthep with its golden mountaintop chedis (pagodas) twinkling amid the city view. Also check out Thailand's most elaborate zoo, aquarium and aviary along with various night bazaars, which are perfect for picking out toys and souvenirs by local artists. Consider treating older kids to a spa before bed, but bear in mind that Thai massage can be painful as well as rejuvenating.

Chiang Mai is also the place to get the kids cooking. Some 50 cookery schools teach favourites like tom yum, green curry and pad Thai, often for less than 1,000 baht per person and with discounts for children. Thai Farm Cooking School uses ingredients grown organically on site, while Thai Akha Kitchen brings a Northern slant incorporating recipes of the Akha people.

Trekking is big business in Chiang Mai province and guided hikes, suitable for older children and teens, are combined with rafting, mountain biking, ziplining, elephant care and/or visiting hill tribes. Observing Akha, Lisu, Lahu and other tribes can be educational, but some villages, such as those of the Karen "long neck" people, have been over-touristed to the point of disrupting ways of life. Hold off if you'll be hitting less-travelled parts of northern Thailand.

Monks meditating at a temple, Chiang Mai

Buddhist temples and historical ruins

Sukhothai and Kamphaeng Phet

The "Dawning Lotus" kingdom of Sukhothai unified various Thai chiefdoms from the 12th to 14th centuries, erecting Buddhist monuments with an elegance that captivates art historians — and a scale to impress kids who find history a tad dry. A fun family day out is to rent bicycles and explore the monuments in the neatly arranged historical park. Imagine King Ramkamhaeng on his white elephant as you settle into a family-run guesthouse and dine on the area's signature style of noodle soup.

The UNESCO-listed Sukhothai and Associated Historical Parks also covers quieter ruins at underrated Kamphaeng Phet, set 60km southwest of Sukhothai itself. Spend half a day peddling through the historical park before soaking up the vibrant riverfront night market in this non-touristy town. With an extra day, try a trip to waterfalls and a Pakakayor hill-tribe village that finishes with a campfire in the countryside.

Ayutthaya and Lopburi

Founded in 1350 and destroyed by invading Burmese in 1767, the once-glorious city of Ayutthaya preceded Bangkok as capital of Siam. Though lacking the detail of Sukhothai, the ruins are sizeable and more abundant. You can explore them by boat, bicycle or frog-shaped tuk-tuk, perhaps with a surprise stop at the Million Toy Museum. Ayutthaya is often visited on a day trip from Bangkok, but a host of family-run guesthouses make it worth an overnight.

A mere 60km train ride north from Ayutthaya takes you to Lopburi, seat of the Siamese kingdom during King Narai's 17th-century reign. The city's national museum is super kid-friendly thanks to open-air palace ruins and green spaces broadening between exhibits on Siam's early interactions with the French and British. Monkeys run amok all over the city — at intersections, historical sites, you name it. Again, don't leave that camera lying around. From here, an overnight train up to Chiang Mai is a fun way to keep the adventure rolling.

Phimai and Phanom Rung

Traces of 10th to 14th-century Khmer rule dots Thailand, especially on the Isaan Plateau made accessible from the capital city of Angkor via an ancient road. Pilgrims once flocked to Prasat Phimai, an elaborate sandstone sanctuary whose finely carved details depict scenes from Buddhist and Hindu epics. See if you can spot the monkey warriors that look like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles before cycling off to a striking web of arm-like roots at a spooky banyan tree cluster, known as Sai Ngam, on the edge of Phimai town.

Also in the lower north east, the hilltop Khmer ruins at Prasat Phanom Rung arguably stand as the most impressive single historical site in Thailand. Details are exquisite and kids can play Indiana Jones while climbing ancient laterite stairs to reach the top. Both Phanom Rung and the related ruins at Muang Tam are not as easy to access as Prasat Phimai, but doable with the help of tour companies based in Nang Rong, Buriram or Nakhon Ratchasima.

Ancient Buddha Statue, Sukhothai historical park

How to choose a family beach holiday in Thailand

Thailand's best beaches for kids

A family beach holiday in Thailand is ideal for decompressing at the end of your trip. Some families return to the same beach often, having fallen for a particular slice of paradise among Thailand's hundreds of islands and beaches.

Don't overcomplicate things when choosing one or two of them. Some are heavily developed while others have only a handful of resorts. Many marine park islands only allow camping or day visits. Differences from island to island are subtle within each of these categories — and it's hard to go wrong once you decide on the type of island that suits your family beach holiday in Thailand. If you prefer a mix, island-hopping ferries connect most of the dots during the dry months.

Kids kayaking next to the beach, Koh Kood

The best big Thai islands for kids

Bang Tao/Kamala, Nai Harn, Phuket
Mae Nam/Lipa Noi, Ko Samui
Chaoloklam/Thong Nai Pan, Ko Phangan
Ko Chang

Thailand's largest island is tourism juggernaut Phuket in the south. With an airport, multiple hospitals, malls and plentiful beaches, the island is packed with resorts and activities. Quieter beaches like Bang Tao, Kamala and Nai Harn are best for families, with water slides, sailboats and easy viewpoint hikes all keeping kids entertained.

Also in the south, the only other Thai island with an airport is Ko Samui. Like Phuket, it has big-box stores and traffic jams, although less-developed Thai beaches like Mae Nam and Lipa Noi are winners for families. Here, you also get varied thrills from watersports, waterfalls, boat tours, parasailing and even circus performances. After dark, check out the street market at Bophut Beach's Fisherman's Village.

If you’re planning on island hopping, head to Ko Phangan, a tad north of Samui, where savvy parents have realised that the infamous full-moon parties are confined to Haad Rin. Families can score deals on resorts beside shallow, family-friendly beaches like Chaoloklam and Thong Nai Pan. On the Andaman side, Ko Lanta fills a similar role near Phuket. While both of these lack malls and waterparks, many older kids and teens enjoy focusing on hiking, kayaking, boat trips and beach sports.

Similar in many ways to Lanta and Phangan but set way over in the eastern Gulf of Thailand near Cambodia is Ko Chang, boasting the best collection of waterfalls of any island in the kingdom. Two of the more angelic sets of falls are Khlong Phlu and Than Mayom, where island-lover King Chulalongkorn laid his mark in the late 19th century.

View of Angthong national marine park, Koh Samui

Smaller Thai beaches for kids

Ko Lipe
Ao Wong Duean/Ao Tubtim, Ko Samet
Ko Mak
Ko Kut
Ko Jum, Krabi

The diving hubs of Ko Tao in the Gulf and Ko Phi Phi in the Andaman are both known for young party scenes, but they do possess quieter areas suited to family beach holidays. Another stunner is Ko Lipe in the distant south-west near Malaysia, although sheltered beaches like Ao Wong Duean and Ao Tubtim make Ko Samet in the eastern Gulf a bigger family draw. Its convenient location within a four-hour ride of Bangkok makes it very popular.

While it's easy to go with the big names, lesser-known Thai islands often prove most rewarding for families. These are places where the local attractions might include sitting around a beach campfire, trying to beat parents at cards or kicking a football around with local kids. Bring a book, art supplies and plenty of mosquito spray — they’re at their worst after the rainy season (June-October) but can be a nuisance year-round.

South of Ko Chang in the eastern Gulf, Ko Mak and Ko Kut both satisfy with exceptional beaches, mangrove-draped canals for kayaking and resorts that are notably well-suited to families. Ko Mak even has a frisbee golf course and Ko Kut boasts astonishing old-growth trees, easy to spot on the way to the Klong Chao waterfalls which make for a refreshing dip, complete with small fish swimming by your feet.

Many families looking for beach holidays in Thailand prefer the Andaman coast, where Ko Phayam near Myanmar has a slightly hippie-ish personality and good family resorts. Ko Jum in Krabi province and Ko Muk down in Trang both deliver long beaches, resorts in all budgets and hiking trails, plus the Emerald Cave on Muk. Nearby Ko Kradan and Ko Ngai both draw families as well, and Ko Libong is the only place to spot an endangered dugong, a gentle cousin of the manatee, in Thailand.

Scuba Diver at South West Pinnacle, Koh Tao

Marine park islands

Ang Thong
Ko Rang, near Ko Chang
Ko Surin
Ko Lao Liang
Tarutao Marine National Park

The old "Thai beaches are overdeveloped" argument tends to ignore hundreds of undeveloped islands protected by more than 15 national marine parks. Many are suitable for family day trips or beach camping with a few offering spartan cabins. Bring a torch for every family member for watching hermit crabs in the moonlight — and seeing where you're going when the electricity is switched off.

If visiting Ko Samui or Ko Phangan, make the Ang Thong Islands a priority for dramatic karst cliffs topped by viewpoints set over inlets and emerald lagoons for kayaking. Near Ko Chang, a day trip for snorkelling, diving and beach lounging around Ko Rang is well worth the ticket price as well.

On the Andaman side, Ko Surin presents some of Thailand's most impressive snorkelling and dive sites — you will meet sea turtles before snoozing in tents pitched upon powdery sand coves. Further south, Ko Rok boasts a vast reef between twin isles, and little-known Ko Lao Liang brings staggering beauty complete with kayaks, snorkels, climbing gear and tents.

In the same archipelago as busy Ko Lipe, minimally inhabited Ko Adang and Ko Rawi join Ko Hin Ngam, an island of polished stones said to curse those who take one. All three are part of Tarutao Marine National Park, named after another mountainous island that ranks as Thailand's fourth-largest and yet remains blanketed in virgin forest. Book a pick-up truck to Ao Talo Wao Historical Trail to learn about the abandoned prisoners of Tarutao, who turned to piracy for survival during World War II.

Tourist boats dock at an uninhabited island,
Tarutao National Marine Park

Mainland family beach holidays

Hua Hin
Khao Lok
Railay, Krabi

One extremely well-equipped mainland beach is Hua Hin, also a busy resort city with ties to Thai royalty set 180km south-west of Bangkok. Hundreds of family resorts join water parks, golf courses, waterfalls, night markets and monkey-filled temples.

Khao Lak on the Andaman coast, not far from Khao Sok National Pak, has long been a family favourite thanks to vast beaches and strong tourism services with zero seediness. Much was rebuilt after the tsunami devastated the coast on Boxing Day 2004 — young children may need some reassurance if visiting the tsunami museums and memorials that dot the area.

Facing off against Phuket from the mainland side of sublime Phang Nga Bay, Krabi province touts the kingdom's most impressive mainland beaches at Railay, a boat-only accessible peninsula whose vertical limestone cliffs are rigged with hundreds of climbing routes. Accessible by road, nearby beaches like Khlong Muang and Noppharat Thara are also terrific for families — and Krabi has a list of activities to compete with Phuket.

View of Railey beach, Krabi Province

Elephant tourism

Elephants have an almost magical hold on our imaginations. Millions of children are brought up reading “E is for Elephant”. These magnificent giants are a joy to watch, and bathing or riding one is a temptation for many tourists visiting Asia. It looks like great fun to sit atop a three-metre high wild animal while it lumbers through forests and across rivers. And surely it can’t harm such a massive beast, can it?

Unfortunately, it can and it does. There is a very dark side to the use of elephants in tourism -- one that most tourists are not aware of.

Elephant riding is harmful despite their strength and size

Why it’s a concern

Wild elephants are at risk of extinction, yet are often illegally sourced for use in the tourism industry. Young elephants are forcibly separated from their families and taken into captivity to supply demand where they are often subjected to abusive treatment to break their spirit and make them more compliant.

Trained elephants may be controlled by their handlers through a combination of intimidation and reward, which may involve the use of the ankus or bullhook -- an implement with a sharp steel point and curved hook which is used to stab, direct and compel the elephant to make it obey commands. It can cause pain and significant wounds, especially to the more tender parts of the elephants, such as the feet, the joints and behind the ears.

Elephants used for riding risk spinal injury, internal damage and wounds from ill-fitting saddles or seats.

Captive elephants used in tourism are often kept in restricted, unnatural environments, where they are chained for long periods or endure many hours without shelter, shade or drink. Often, they are required to live alongside unrelated and incompatible animals, causing further stress.

Deprived of freedom of movement and appropriate social interaction with other elephants, captive elephants often become frustrated, bored and distressed. Wild elephants are unpredictable and potentially very dangerous. Tourists should not consider trained elephants as tame and should avoid interacting with them for their own safety.

What you should know

In Asia, humans have ridden elephants for nearly 4,000 years. Elephants have been used in construction, timber extraction, religious festivals, royal parades and even in military campaigns -- however, many of these activities are now being re-evaluated in light of our growing appreciation and understanding of the behaviour and needs of elephants.

Today, captive elephants are still used and frequently abused in cultural spectacles across Asia and, increasingly, they feature as controversial components of holiday itineraries. Tourists are able to ride, feed and bathe elephants, watch them perform tricks, play polo or football, or they are able to buy pictures painted by elephants. Demand from tourists, and the potential for big profits for the people who run these “attractions”, means that captive elephant tourism is now widespread across Asia and has also spread to southern Africa.

How elephants feel

Elephants are highly intelligent and social beings that live in complex family groups, or larger herds, comprising multiple generations. They feel and express pain, suffering and distress, as well as affection, happiness, loss and grief.

Unlike truly domesticated animals such as horses, elephants are wild animals and remain extremely unpredictable and dangerous. Elephants are immensely strong and fast and can cause severe injuries and even death. We should never think of them as tame, tractable or entirely safe and tourists should avoid direct contact.

The Asian elephant is classified by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) as endangered, with the wild population numbering around 40,000 animals spread unevenly across 13 Asian countries. In Thailand, for example, there are thought to be between 2,500 and 3,200 wild elephants, while the captive population was estimated by the Government in 2012 to be 4,169, mostly used in tourism.

The African elephant is classified by the IUCN as vulnerable, with a population of about 400,000. African elephants are found in 35 countries and populations in some nations have been reduced by up to 60 per cent in the last 10 years.

Capture and training

Training an elephant usually involves great cruelty and stress for the animals. Young elephants are forcibly separated from their families, causing significant and ongoing distress for the captured infant, its mother and the rest of the herd.

Before captured elephants can be used in tourism, they must be trained into compliance and to accept human control. This brutal process, which is known as crushing, (keddering in India or phajaan in Thailand), usually involves the elephant being restrained by ropes or held in a crush-pen for days, where they are deprived of food, water, sleep and the company of other elephants, and are beaten and terrified into submission.

To force compliancy elephants are often mistreated

Captivity

Elephants under human control are often denied the ability to move around or to engage in natural behaviours like foraging and are often kept alone or in small groups, usually with unrelated individuals. They develop abnormal behaviours, such as swaying on the spot or pacing in circles, which indicate poor welfare. Elephants that drag their trunks may have an injury and those that breathe heavily through their mouths may be in pain.

Males, in particular, can become extremely dangerous when they are in breeding season known as musth, a state that can last for several months. Unless their captive environment is specifically designed to contain them during this time of heightened aggression they are frequently chained for the entire period.

Riding

Elephants may be large, but they have not evolved to be ridden. In fact, carrying heavy burdens may cause spinal injury, damage their internal organs, or stunt growth. The elephant-riding industry is largely unregulated and unsupervised, and the elephants work long hours, can’t behave naturally, and are exploited for profit. Any kind of elephant riding is a cause for concern and should be avoided.

Performance

Training an elephant to perform in shows usually involves cruel and abusive methods. The animals are forced to behave in highly unnatural ways. Elephants have been made to walk on tightropes, to stand on their heads or up on their hind legs. Such activities can cause an animal great discomfort, pain, physical and psychological injuries, and emotional distress.

Separation from their mothers can cause trauma

Sanctuaries and “orphanages”

While genuine sanctuaries exist, the terms “sanctuary”, “rescue centre” and “orphanage” can be used by less reputable or profit-driven enterprises to disguise operations that may handle wild-caught elephants, breed, trade or sell animals to other organisations, train the animals to perform tricks, allow them to be ridden and generally permit them to be exploited as entertainment for tourists.

How can you tell the difference? Genuine sanctuaries prioritise animal welfare over profits, do not use chains and tethers, allow the animals the opportunity to move at will and not on command, do not permit direct contact between guests and the elephants, and create opportunities for their elephants to freely associate with each other. Genuine sanctuaries do not permit animals to breed unless the group is destined for release to the wild. They provide short or long-term refuge and rehabilitation and, where necessary, lifetime care.

LEARN MORE ABOUT ELEPHANT TOURISM

For further reading on elephant tourism see our companion guide Elephants In Asia, Ethically.

Where to go in Thailand

Our recommended places

Bangkok

Known by the locals as Krung Thep, Thailand’s capital city is a sprawling, sweaty fusion of old and new, where towering skyscrapers emerge from crumbling pavements, and historic temples are circled by colourful tuk tuk cabs and monks clad in vibrant orange robes.

Once a small trading post for the 15th century Ayutthaya Kingdom, this thriving metropolis is now home to over 10 million souls, and is considered one of Asia’s premier tourist destinations. Whether you explore the capital’s historic district, hone your haggling skills at one of the many markets, brave the red light district or fill up on world-famous street food, there is something for everyone in this ever-evolving city.

Ko Lanta

In Krabi Province on Thailand’s Andaman coast lies the island of Ko Lanta, where coral-fringed golden beaches and mangroves give way to sleepy streets and a rocky, jungly interior.

Despite frequently topping the lists of best Thai islands, Ko Lanta remains largely unspoiled, with an emphasis on low-rise developments and a slower, more cautious approach to tourism than some of its noisier neighbours. Spend your time relaxing on one of the dozen beaches on offer, enjoy world-class diving or visit one of the many nearby islands — Ko Kradan, Ko Ngai or Ko Rok all boast fantastic beaches and snorkelling.

Ayutthaya

Founded in 1350 and destroyed by invading Burmese in 1767, the once-glorious city of Ayutthaya was a former Siamese kingdom, preceding Bangkok as the capital of Siam. In the past a prosperous trading port, Ayutthaya remains a popular day trip from Bangkok, with the extensive ruins of the old city preserved in Ayutthaya Historical Park.

Kanchanaburi

Although best known for its sobering role in WW2 history — with sites including the Death Railway, Bridge over the River Kwae (Kwai) and Allied War Cemetery — Western Thailand's Kanchanaburi has plenty to offer tourists wanting to stay a little longer.
The nearby Erawan National Park is home to a number of caves and one of the most popular waterfalls in the country — a 7-tiered series of falls with emerald green ponds and a head which allegedly resembles the Erewan, the three-headed white elephant of Hindu mythology. In the city, visitors can enjoy a Khmer temple ruins tours or explore the scenic River Kwae area, with peaceful bamboo raft journeys down the river available.

Chiang Rai

Near the borders of Laos and Myanmar lies the smaller and lesser visited former seat of the Lanna Kingdom, Chiang Rai. This small provincial town offers visitors several important historical and cultural attractions — including Wat Rong Khun, or the “white temple”, which isn’t actually a temple at all, but an ambitious art exhibit built in 1997. Chang Rai also serves as the perfect relaxing base from which to explore the region's many attractions and gorgeous countryside.

Chiang Mai

Nestled in the mountainous north of Thailand and surrounded by lush countryside, the former seat of the Lanna Kingdom is perhaps best known for its 14th to 17th-century temples, including the former royal temple Wat Chedi Luang and mountaintop Wat Doi Suthep. Although its wonderfully preserved historic centre is now surrounded by a sprawling modern city — in Thai the name Chiang Mai literally translates as “new city” — visitors will find plenty of time to relax in this peaceful northern metropolis, whether it is visiting one of its many temples at dawn, hiking to a nearby waterfall or enjoying a rejuvenating Thai massage.

Chiang Dao

Lying in the shadow of the craggy peaks of Doi Luang Chiang Dao mountain and surrounded by rainforest, lies the small rural village of Chiang Dao. Only two hours drive from Chiang Mai, this countryside retreat offers a selection of options for outdoor enthusiasts, from climbing Thailand’s third highest mountain to exploring the impressive 12km-long Chiang Dao limestone cave complex. Visitors can bathe their tired limbs in one of the nearby hot springs or hike to a refreshing waterfall in Pha Daeng National Park.

Doi Ang Khang Royal Agricultural Station

Of the scores of doi — "mountain(s)" in the Northern dialect — worth visiting in Northern Thailand, few have the effect of this 1,928m hill station blanketed in praya suekrong (Thai cherry blossom) and other temperate flowers and birdlife.

Krabi

Krabi introduces epic Andaman Sea scenery that also stars limestone massifs at Railay, Thailand's premier climbing destination.

Khao Sok

The South’s most popular nature reserve, Khao Sok National Park is home to 738-sq-km of virgin lowland jungle, towering limestone karsts, waterfalls, caves and the dazzling man-made Cheow Lan Lake. Also known as Ratchaprapha, the lake was formed in the 1980s by one dam and countless vertical limestone castles sculpted by nature's hand. Due to its size, the park houses a number of rare species, including tigers, gibbons, hornbill birds, a variety of orchids and the giant parasitic Rafflesia flower. The park is also known as a top destination for watersports, caving and trekking.

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