Elephants find freedom and healing at Thailand’s Samui sanctuary
2 elephants enjoy retirement after years of toil in tourism
In the lush greenery of Koh Samui’s Bo Phut district, two elephants have discovered the ultimate way to beat the sizzling May heat: cooling off in a pool and rolling in mud at the Samui Elephant Sanctuary.
Kaew Ta and Kham Phean, both in their mid-60s, enjoy this peaceful retirement after years of harsh labour in logging and tourism.
The sanctuary, set amid forest, bougainvillaea, and the sounds of birds and butterflies, is home to seven rescued female Asian elephants.
“Kaew Ta and Kham Phean love spraying mud on their backs because it protects their skin from the sun and insects,” explains sanctuary guide Sam Surachai Pinsepin.
They feast on watermelon, rice, and pumpkin wrapped in banana leaves—a far cry from their former lives.
Before arriving at the sanctuary in 2018, the elephants endured gruelling work. Kham Phean spent 30 years carrying tourists in Pattaya, chained to trees when not ridden, while Kaew Ta was blinded in one eye after being struck by her mahout and also spent years carrying tourists under harsh conditions.
These scars and injuries tell a grim story of animal exploitation in Thailand’s tourism industry, where elephants are still seen as commodities rather than sentient beings. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Asian elephants are endangered, with Thailand hosting about 15% of the wild population. Meanwhile, roughly 4,000 elephants live in captivity, many forced into tourism roles that cause psychological trauma.
The sanctuary follows guidelines from Saengduean “Lek” Chailert, founder of the Save Elephant Foundation and a pioneer in ethical elephant tourism. Lek’s advocacy has spurred a global shift away from riding and exploiting elephants toward more compassionate “saddle-off” models, reported Bangkok Post.
“Elephants need to be elephants.”
The sanctuary prohibits bathing with tourists because it disrupts natural social behaviours and causes stress.
Instead, elephants roam freely, bathing and socialising naturally—activities vital to their wellbeing.
“Elephants are highly intelligent and social. They need space to splash, roll in mud, and interact without human interference.”
The Samui Elephant Sanctuary offers a sanctuary, not a show—a haven for elephants to heal from trauma and live with dignity. As tourism evolves, places like this signal hope for ethical wildlife tourism that respects animal welfare and protects these majestic creatures for generations to come.
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