Can we talk about the elephant in the room? You’re planning your Thailand vacation and getting stoked for beautiful beaches and cheap massages. You’ve likely seen photos of smiling tourists in brochures (or maybe even on your friend’s Instagram) riding elephants in Thailand or bathing them in a river. Heck… on my first trip to Thailand, I was one of those tourists. I thought I was doing the “ethical” thing by choosing a company that promoted bareback riding as a kind option. But when we know better, we have to do better. And when it comes to elephant tourism… we know better now. There’s no such thing as an ethical elephant riding experience. I visited Samui Elephant Haven, the largest ethical elephant sanctuary on Koh Samui, and can honestly say I had a more meaningful experience with the elephants at the sanctuary because I didn’t go for a ride.

Another highlight of the trip was our visit to the Samui Elephant Haven, the only animal attraction on the island promoted by Tongsai Bay. Thailand is infamous for its elephant tourism, but all of the elephants at the sanctuary have been rescued from captivity and abuse.

Samui Elephant Haven embraces local children’s talent from the remarkable Art in Mind Art School and Garden. Patcharin Chuanlakorn, fondly known as Gae heads up the beautiful after-school artists club where she helps her students develop their natural artistic talents. Her students range from three to 16 years old.

It’s time to address the elephant in the room. And yes, that was lame but after all this blog is called The Midnight Blue Elephant, so I won’t apologize for it and it’s important. It seems that some people still haven’t realized that elephant riding is bad.

Saturday 18 May was a historic day for southern Thailand.  Two Asian elephants took to the highway for one last long and arduous walk, from the south to the north of Koh Samui Island.

Interacting with elephants is a signature experience of visiting Asia. What most tourists don’t realize, though, is that every single elephant who gives rides, paints pictures or performs in a show has been physically and emotionally abused in ways you can never unsee once you’ve been shown.

At the age of seven, some 30 years ago, Maew Suriya, the founder of Samui Elephant Haven’s parents moved from Surin Province to run a circus.  Even from this young age, it was Maew’s dream to create a sanctuary for elephants – a real haven for them to live out their lives happily and roaming free.

It might seem like a good day out watching elephants perform, riding them through rivers and jungles, and of course snapping a new ‘Profile Pic’ for Facebook, but sadly the reality is a lot less fun.

“Many parks advertise themselves as sanctuaries but they are not,” says Maria Mossman, founder of non-profit group Action for Elephants UK. “Never go to a park that advertises shows, unnatural behaviour, tricks or painting – and please, never ride an elephant.”