Going for an elephant ride in Thailand sounds like the perfect way to show off what a world traveler you are on Instagram, right? WRONG. This practice actually promotes animal cruelty via a horrific training method known as phajaan, or “elephant crushing.” This technique involves negative reinforcement conditioning of baby elephants, including separating them from their mothers, restricting them in cages, and corporal punishment.

There are over 4,000 elephants in Thailand, half of which are domesticated. Thanks to a booming tourism industry in Thailand, many businesses have created elephant farms that promote elephant riding and other questionable practices. If you are planning a trip to Thailand soon and have elephant sight-seeing on your bucket list, be sure to do your research ahead of time and avoid unethical businesses that offer elephant rides. Instead, stick to elephant sanctuaries – like Blue Daily Elephant Care in Chiang Mai – which offer plenty of space for the elephants to roam freely and be cared for in an ethical manner. Thanks for watching! If you’ve been to Thailand before, please share some of your favorite memories in the comments down below!

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