Welcome to BEES Elephant Sanctuary. We are located in a stunning area of rural Thailand, South-West Chiang Mai in the district of Maechaem. We believe you have found us as you are a responsible traveler looking for an ethical experience with elephants in Thailand. BEES – Burm and Emily’s Elephant Sanctuary is at the forefront for elephant welfare in a constantly changing and evolving world. We feel it is our responsibility to lead by example and encourage the highest welfare standards possible.
Check out our Visitor Program and read all about our work here at BEES.
Let Elephants Just BE Elephants
8 Years of Elephants at BEES On the 29th May 2012 our lives changed forever. We had spent many months meeting and endless hours speaking with elephant owners trying to encourage them to join our new more ethical approach to Elephant Tourism and allow us to retire their elephants under...
Adoptions now available for any of our retired elephants. You might adopt for yourself, a family member or friend and show you care in a most meaningful way. By adopting one of our elephants you are helping ensure the best food, care and veterinary services are available. Above all that,...
On August 12th 2019, we celebrated our 7th World Elephant Day here at BEES. Recently, we have spent some time reflecting on the trials and tribulations of running a sanctuary and the complex issues surrounding captive 'domestic' elephants. We would not be where we are today without the help and...
Mae Dok Retirement: It truly has been awe-inspiring spending this time with Mae Dok and the observing the new found friendship that instantly sprung only a few short hours after Mae Dok stepped off the transport truck into her retirement home almost 2 months ago. [caption id="attachment_719" align="alignleft" width="450"] Some...