Ayothaya Elephant Village
Ayothaya Elephant Village
2.5
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Does not meet animal welfare
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
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2.5
114 reviews
Excellent
12
Very good
14
Average
24
Poor
13
Terrible
51
These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
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BethTravel1
San Jose, CA16 contributions
Nov 2024 • Couples
DO NOT support these elephant tours! They are solely tourist attractions with no concern for the welfare of elephant, and riding one on the hot pavement of a city in abusive. Their numbers in the wild are shrinking. Paying to ride and even interact with the elephants encourages Thai people to capture and exploit even more elephants for profit. If you love elephants, donate to elephant protection non-profits instead of paying to interact with them. The elephants truly get nothing out of the experience!
Written 24 November 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
leonard w
San Diego, CA4 contributions
July 2023 • Family
Anything you read about abuse and neglect is a lie. These beautiful animals are happy and healthy. Life-changing, affordable experience. For a tiny charge (~$1.50) you can feed the elephants. That means tangible, in-person experience with magnificent beasts the West in its infinite wisdom has removed so far from your view at zoos that they’re almost unreal. My family rode these amazing animals which was wonderful for us and them. They are beasts of burden with amazing intellects but unless you can interact with them you can’t witness their intelligence. Appreciate nature by actually experiencing it.
Written 11 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Johannes J
1 contribution
Oct 2024 • Solo
I passed there today by bike.
While doing so, I saw several keepers open their elephants with a kind of hammer
hit his head!! This all happened in the second row. In the front row
the elephants had to stand close together for photos of the tourists.
About half of them kept bobbing their heads up and down. The Touris made smiling their photos.....terrible, unbelievable!!! Don't go there, don't support it!
While doing so, I saw several keepers open their elephants with a kind of hammer
hit his head!! This all happened in the second row. In the front row
the elephants had to stand close together for photos of the tourists.
About half of them kept bobbing their heads up and down. The Touris made smiling their photos.....terrible, unbelievable!!! Don't go there, don't support it!
Automatically translated
Written 24 October 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
135violet
Carlisle, UK16 contributions
Oct 2013 • Friends
Don't go to this place, don't give your money to this place. We had heard there is a sanctuary just outside Ayutthaya that treats animals quite well but we didn't know exactly where it was and there are a lot of elephants in Ayutthaya so we just hopped in a tuk-tuk and asked the driver to take us to the elephant place, don't do this as you may end up at this disgusting place. They made a baby elephant perform unnatural tricks (such as spinning a hoop on its nose and standing on its hind legs) and it was on its own the entire hour we were there. There was another elephant that was chained to a fence the whole hour we were there and couldn't even lift its head up properly so it was just rocking side to side. The Asian tourists here seemed to love the performance but it is sickening and horrifying that this still happens in this day and age. Please do not give any money to this place, their treatment of these majestic creatures is horrifying and if anyone knows if anything is being done to stop this from happening please let me know...I would like to support and donate.
Written 4 November 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Belinda N
Sydney, Australia5 contributions
June 2012 • Friends
Worst experience I have ever experienced.
Watching an "elephant being trained" being beaten by its trainer with a pick axe was cruel and horrible.
I approached the trainer and told him off, however, I was told that thats the only way they can train the elephants. I was crying for days afterwards, being in shock at the treatment of this elephant.
Do not support these elephant camps. They are cruel and looking for one thing from tourists- money.
If you want to go for an elephant ride, I suggest going to a sanctuary which is designed to educate people about elephants.
Watching an "elephant being trained" being beaten by its trainer with a pick axe was cruel and horrible.
I approached the trainer and told him off, however, I was told that thats the only way they can train the elephants. I was crying for days afterwards, being in shock at the treatment of this elephant.
Do not support these elephant camps. They are cruel and looking for one thing from tourists- money.
If you want to go for an elephant ride, I suggest going to a sanctuary which is designed to educate people about elephants.
Written 23 March 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jason S
18 contributions
Feb 2018 • Couples
This place still exists and it is as bad as the other reviews say. We got conned here by our driver from Bangkok, who mentioned a floating market, and we hadn't done our research to realize there isn't really one in Ayutthaya. There were a few other tourists here too for some reason. So please be warned.
Written 25 February 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alyssa
Lexington, MA100 contributions
July 2015 • Family
We came here as a group, and while most of the group went for a bicycle ride through Ayutthaya, I stayed with my 3 year old nephew on what was a super hot day. We decided to walk around and see the elephants, and what I saw made me so, so sad. The older elephants are chained up and only released to walk people around on their backs (which actually is terrible for their spines). The baby elephants are also chained and are forced to kneel down for tourists, and their "trainers" stand there with big sticks to poke them and prod them. I felt terrible for the elephants, so I bought food to feed them, which I know I shouldn't have done. I wish we had been able to go to a true elephant sanctuary, because this place stood out as a sad place on our trip.
Written 3 June 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ohraianna
Auckland, New Zealand13 contributions
June 2016 • Friends
I went there with my sister yesterday, we tried to bargain the elephant ride the first price was 1,700 baht with picture for 30mins for 2 and we asked lower so she said 1,500 but that's still expensive so we asked for a bit more then the lady said 1,300 and shhh " I only give that to you!" And then I paid for it right away and then the elephant ride started already, as we walk I can see the local guy holding a big and sharp stick on his hand and when the elephant stops he hit or kick the poor elephant and then later on then he put an elephant teeth bracelet on my sister's arm and then later on he was asking 300 baht for the bracelet so we gave it back to him and he said to us "give me tip! 100 baht each of you! And for elephant too!" And we said no! And the ride didn't even last for 20mins! As we walk down the stairs we saw our picture in a frame so we took it and then lady as ask as 200 baht! And I told her they said a while ago that's a part of my elephant ride package! And then she was giving us that eyes look! So we just bargain for 150 baht and she got mad, so we have no choice but to get it coz that's our only picture with the eli!
And the lady said hope you enjoyed the ride madam! And I was like no! How will we enjoy! You kept on asking money from us and lying with the price!
And then as we walk on our way out we saw a baby tiger and a big tiger playing, and they ask us 200 baht each to have picture so we just leave!
I wish we had been able to come to a real elephant sanctuary so we can watch them move on their own freely!
And the lady said hope you enjoyed the ride madam! And I was like no! How will we enjoy! You kept on asking money from us and lying with the price!
And then as we walk on our way out we saw a baby tiger and a big tiger playing, and they ask us 200 baht each to have picture so we just leave!
I wish we had been able to come to a real elephant sanctuary so we can watch them move on their own freely!
Written 9 June 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
josiful
Makati, Philippines119 contributions
June 2017
I feel bad for the Elephants. My friends insisted to go here but I did not participate. The elephants are treated poorly. They will also insist on tipping. Highly commercialized
Written 22 July 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Valery C
2 contributions
Aug 2015 • Friends
I was there 2 days ago. Floating market is nice and cheap according to my Thai colleagues who were my guides. The Elephant village should be avoided at all cost. I haven't seen the elephants maltreated but it is a very sad to look at them. It took me 2 seconds to see that this poor tiger was heavily sedated and there were still people who were taking pictures with him/her while being manhandled by the old Thai lady so they would lay down on him. The sheep and goats outside were too sad to even look at them. It's only by respect for my Thai colleagues who had taken the time to drive me there that I did not make a fuss but I would be quite happy to report this place especially for the treatment of the tiger to any animal protection organisation so they can have a look.
If you want to experience Thailand there are other places to go. Visit Ayutthaya temple, it is beautiful enough that you don't have to go to this village.
If you want to experience Thailand there are other places to go. Visit Ayutthaya temple, it is beautiful enough that you don't have to go to this village.
Written 10 August 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
fawcettstubbs
Stoke-on-Trent, United Kingdom
Why are you so cruel to the elephants?
Written 28 March 2018
how is it possible that you advertise places like this where they abuse animals?
Written 21 January 2017
I witnessed zero abuse. This is one of those “when did you stop beating your wife” courtroom gotchas. It was wonderful to actually experience these beautiful beasts.
Written 11 July 2023
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