SEH main slide

About Samui Elephant Sanctuary

At Samui Elephant Haven, our sanctuary stretches across 60 rai of lush rolling hills and vibrant jungle in northern Koh Samui. This peaceful refuge is designed with the elephants’ needs in mind, featuring natural lakes, custom pools, and secure enclosures for restful recovery, calves, and socializing. At our sanctuary, we don’t just provide a home; we give these gentle giants the space and dignity to live as naturally as possible.

Haven's Activities

How to help

Meet the Herd

A Sanctuary Designed Around Elephant Needs

Located north of the island, Samui Elephant Haven spans a breathtaking 60 rai (over 23 acres) of lush, rolling hills and vibrant jungle, dotted with natural lakes and carefully crafted manmade pools. This tranquil sanctuary offers a ‘haven’ for elephants, where they can thrive and live in harmony.

The Sanctuary is designed with perimeter fencing to provide a secure environment for the elephants, ensuring their safety. We have created enclosures for various needs – whether nurturing young calves, recuperating from illness, or simply resting after a day filled with joy and play. These measures ensure our elephants can live as naturally and comfortably as possible.

Elephants do not have a voice, so we want to be their voice
by not tolerating the following points in our sanctuary:

No Riding

Just because elephants are huge elephants doesn’t mean they can carry heavy loads.

No Bathing

Elephants are not forced to bathe several times a day because it’s not in their nature.

No Entertaining

There is no forced entertainment for our visitors by elephants.

Meet The Herd

Sudarat

My name is Sudarat, and I am the boss of a group of girls affectionately known as “the gang” here at Samui Elephant Haven. At 66 years old, I’ve lived a long and demanding life, and I now move at a gentler pace because of an old knee injury.

Moloair

My name is Moloair. You might think I’m much older when you first see me, but I’m actually only 17 years old. I may not be as eye-catching as some other elephants, so I’m often overlooked.

Kwan Samui

My name is Kwan Samui, which means “good luck Samui.” I was born in 2011, so I’m fifteen years old. My mummy is called Aom, and she also lives here at Samui Elephant Haven.

Nong Pech

Hello! You’ll probably know me as the cheeky one—or maybe the diva. My name is Nong Pech. I was born on Koh Samui in 2012, so I’m 14 years old, and yes, still pretty young!

Sorn Ram

My name is Sorn Ram. I was born in 1965 in northern Thailand. I began my life working in the teak logging industry, where my days were spent pushing, pulling, and rolling massive logs.

Aom

Hi, my name is Aom, and I’m about 40 years old. When I was young, my life began with training—learning acrobatics and performances before I was old enough to understand what was happening.

Perm Poon

My name is Permpoon. I was born in 2018, and Aom is my mummy. We spend all our time together. She is very protective of me, so I’m not allowed to go and play with the bigger elephants just yet.

Plai Bank

My name is Plai Bang. I was taken from my mother when I was just two years old and put to work. Each day, I walked up and down the beach outside a hotel, stopping only to pose for photographs and to be fed watermelon and bananas.

Sri Nin

Hello, I’m Srinin. I am the oldest elephant at Samui Elephant Haven, believed to have been born in 1951 in Ranong, a small province in southern Thailand. For as long as I can remember, I was used as living machinery in the logging industry, spending my days dragging and pushing heavy teak logs through the forest.

Som Boon

My name is Somboon. You may know me as one of the elephants who, alongside Sri Nuan, took part in the Walk to Freedom in May 2019—a journey that marked the beginning of a new life for us both.

Haven

My name is Haven. I was born in 2019 under the last full moon of the decade—on Friday the 13th—so everyone says I’m a very lucky elephant. I am the first baby ever born at Samui Elephant Haven, and also the youngest member of the herd.

Som O

Coming Soon

Sri Nuan

“Hello, I’m Sri Nuan. I was with Somboon when we walked across the island to freedom. It was a long walk for a sick old lady. The procession had to keep stopping so that I could rest. At about the halfway point, the vet had to come and see me and give me a drip because I was so dehydrated. We did eventually make it.

Baby Luna

Our beloved Luna was born as a surprise under the lunar full moon on October 3rd 2021. Just 18 months before, we rescued her mum Aom from a trekking camp, but we didn’t realise that she was pregnant.