Welcome to samui elephant haven
Help us to rescue and protect these gentle giants.
Samui Elephant Haven: a sanctuary where every visit helps us rescue and protect the elephants of Thailand.
Join us on their journey.
Join us on their journey.
Haven's Activities
How to help
Meet the Herd
THE PARK
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
Aom
I’m Aom and I’m about 37 years old. In my childhood, I was trained to perform various acrobatics. When I grew up, I spent most of my life carrying tourists on my back. I had some mental issues from the arduous training and sometimes the cruelty, and I had to be separated from my calves many times.
Sudarat
My name is Sudarat and am the boss of Samui Elephant Haven. I’m 45 years old and have had a long and tiring life already; in fact, it has been exhausting. I hobble around like a little old lady because I have a knee injury, hence my nickname Nanny!
Som O
Coming Soon
Moloair
“I’m Moloair, and I’m a bit of a sensitive girl. You see, even though I’m still really young, I didn’t have the best upbringing, and I have a large hole at the end of my trunk which makes me spill water, and I have a lisp when I trumpet.
Kwan Samui
“I’m naughty. My name is Kwan Samui which means ‘good luck Samui’. I was born in 2011, so I am eight. My mummy is called Aom, and she lives in Samui Elephant Haven as well, but she lives in the hilly bit with Perm Poon, my little brother. .
Nong Pech
“Hello, you’ll probably best know me as the cheeky one or the diva. I’m Nong Pech. I was born on Koh Samui Island in 2012, so I’m still pretty young. I was with my mum, Somboon, until some people took me to Surin in the northeast of Thailand to become a street beggar; just like Sorn Ram.
Perm Poon
I’m Perm Poon, and I am a big two! Aom is my mummy, and we spend all of our time together. She is very protective of me, so I can’t go and play with the bigger babies. I hope one day when I am more grown up I can.
Sorn Ram
My name is Sorn Ram. I was born and raised in the north of Thailand. I started my life in the teak wood logging trade where we would push, pull and roll big logs all day long, the job was risky especially for a baby elephant who didn’t listen!
Sri Nin
“Sri Nin here! I’m the oldest elephant at Samui Elephant Haven; I am thought to have been born in 1967 in Ranong, For as long as I can remember, I was used as ‘machinery’ in the logging industry; endlessly dragging and pushing heavy teak wood trunks and logs.
Som Boon
“My name is Somboon; you’ll all know me as the elephant that, with Sri Nuan marched on the ‘Walk to Freedom in May 2019. I recently gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. It’s lovely knowing that he is born into complete freedom.
Haven
I am the first baby to be born at Samui Elephant Haven, I was born under the last full moon of the decade and on Friday 13; these things make me very lucky. I am a little boy and my mum is Somboon.
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.
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.
Plai Bank
“I’m Plai Bang; this means ‘boy elephant’ in Thai. I’m a bit of a ‘Jack the Lad’, well, I used to be until it got me into trouble. You see, I was taken from my mother when I was only two years old. All-day long, I walked up and down the beach at a hotel, only stopping to have my photograph taken and to be fed watermelon and bananas.
