BEES – Burm and Emily's Elephant Sanctuary
Mae Chaem, Chiang Mai, Thailand
About
A small sanctuary in rural Mae Chaem, Chiang Mai, where visitors keep their distance and simply watch retired elephants without touching them.
Visiting
Open to visitors
- How to visit
- Stays run for 2 days/1 night, 4 days/3 nights or a full Monday-to-Sunday week, with transfers, meals and on-site rooms included; prices begin at 6,000 THB and at least two people must book. A daytime Observation Walk runs on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays for 2,500 THB per adult or 1,800 THB for ages 10–17, booked two or three days in advance. Children under 10 and walk-ins aren't accepted. Payment is through a HitPay link.
- Getting there
- The drive from Chiang Mai takes around 2.5–3 hours. For stays, the team collects guests between 8:30 and 9:00am from hotels within the Old City moat or from Wat Chai Siphum. Observation Walk guests make their own way to a meeting point in Mae Chaem for 8am.
- Booking
- Book only through the sanctuary’s official website. Never pay through social media messages or resellers. Book on their website ↗
Residents
Meet the elephants
Mae Kam
The sanctuary's first resident, Mae Kam, worked in logging and then carried tourists in a basket seat, and was beaten if she threw riders off. She arrived in May 2012 on a one-year retirement agreement and never left.
Resident since 2012
Mae Dok
Mae Dok logged and gave rides, then was used to collect 20 baht per visit from tourists in a Karen village. After her owner died in January 2019, his family sold her to BEES, and she moved in on 6 March 2019. After a lifetime of carrying people and collecting coins, her days are finally her own.
Resident since 2019
Jasmine
Jasmine spent her life logging. After her mother died she was left in the forest with her front legs tied together. She reached BEES on 11 January 2026 after a three-day walk of about 35 km. After all those years in the forest, she can finally rest, roam and choose how to spend her days.
Resident since 2026
Thong Dee
Thong Dee, one of the pair known as the Golden Girls, came to BEES on 22 November 2014. She died on 14 August 2025. She had almost eleven years at BEES, living peacefully alongside the other elephants.
In loving memory
Our research
How it measures up
- No buying or selling animals for profitMeets
- No breeding for tourism or tradeMeets
- No chaining or confinementMeets
BEES says an elephant may be tethered by a chain at night, while settling in, or during medical care or transport.
- No ridingMeets
- No shows or performancesMeets
- No bathing with visitorsMeets
In its first years BEES let guests bathe, pat and hand-feed the elephants; since 2018 it has allowed no contact at all.
- Observation-based visitsMeets
Visitors may not touch the elephants under any circumstances.
- Rescue, rehabilitation and release where possibleMeets
- Donations fund animal careMeets