Seaview Elephant Camp — Attraction in Rawai

Came here with some friends on our way back from Karon viewpoint. It was signposted as most things are in the area with "seaview". There were only four other people there and we decided to go on an elephant trek since there were no queues.

The staff member who greeted us seemed nice (Thai people on the whole are wonderful and welcoming) and charged us 750 baht per person for two people to ride 30 minutes on the back of an elephant.

After that it all went downhill..

We got on the elephant, which was beautiful. The driver didn't acknowledge us despite us saying hello to him three times (he is the young guy with long hair and incredibly long nails) and continued puffing on his cigarette. The elephant walked around 20 metres and then suddenly stopped. The driver smashed a wooden stick on to the face of the elephant and the sound was disgusting. We told him to stop and that we want to go back but he pretended not to hear us and carried on.

We stopped 13 times on the "trek" which is actually just a 150 metre path behind some trees. The view of the sea is underwhelming and is blocked by large foliage. The elephant stopped to pick up some leaves and the driver then picked up his stick again and this time saw that it had a curved blade on it, which he used to strike the neck, ears and side of the elephant's face. We shouted at the driver and were really upset. We insisted to get off but he just wouldn't listen. The other group was left behind us and couldn't see us due to trees blocking their view.

The driver then barked at us "200 baht photo". My friend was crying and I screamed at him to take us back.

After we returned we complained to the staff and they just shrugged it off. Our elephant was hauled off and left in the sun and the driver slid off and hit him again in the face. Our friends arrived a few minutes after us and were visibly upset. They told us that their driver struck their elephant with the blade many times.

We found another couple about to pay for a ride and we warned them of what happened to us and to avoid this disgusting place.

In hindsight we shouldn't have done the trek and merely seeing the elephants should have been enough.

This company advertised a 30 minute trek which was actually 10 minutes with LOTS of stops on the way in the baking sun. The worst part is the animal is made to suffer. I'm a grown, married man and I was reduced to tears after this horrible experience.

Please avoid this company. It's a tourist trap and you definitely won't feel safe going out with their horrible drivers.

Avoid...

This was not a good first time experience I had with an Asian elephant.......we got there, and we just did not do or pay anything, we left immediatly I was too upset. I am actually going back to get answers from the owners or organisers....you can see the tears in their eyes, the sad faces, the scars and bruises, the chains, standing the whole day, trained to beg people to feed them fruit you must buy from their " owners " shops just to make money for the business. I understand it creates jobs and income for the locals, and try boosting commerce and tourism is good for this country BUT AT WHAT AND WHO'S COST....HOW CAN THIS BE TOLERATED..... . This is animal cruelty, the first elephant we saw was like mentaly disturbed, tears from it's eyes, bopping his head from side to side, yanking on the chain it is tied to. I come from South Africa and was in various reserves and national parks and saw how a happy elephants, roaming free looks to a mentally and physical scared animal. At a point I saw an elephant with a trainer or driver on the elephants neck/ head waiting for people who wants to book rides I walked up to him and asked him why he has a very sharp steel pointed hatchet and what he does with it....after seeing markings, rips and tears on the elephants head and ears. He did not answer me and kept on refering to buy bananas for the elephant to eat. This just infuriated me more and my wife told me to let it go and that we should leave before we get in trouble. This made me more upset for a person who is suppose to look after these animals that secure an income for him can't answer a straight...

I’m sorry for saying this but what is your guises problem? You have every elephant and every monkey chained up to a chain that’s attached to the ground.

Shame on you it’s a 1 m chain and those animals are so distraught and so upset that they’re there. I can’t believe that you guys think this is OK.

You should close this sanctuary as it is not a sanctuary. It is a prison.

I hope nobody visits this place and I hope nobody will give anything to this place so we can get shut down as soon as possible

I really wish the government could get involved because this is despicable

I want to take everyone that works there put them on a chain and see how they feel

It’s really sad when we’ve been to so many other places that do not have animals or monkeys on a chain and they are so happy to interact with people unlike this place

The monkeys were mean and angry

And every elephant, I interacted with tears in its eyes

I was so sad I can’t tell you

Do not...