Phuket Elephant Sanctuary · Thailand
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Sanctuary story
Phuket Elephant Sanctuary
Sai Tong’s life changed forever in April 2018, when she was rescued from the harsh conditions she endured on Koh Lanta. Found tied to a tree, emaciated and distressed, she bore the marks of a difficult past, including an infected leg wound and a shortened tail bitten off by another elephant.
Before her rescue, Sai Tong had worked in Southern Thailand’s logging industry and later walked the streets of Krabi selling bananas and enduring tourist bathing sessions. Her chains were removed, and she embarked on her final journey to Phuket Elephant Sanctuary, where she arrived safely after a 5-hour journey.
At the sanctuary, Sai Tong found peace. Despite losing most of her molars, she enjoyed soft grasses, banana leaves, and specially prepared rice balls from her mahout. Her gentle spirit thrived in the nurturing environment.
Sai Tong’s legacy of resilience and her final years of freedom remain a poignant reminder of the sanctuary’s mission to provide love and care to elephants in need.
Story from phuketelephantsanctuary.org ↗. elephant.se data synced separately; this narrative is not overwritten by weekly sync.
First ethical elephant sanctuary on Phuket. Observation-only model; phasing out hand-feeding by April 2026 per WAP assessment.
Data from elephant.se (Dan A. J. Koehl), CC BY 4.0. Reformatted for search.
