For many visitors to Thailand, Elephant trekking is considered one of those “must do” or “bucket list” items that should be added to their travel itinerary. If you ask them why they want to ride an elephant, they will likely reply, ” It’s something you must do in Thailand,” and most do it for that simple reason.
Riding the largest land animal in the world certainly has an appeal factor. In Thailand, elephant riding is easily accessible and affordable for anyone wanting to try it.
Riding is one of many things to do with elephants in Pattaya and other popular tourist destinations in Thailand.
Elephant trekking in Thailand and throughout the world has been much publicized in recent years, not as a quality tourist attraction or thrill, but as an activity you should avoid for the elephant’s sake.
There are numerous articles about “why you should not ride elephants” on travel blogs and websites; there is one titled Why Do Elephants Cry on this blog.
You may have read such articles already, but regardless of whether you have or not, you must have your own opinion about riding elephants. What do you think? Is riding elephants cruel?
The poll is closed now, sorry. What surprises me a little, though, is that despite only a handful of participants, most (13 voters) voted no; elephant riding is not cruel. Only four voters voted yes; elephant riding is cruel.