Catch up on our Go Wild in Thailand event

The star of the show at this virtual event about Thailand was, of course, the country’s beloved elephants. Hundreds of you tuned in to watch travel writer Mark Stratton share his tales and photos of Thailand’s gentle giants. If you missed the event or had to leave early, you can catch up on the full recording here.

Is there any poaching of elephants?
No, not in Thailand. Thailand’s relationship with elephants is a journey. Are we perfect? Certainly not, but we have moved so far forward and that move from elephant camps and riding to elephant sanctuaries has been great to see. One thing I love about the Gentle Giants Project is that we dare to dream now. The ultimate goal is to get elephants back to the wild.

How do you know which elephant sanctuaries to choose and if they are ethical?
There is a great article here on the Responsible Thailand website which has details on good ethical elephant sanctuaries and Mark also recommends some in his article in the latest issue of Wanderlust. A little bit of research and you will find that the vast majority of elephant sanctuaries in Thailand are just that. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing quite a few of them and they really are sitting at high standards.

What elephant sanctuaries would you recommend visiting with children?
I would recommend a really small one on Koh Samui which is a terrific sanctuary and they have two incredibly badly behaved baby elephants there which are total fun. They will chase chickens around the enclosure and they are up to all sorts of mischief. Likewise, Elephant Nature Park is probably the most friendly one to visit and they have got three very young babies there at the moment that spend all day rolling in mud and getting up to mischief, so if you have children they are both super fun days out.

How widely spoken is English when you are out exploring the Backwaters?
It’s not very widely spoken among the Karen hill tribe villagers. They have their own dialect and obviously speak Thai as well. You need to be there with a guide who can communicate.

Are there any other mammals you can hope to see in Thailand?
What really blows me away is the incredible birdlife. There are more types of birds in Thailand than anywhere else in Southeast Asia. The birdlife is so tropical and you get a wonderful mixture of wading birds along the coast, shorebirds and seabirds as well as more tropical species like parrots.

Do you know if British Airways have plans to reinstate direct flights?
We hope they will come back in winter next year but at the moment there hasn’t been any announcements at all. There are still direct daily flights with EVA Air and direct daily flights with Thai Airways.

Is Covid still an issue?
Covid is not an issue. There are no conditions on entry now and the medical facilities in Thailand are world class.

When is the best time of year to visit Thailand?
November to March is the driest and coolest time to go. The best time to visit Gulf of Thailand is June to September while November to March is the best time to visit the Andaman Sea. There isn’t really a bad time to go to Thailand and people do quite happily go all year round. February is my personal favourite month.

Chris: Mae Hong Son really sticks out for me. It’s a little-known place up in the north and it feels like you are turning the clock back a few years. It’s a beautiful little valley with stunning scenery and it is the best of the north of Thailand. It has loads of wildlife as well that not many people know about.

Mark Stratton: The Vegetarian Festival in Phuket is incredible. The locals here believe that eating vegetables at a certain time of year gives you power. There are people sticking skewers in their cheeks, tying firecrackers to their legs, there are fireworks everywhere. It just blew me away.