Thailand is full of chances to meet animals, from rescued elephants to temple-town monkeys. Here is how to do it kindly, and what to steer well clear of.
A mother elephant and her calf at a Chiang Mai sanctuary Belle’s own photo, Chiang Mai
Belle
Thai American who travels to Thailand every other year
Meet them responsibly
Where to Start
A handful of encounters worth seeking out, each with a guide to doing it the right way. Heading to Kanchanaburi? Meet the wild side of Sai Yok, from the world’s smallest bat to gibbons in the canopy.
Elephants
Ethical sanctuaries
Rescued elephants roaming free, with no riding and no shows. How to tell a real sanctuary from a photo op.
Tourism drives a lot of animal cruelty in Thailand. A few firm rules keep your money on the right side of it.
Never ride elephants or watch animal shows. Both rely on cruel training.
Skip tiger selfies and “tiger temples”. Sedation and chaining are the norm.
Do not feed wild animals. It changes their behavior and can be dangerous.
Choose rescue and sanctuary over petting, props, and photo ops.
Keep your distance, especially from mothers and their young.
Support reputable rescues, and report cruelty rather than paying into it.
Are wild safaris ethical?
Yes, when they stay hands-off. Watching free animals in the wild, like a night safari in Khao Yai, is far kinder than any captive show. Choose guides who never bait, chase or spotlight-blind animals, keep your distance, and never feed. Skip drive-through “safari parks” with captive animals; that is a different thing entirely.
Don’t be startled
Creatures You’ll Probably See
None of these are out to get you. Here is what you are most likely to meet, where, and what to do so nobody, human or animal, gets a fright.
In the city and around temples
Water Monitor
Reptile
Seen in Bangkok parks & canals
Giant lizards up to two meters (six feet) long, common in Lumphini Park and the canals. Prehistoric-looking but shy.
Size
Boldness
Danger
Commonness
Move · if you see one: Give it space and keep walking. It wants nothing to do with you.
House Gecko
Lizard
Seen in Walls, indoors
Small pale geckos that dart across walls and ceilings after dark, everywhere in the country.
Size
Boldness
Danger
Commonness
Move · if you see one: Do nothing. Welcome the tiny bug-hunter.
Tokay Gecko
Lizard
Seen in Homes & guesthouses
A big blue-spotted gecko with a loud “toh-kay” call that startles everyone on night one.
Size
Boldness
Danger
Commonness
Move · if you see one: Leave it be. It eats your mosquitoes for free.
Soi Dog
Canine
Seen in Streets everywhere
Thailand’s free-roaming street dogs, usually calm and indifferent to passers-by.
Size
Boldness
Danger
Commonness
Move · if you see one: Do not pet or feed strays. Avoid eye contact with a tense dog and move on.
In the forest
Long-tailed Macaque
Primate
Seen in Temples & islands
Bold monkeys around temple towns and island beaches, quick to grab food and bags.
Size
Boldness
Danger
Commonness
Move · if you see one: Hide food, avoid eye contact, keep your distance. See our monkey guide.
Gibbon
Primate
Seen in Rainforest canopy · Khao Sok, Khao Yai
Heard far more than seen: whooping calls ring through the forest at dawn.
Size
Boldness
Danger
Commonness
Move · if you see one: Stop and listen, then scan the high canopy. Never feed or lure them down.
Hornbill
Bird
Seen in Southern & Khao Yai forests
Huge, prehistoric-looking birds with a wingbeat you hear before you see them.
Size
Boldness
Danger
Commonness
Move · if you see one: Look up and enjoy the flypast. No feeding.
Flying Fox
Mammal
Seen in Dusk skies & temple trees
Big fruit bats pour out of roost trees at dusk on leathery wings, drifting over towns, temples and orchards.
Size
Boldness
Danger
Commonness
Move · if you see one: Look up at dusk and enjoy the flypast. Harmless fruit-eaters, best left alone.
Water, fields and roadside
Sea Turtle
Marine
Seen in Reefs & dive sites · Koh Tao, Andaman
Green and hawksbill turtles glide over the reefs, a diving and snorkeling highlight.
Size
Boldness
Danger
Commonness
Move · if you see one: Watch from a distance. Never touch, chase, or block its path to the surface.
Water Buffalo
Mammal
Seen in Rice country & countryside
Placid giants working the paddies, a classic rural roadside sight.
Size
Boldness
Danger
Commonness
Move · if you see one: Admire from the roadside. Do not approach working animals or their calves.
Snake
Reptile
Seen in Gardens & countryside
Mostly shy and harmless, occasionally seen in gardens, parks, or on rural paths.
Size
Boldness
Danger
Commonness
Move · if you see one: Back away slowly and give it room. Never handle it; call staff if indoors.
Slow Loris
Avoid
Seen in Beach photo touts · do not engage
Big-eyed and nocturnal, and sadly used as illegal photo props on tourist beaches.
Size
Boldness
Danger
Commonness
Move · if you see one: Never pose with one. Paying the tout fuels illegal trafficking, so report it instead.
Plan with the source
Official & Useful Sources
Our wildlife notes and welfare guidance draw on Thailand’s national-park service and leading animal-welfare non-profits. Support and check these organizations directly.
Written by Belle, a Thai American who travels to Thailand every other year and has family in Bangkok. Everything here comes from my own visits unless the text says otherwise. Prices and journey times are typical cases rather than quotes, so recheck anything time-sensitive before you pay. Brand mentions are never paid placements, and the guide is reader-supported: some links may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
Photographs on this page that are not mine are used under the licenses below and hosted on this site rather than hotlinked. Uncredited photographs are my own.
Snakewww.thainationalparks.com/kaeng-krachan-national-park Thai National Parks Rushen, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. View source (opens in a new tab)
