Why Phuket Safari Pang Chang Sai Yuan is facing tourist outrage over chained monkeys and elephant rides — read real visitor reports before booking
Border run = legal trick to reset your tourist visa. Exit Thailand, re-enter same day = new 60-day stamp.
- Get 60 new days (not 30)
- Same day return to Phuket
- All transport included
- 100% success guaranteed
Leave request → Manager will explain everything
FastTrack Thailand = skip 2-hour immigration queues. Personal escort meets you with name sign, guides to VIP lane. 2 hours → 15 minutes guaranteed.
- 2 hours saved every arrival
- Personal escort with name sign
- VIP immigration lane access
- From $40 - cheaper than expected
Book FastTrack → Save 2 hours today
A visitor-investigator verdict: Should you go to Phuket Safari Pang Chang Sai Yuan?
Quick snapshot
The attraction carries a poor public reputation with a 1.6/5 rating from 136 reviews, and multiple recent visitor reports describe serious animal welfare concerns. Use that as your starting point when deciding whether to visit.
What reviewers consistently report about animal treatment
- Elephants are described as tied up near a busy road with very little shade.
- Monkeys are repeatedly reported as kept in small cages or boxes and fitted with neck chains at the entrance.
- Several visitors report animals being forced into human interactions such as rides and bathing, with at least one review mentioning the use of metal sticks on elephants.
- Multiple reviewers recommend avoiding the site on ethical grounds and instead visiting a rescued-elephant sanctuary.
Where reports diverge — one visitor’s positive account
One 2019 review describes a paid package for 2 adults and 2 kids costing 3,000 THB that included a 30-minute elephant ride, snake show and baby elephant show; the reviewer wrote that elephants were given water, a small shower and feeding before the ride and that the ride itself was a short loop. That same review also called the chained monkeys at the entrance an eyesore. This lone favorable account contrasts sharply with the majority of recent critical reports.
Location and opening hours you can verify before you go
According to visitor directions, the site appears on the right when coming from Yanui, before the Seaview Elephant Camp. Official hours are daily from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
Actionable guidance based on guest evidence
- If animal welfare matters to you: do not visit. Multiple recent reports describe chained monkeys, tethered elephants with little shade, and forced interactions; these are clear red flags documented by several guests.
- If you still consider visiting: look for the same visible signs guests reported before paying — animals chained or in cramped cages, proximity to the road, visible handling with sticks, and lack of shaded resting areas — and leave if you observe them.
- Compare alternatives first. One reviewer explicitly recommended Hidden Elephant Sanctuary and rescued-elephant facilities as ethical alternatives; check those options before committing time or money here.
- Budget and activities: a single visitor report lists a family package price of 3,000 THB that covered a short ride plus two shows and charged 50 THB per snake photo; treat this as a single-data-point pricing example rather than a guaranteed current rate.
What this pattern reveals about visitor expectations vs. reality
Reviewers expected either sanctuary-style care or transparent, humane animal programs. Instead, the dominant pattern across independent recent accounts shows practices that many travelers consider exploitative. The singular positive experience from 2019 does not negate the cluster of recent complaints alleging direct evidence of mistreatment; that contrast suggests either change over time or inconsistent standards on site.
Final investigator recommendation
If you prioritize ethical wildlife encounters, skip this attraction and follow up on sanctuaries mentioned by reviewers. If you choose to visit despite the warnings, verify animal conditions on arrival and be prepared to leave without participating if the red flags described above are present.
Verdict: majority of guest reports point to welfare issues. Choose alternatives if animal ethics influence your travel decisions.
🕒 Opening Hours
7.795369, 98.306335
Comments are closed