October 13 Thailand in mourning.

Thailand is now in an official 30 day period of mourning following the passing away of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Gill Appleyard about Elephantstay

Elephantstay was recommended to me in 2013 by a friend who has visited the place on numerous occasions. I decided to come for a 3 day stay in 2013, and totally fell in love with the place and am now on my 4^th visit. The love, care and concern that the elephants are shown is truly amazing. Everyone from management,  to the housekeepers and mahouts show a lot of concern and care for their guests and truely make sure that you have a wonderful experience. Everything about Elephantstay is beyond fantastic and I would recommend that if you have the opportunity to come and stay, book a flight now! It is a once in life time experience.

Floods over

We are very happy to see the water is going down.

The water did not rise as much as in last flood, but it sure was a scary time again..

New Mahout houses

They are working hard to get the Mahout Houses ready as soon as possible.

New staff

Meet David our newest staff member. We are thrilled to have David join our team. David's animal management skills and lecturing experience in animal science makes him a great addition to Elephantstay so you can be sure to learn a lot! Welcome David!

Hall of Fame Gold Member

We are very proud to welcome Jenny Dickens to our Hall of Fame.

She is our first Gold member with her 15 stays!

She looked after Loong Sap many times before her passing

and now takes care of Rumruay.

New staff

Meet Leanne, our new Program Operations Officer. We are excited to have Leanne come on board and help look after our many Elephantstayers. Leanne has extensive zoo keeping and animal experience so don't be afraid to ask her lots of questions. Let's all welcome Leanne!

Volunteer Update

Jumbo welcome to our newest volunteer Caroline Ward.
Caroline is with us for 2 months learning everything she can about elephants while she is here, to help her pursue a career with animals. Rosukon has already stolen her heart! Thanks for being part of our team!

Welcome to our newest volunteer Christine Cox! 

Christine came as a guest last August and loved Elephantstay so much she has come back to volunteer for 3 months. We are very glad to have you on board!

Paid positions

Paid positions taking applications now!
http://www.elephantstay.com/positions.html

Hall of Fame!

As many guests of us return on a regular basis, we recently introduced our new Hall of Fame.
Meaning all guests whom have been to Elephantstay 5 or more times, will receive a Certificate of honor on their next stay.

We welcome Erin Green as first member in our Hall of Fame!

Live videos

Elephantstay is Live streaming on Facebook every week now.
So you can have a really good look at our daily program.
Please check our Elephantstay Facebook page for the Live streaming!
We are Live streaming on different days and different times.

Baby elephant whirlpool 1

Our babies love to play in the water.
Do not know this game they are playing now, but it sure is big fun!

Please visit our You Tube Channel for more videos of our elephants at Elephantstay:
https://www.youtube.com/user/royalelephantkraal/videos

Keystone students from Beijing

The visit from the Keystone Academy, Beijing, students was a big hit. It was a great opportunity to educate and give them an experience they will never forget!
Here are some more great photos and videos that they posted on their website http://www.keystoneacademy.cn/page.cfm?p=584&g=224+

Yitor and Cath

This week we have Cath King a vet student from Australia visiting us.
She is taking care of Yitor and is very excited about everything at Elephantstay.
When she first stepped up to Yitor she wanted to hug her trunk, but Yitor backed away at that time. These first steps towards Yitor were very special for Cath as she never engaged such a big animal before.
Cath finds it difficult to see the elephants emotions as they cannot show this like other animals, she says. But after she gave Yitor some treats, she could get close to her and the bond was there.
Cath worked with dogs and cats and she is loving every minute of her stay and already knows this is a place where she wants to be back again, but for a longer time period.

PLAYTIME!...................................... 

Come and play our Elephantstay game on our website. See if you know the names of our elephants!

http://www.elephantstay.com/Elephantstay-games.html

Rumruay in the spotlight!

Karen Miller about Rumruay:

Rumruay, is the elephant of my heart. I first came to Elephantstay for a week in February 2015 and was assigned RumRuay.  When I looked into her kind and wise brown eyes and stroked her beautiful trunk, I fell in love!  I know everyone thinks this about their elephant, but RumRuay is truly the most beautiful, smartest, sweetest elephant in the whole world!  It was (and still is) thrilling when she reaches her trunk out to me in recognition and greeting.  She likes to take food directly from your hand instead of you putting it in her mouth and she is so delicate and well mannered. She is a joy to ride and will put her trunk up and back to me so I can caress the tip.  It is like a special little hello, like she is saying "it is nice to have you on board."

After I left Elephantstay, I was still traveling around South East Asia.  I was really missing being with Rumruay.  I had gotten so used to having my day centered around caring for her and catering to her every treat desire.  I also missed my human friends at Elephantstay,  So, I went back for another week at the end of March.  I think I managed to stay away a whole 5 weeks!  That is a long time when you are missing your elephant!  Rumruay remembered me and was happy to see me! She is even more affectionate this time and I just love being around her.  She is very funny.  When I bring her a little basket of cucumbers, after the basket is empty, she wants to stick her trunk in the little basket to sniff around and make absolutely sure that there is not a stray bit of treat remaining in the basket!

I have gotten better at balancing and standing up on her back in the river.  She and the mahout think it is hilarious when she squirts me with her trunk!  I also think it is hilarious, and refreshing, and it is so fun to be part of a joke with your elephant and the mahout!  I feel that I not just along for the ride, but am part of a happy trio!  In fact, I always feel fully included at Elephant Stay.  It is truly a privilage to be part of the caring for and loving of the wonderful elephants.

I will be back at Elephantstay as soon as I am able to work it into my schedule.  And I will always arrange it so I can be with Rumruay.  I never thought I would actually have a relationship with an elephant, but now I do and it is a joyous and special thing.  I am so happy I found Elephantstay and that I can truly be with my elephant and all of the other elephants and have an unbelievably wonderful time being part of a place that is so dedicated to loving and caring for these magnificent animals.

13th March, Thai National Elephant Day

March 13 was Thai National Elephant Day and we had a big celebration and feast for the elephants.
Many people attended our feast and had a wonderful day with the elephants! Good to see that people care and can live with elephants.

March 22, St. Stephen International School in Bangkok

Great morning at St. Stephen's International School in Bangkok where we gave a talk to 65 5 and 6 year old children about Elephantstay and hgow awesome Elephants are. The kids had some great questions and written some lovely poems about Elephants. They also had a fundraiser and donated 30,000 Baht to Elephantstay. Thanks to all who made that happen!

Honey in the Spotlight!

Kelly Frost about Honey:

A day in the life with my Honeygirl....

Honey likes a nice clean spot 2 sleep in. (and you know what they say, a good nites sleep makes everything better the next day, and my corner of toast with a little jam on starts her day nicely!)

Her Banana plants are best 2B BIG but also very green (with a hint of red on) When eating her pineapple plants she'll fold them in from her right and tear off any dry bits, the roots will always be 2 her left - hence her being right handed. She'll dust them off by bashing them against the rails, trees, or her leg, 2 remove the dirt.

When offering Honey some water - by hose - she can be cheeky and try and pinch it from you but just hold firm. Some mornings she may not want any but the afternoon she enjoys being squirted down with it!

She is a very kind and gentle girlie - but needs a bit of discipline.

When riding Honey she'll rock and roll (looking 4 more food) but clench those heels in and constantly tap her ears, remember 2 speak 2 her saying her commands over and over....

Her personality is a big as she is....

In the scrubbing station she won't tolerate 2 many people washing her face, so 1 at a time (I also took a brush in 2 the river daily 2 give her an extra wash up )

My favourite time with Honey is in the water, and the rewarding her 4 being a good girl afterwards, she loves a pineapple (so when looking 4 those fresh green big pineapple plants I forage 4 a lucky pineapple or 2 or 3 haha! She does have a sweet tooth) Am really soft with her as found a when buying her treats she's partial 2 a peanut, and I shell some of them 4 her she really smiles at me showing me it on her tongue (not 2 mention dribbling haha) - then I hide some in her hay just 2 keep her happy....

After a full day of loving this gorgeous girl with lots of love and kisses you get 2 lead her back 2 bed by holding her ear and remember her commands so she does as she's told and doesn't get in2 trouble XxX

Kelly loves ya Honey

Yitor having a good time!

Yitor is getting a good wash & scrub and she really likes it.
Kelly did a good job by finding a difficult spot to rub, but she managed.
Thank you Kelly for visiting us again and take care of not only your beloved Honey, but all our ladies of Elephantstay! Hope to see you back again soon.

Kame our youngest baby

Late news because of very busy times her......, but Sopah has her baby.

Sopah's baby goes through life now as Kame. Named after Princess Stephanie's daughter Camille, her nick name is Kame. We were very honored with her visit last week, she is such a caring person especially for our elephants.                                          

                                                                                     Kame

Yitor!

Emily Goodwin about Yitor:

Yitor is an amazing ellie!

She is very kind and gentle and she knows what she wants! She is very cute! She loves to eat a lot of food, she loves swimming as well and I loved being in the water with her! 

Scrubbing her was her favorite as she looked sooo happy when I scrubbed the top of her head! Every elephant is intelligent, Yitor seemed especially intelligent! She knew when I felt nervous and knew when I was comfortable riding! Yitor is also very photogenic! 

I loved my experience with her she is an amazing animal!

Yitor in the spotlight

It has been a very busy time so far in February with 2 baby elephant births, visits of Princess Stephany and the president of the Asian Wildlife Research Center and the Celebration of 20 Year Wang Chang. But now Yitor in the spotlight!

Carmen Mensink about Yitor:

When I came to stay at the Ayutthaya Elephant Palace & Royal Kraal for some days, I was assigned to take care of elephant Yitor. She's a beautiful animal, easy to recognize between the other elephants because of the light pigment parts on her ears and the upper part of her trunk. As elephants get older many of them naturally develop these pigment spots.

It was my first time being so close to a wild animal. At first I was a bit scared, a natural reaction because an elephant is sooo big in size! And Yitor isn't even the biggest of the bunch. But after my first ride on Yitor's back (you are actually sitting on her neck) I noticed that I became more relaxed and dared to come closer, and let her eat from my hand. 

Yitor is a very patient elephant, and she loves it when you speak sweet words to her and pet her. I did that a lot on the first day and the second day I had the feeling she recognized me, it's amazing how you can create a bond with an elephant so fast!

Yitor looooves to eat and even steals food from the other elephants (but the others do that too). She also likes to throw straw on her head, making it look as if she's wearing a blond wig... 

It was a beautiful experience that I will never forget, thank you Yitor!

Carmen Mensink

Coming up: Yitor in the spotlight!

The next days you will get updates and reviews about Yitor.
Don't forget to Like and follow Yitor on her Facebook page.

New Baby elephant born

February 1, 2016. What a wonderful day to start February! Kamlaiphet gave birth to a strong and healthy little girl today. An amazing experience and privilege to witness an ‪elephant birth especially one during the day! Number 65 for the Kraal.

Samantha about Jintara

Jintara is most recognizable by her unique ice blue eyes, and huge noggin”….built for holding that oversize, extra clever brain of hers, of course.

She’s most likely to be found munching on food, squeaking to be passed food, grumbling for more food, or stealing Rosukon”s food – Gen Y have no respect for their elders, plus, it’s hard work being such a smart cookie and knowing so many tricks.

The few minutes of the day when she’s not preoccupied by food, she’s nor-so-sneakily trying to undo her chain, or a friend’s. Come to think of it…..that’s probably another tactic to get more food!

This week Jintara in the spotlight

Let  me introduce our most recent addition to the Elephantstay herd....Jintara.

Jintara (which means "most beautiful girl") is the newest addition to elephantstay, she has been in our program for some 6 months now and is settling in well. 

One of her most defining features is her beautiful big grey-blue eyes that she flashes at our guests to try and encourage some extra treats (which usually works). 

She is also the youngest member of our group of elephants and one of the smallest elephants in our program, being dwarfed by Rosukon when she stands beside her. This however doesn't stop her from making a big presence and she has a lot of personality, love and affection that she shares with our guests every day. 

Be sure to follow more on Jintara this week!

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We hope this change will improve the experience for you all.