There are many elephant ride establishments in Phuket. The Kok Change Safari elephant tracking being one of the better ones. Many are small operations with limited rides through the jungle and rain forest which is being distroyed at an alarming rate resulting in considerable landslides and earth slips due to the run off in the rains which results in further deteriation of the landscape and habitat. Some elephant ride bases have baby elephants chained up at the entrance in obvious distress and their mothers are also distressed to an alarming degree. Many of the elephant rides are not regulated
and appear to have little regard for their elephants welfare. The rides are destroying the
local rain forest.