If you really want to experience Asian elephants go volunteer in Surin

Ladt week I spent 7 days volunteering at The Surin Project in Surin, Thailand which is on the East border of Thailand, next to Cambodia. When looking into interacting with elephants I wanted to make sure that whatever I was doing wasn't causing any harm since when animals come into the picture, humans tend to have a tendency to act superior and like we can do whatever we please. I scanned a short article which mentioned the physical reasons why riding them was bad for them, so decided to chose a project which specifically mentioned how they did not allow riding. I chose the Surin Project and it was honestly the best decision I made nit only because of an incredible week with incredible people but because of the education which came with it.
The project is in a village called Ban Ta Klang, also known as elephant village. A village with families, houses (on stilts) and gardens (with elephants in). The village has around 200 elephants only of which 11 are in the project. The whole basis of the project is too educate mahouts who feel like punishment is the best way to train an elephant and to put an end of unethical elephant tourism.
For me, I feel like it was the rawest way to experience elephant tourism, because what I saw was the truth. As a person, I find lying the most cowardly way to live your life. People like to lie to themselves either because they can't handle the truth, or because they want to do something  selfish. And in the case of the treatment of animals in general I feel like people lie to themselves for both reasons. So for me, to go to an area where you see how the elephants are being treated when they're not being riden, at a show, performing at the circus was truely one of the most hard hitting, eye opening and honestly slightly life changing events.
On the first day, Eva a woman who was definitely the most passionate person volunteering at the project, showed me a video of the phajaab, a training technique to "break the elephants spirit". For two weeks of more the elephant is literally tortured to the point life long depression. And honestly from observing some of their behaviours and knowing how intelligent they are, I wouldn't be surprised if they had some form of post-traumatic stress disorder; also known as "shell-shock".
This is why the elephants are so obedient, its not through love, its not through enjoyment, its not through a special bond with their mahout, its because they are terrified.
The elephants we saw who were not on the project were underfed - some to the point to could see their rib cages - who would reach out for food when people, or trucks full of sugarcane would go by. They would shake their heads continuously and self soothing motion, something that I noticed as soon as I arrived; now I'm not an animal expert but it doesnt take a genius to see that wasn't right. Which, by the way, they do use as a begging technique; playing music so when the elephant is distressed it looks like its dancing.
Anda was the only elephant I saw and/or met that had true character; bearing in mind all the other elephants on the project were older and somewhat rescued from the situation they were in so have been through the phajaab. She was truely heart warming and honestly the one rock I had which gave me hope when being in a village surrounded by suffering. She really was juwt a big puppy. And she was obedient, not through fear or because she felt forced to but because she loved her mahout. When it comes to animals, to have one obedient through love is so much more impressive than one through fear; Anda is the example the village needs to prove that they do not need foul treatment for obedience. Comparing Anda to the other baby elephants who had gone through the phajaab was heart breaking. None of them had the cheekiness of Anda. They self comforted, cried, pulled at their chains, we even saw one be repeatedly hit on the back of the head with a metal hook as "training reinforcement".
So I beg of you, if you ever travel to Asia, do not ride an elephant. Avoid to do anything which promotes this kind of treatment. Like I said before, humans have a tendency to lie to themselves.  Now the information I have given you has been vague and based on what I physically saw however this is a continent wide thing, however if you have read this then you are now more aware than you were before. With this kind of information, with a lack of ignorance the question of "what kind of person are you going to be?"
When given the opportunity to ride an elephant, will you boycott it knowing the trauma the elephant is being put through for your amazing half hour experience sat on its back, or will you lie to yourself and justify your actions? I attempted to justify why I was at Tiger Temple, however within minutes of walking through the gates there was no doubt it was wrong,  and it felt horrible.
Elephants are intelligent and self aware and understand what theyre going through. Elephant tourism is not right.