Phetcha
Wildlife sanctuary★ 4.8 · 1,454 Google reviews

Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT)

มูลนิธิเพื่อนสัตว์ป่า (Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand – WFFT)

Tha Yang

Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT) in Tha Mai Ruak Subdistrict, Tha Yang District, is a rescue centre for wildlife and elephants that visitors can see on guided tours. You will see elephants, tigers, gibbons, bears and other rescued wildlife, watching from a distance without touching the animals.

What animals are there

  • Asian elephants in the Elephant Refuge
  • Tigers in the Big Cat Rescue Centre
  • Yellow-cheeked gibbons, Asiatic black bears, monkeys and cassowaries in the Wildlife Rescue Centre

Activities and entry

  • Full-day tour 10:00–15:30: adults 1,600 baht, children 1,100 baht, including a safari vehicle ride around the Newlands area and no-contact elephant viewing at 15:00
  • Half-day tour 10:00 to about 12:00: adults 1,100 baht, children 700 baht
  • Both include a private guide and a Thai buffet lunch
  • Transfers from Hua Hin or Cha-am, 200 baht per person return

Good to know before you go

You need to book ahead through the form on the website or by phone, as visitor numbers are limited and tours are often full several days in advance. There is no elephant riding and no posing for photos with the animals. Wear comfortable walking shoes and bring insect repellent and drinking water. Rated 4.8 from 1,454 reviews on Google (Oct 2026).

Opening hours and getting there

Tours start at 10:00 every day. If you drive yourself, aim to reach the meeting point at I Love Phants Lodge at about 09:30. Office tel. 032 706 906 (08:00–17:00) or 08-2245-8598, email [email protected]

Photo credits

All photos on this page come from the official website of Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (wfft.org). Photo copyright belongs to Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand.

Animals at Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand

6 kinds of animal to meet, each with a short introduction

  • Asian elephant

    Elephas maximus

    Thailand's national animal. It eats more than 100 kg of grass, leaves and fruit a day, and uses its trunk to pick up food, drink and communicate.

    Elephant Refuge

    Viewing only

    The full-day tour includes no-contact elephant viewing at 15:00; there is no elephant riding

  • Tiger

    Panthera tigris

    The largest wild cat in the world. Each tiger's stripes are unique, and it is an endangered species.

    Big Cat / Tiger Rescue Centre

    Viewing only

    Seen from a safari vehicle on the full-day tour (Newlands area)

  • Yellow-cheeked gibbon

    Hylobatidae

    A tailless ape that swings through the branches on its long arms and calls loudly through the forest in the morning.

    Wildlife Rescue Centre

    Viewing only

  • Asiatic black bear

    Ursus thibetanus

    A large black bear with a white V-shaped patch of fur on its chest. It eats plants, fruit and insects.

    Wildlife Rescue Centre

    Viewing only

  • Southern cassowary

    Casuarius casuarius

    A large flightless bird from New Guinea and Australia, with a hard crest on its head and sharp claws on its feet.

    Wildlife Rescue Centre

    Viewing only

  • Macaque

    Macaca fascicularis

    The monkey commonly seen at Khao Wang and Khao Luang Cave. It lives in large troops, is clever and likes to snatch things from people's hands, so keep bags and food well out of sight.

    Wildlife Rescue Centre

    Viewing only

Animal attractions nearby