Phuket is a hot spot for foreign tourists travelling to Thailand. And where there is demand for animal entertainment there will always be supply. Most streets in Phuket have at least one sign for elephant tourism, whether it’s outside a shop, a massage parlour, on a billboard or in a taxi. Many signs show elephants being used for trekking, while others show elephants being exploited in circuses or used as photo props. I photographed four trekking camps in total as well as a tourist attraction advertised as ‘Phuket elephant on the beach’. Almost all the tourists I saw were solely interested in having their pictures taken with the elephants to boost their image on social media.

In such a competitive, lucrative business where profit is often prioritised over animal welfare, it can be difficult to distinguish between ethical and unethical operators.