The communities living around Kui Buri National Park in Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, Thailand, have long faced daily challenges caused by human-elephant conflict. Most villagers rely on agriculture as their main source of income, and wild elephants often damage crops and farmland when they venture outside the park in search of food.
In response, local residents came together to form the Kui Buri Wildlife Conservation Tourism Club, a community-based group that transforms conflict into opportunity through responsible wildlife tourism. With around 60 active members from Ruam Thai Village and surrounding areas, the Club runs safari-style tours to observe elephants in the wild while promoting local livelihoods and conservation awareness.
What do they do?
The Club reinvests its income from tourism into a wide range of community initiatives, including:
- Guide training and skill development to ensure safe and high-quality visitor experiences.
- Alternative livelihoods such as handicrafts, herbal gardens, tie-dye fabric, homestays, and farm-to-table dining.
- Forest restoration and wildlife education for local youth to foster long-term conservation awareness.
- Composting elephant dung for use as organic fertilizer, reducing waste and supporting sustainable agriculture.
- Scholarships and community development programs that enhance local well-being and environmental stewardship.
Supported by WWF Thailand, the Club also works closely with government agencies and private partners to strengthen community management, promote organic farming, and create new market opportunities for sustainable products.
To mitigate risks, WWF Thailand established the Elephant Early Warning System Center, which monitors elephant movements and alerts villagers in real time to prevent conflict and damage.
How can you help?
You can support WWF Thailand and the Kui Buri Wildlife Conservation Tourism Club in building a sustainable model where people and elephants coexist peacefully. Your contribution will help:
- Train new livelihood groups and strengthen community enterprises.
- Pilot new sustainable market opportunities for local products.
- Build local capacity through eco-guide and service training.
- Develop better systems to track visitors and community revenue for transparent management.
With your help, Kui Buri can become a regional leader in ethical, community-driven wildlife tourism, a model of coexistence and conservation.
EXO Foundation support
In partnership with WWF Thailand, the EXO Foundation provides USD 15,000 annually to help scale and strengthen this community-led initiative.
Funding supports:
- New livelihood training programs using local materials and skills.
- Sustainable product development and marketing support.
- Guide capacity-building and quality service training.
- Systems for tracking tourism impact and income transparency.
Through this collaboration, the EXO Foundation helps empower villagers to turn human-elephant conflict into opportunity, ensuring both communities and wildlife thrive in harmony.