William Heinecke and his work for elephants in Thailand
An entrepreneur dedicated to the welfare of Asian elephants in Thailand and the region.
William (Bill) Heinecke is a well-known entrepreneur in Thailand and founder of Minor International, the company behind Anantara Hotels & Resorts. Beyond his business success, he has long been committed to animal welfare—particularly Asian elephants in Thailand. Through the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation (GTAEF), work is done to rescue and protect elephants in need.
🐘 The Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation
The foundation, established in 2005, helps elephants that cannot help themselves. The ideal is that all elephants would live in the wild—but reality is different. Therefore GTAEF focuses on improving the lives of captive elephants while also working to protect wild populations.
One of the first projects was rescuing street-begging elephants and their mahouts (caretakers) and giving them a home on the grounds of Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort in northern Thailand. There, dozens of elephants live in a forested environment spanning hundreds of acres.
🌿 What the foundation does
- ✓Rescue of street-begging elephants and their mahouts
- ✓Training and workshops for mahouts in positive reinforcement and welfare
- ✓Support for wild elephant protection and human-elephant coexistence
- ✓Research and education on elephant welfare
- ✓Protection of a wildlife corridor in Cambodia for migrating animals
🌏 Impact in the region
The foundation works with local communities, national parks, and international partners. There are programs for English education in villages where mahouts come from, so the next generation has better opportunities. During the pandemic, additional elephants were taken in whose camps went bankrupt, and veterinary care is subsidised for elephants across Thailand.
Learn more or support?
Visit the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation website for more information about their work and how you can contribute.
Visit helpingelephants.org →