A British family enjoyed bathing with elephants at a resort in Thailand.

Footage shows the tourists playing with the jumbos as they washed themselves in a river in Chiang Mai on May 12.

The gentle pachyderms reached their trunk towards the visitors who then splashed water onto them.

The holidaymakers were joined by guides and mahouts as they enjoyed a refreshing bath with the elephants.

British husband David Bluff said: 'The river bathing experience was part of the Chai Lai Orchid Elephant Sanctuary tour. We walked through the forest with the elephants, leading them down this river, where we got in with them and splashed them with water while they bathed themselves.'

Thailand has an estimated 4,000 elephants in captivity. They are put to work in the logging industry, at tourism resorts or kept privately for use at religious events and rituals.

A number of rescued elephants also live in sanctuaries, where they can wander through enclosed land.

However, there is ongoing debate about the treatment of all captive elephants, with organisations such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) calling for their release.