Chiang Mai: Thai Elephant Conservation Center 清迈泰国大象保护中心

Thai Elephant conservation Center (TECC) was founded in 1993, principally to conserve and protect the Asian elephants from extinction. It houses the National Elephant Institute Of Thailand, a center of learning which shares its vast library and trained specialists with other agencies and organizations.

Thailand's only government-owned elephant camp, administered by the Forest Industry Organization, (a State Enterprise of the government of Thailand) is located in lush greenery 95 km south of Chiang Mai and 35 kilometres north of Lampang.

Under the Royal Patronage, the 500-hectare beautiful sanctuary cares for more than 50 Asian elephants. It is the only elephant hospital in the world and proudly houses six of HM King Bhumibol's ten white elephants in the Royal Elephant Stables.

It is LESS touristic, but famous for its onsite Friends of Asian Elephant Hospital (FAE) that provides FREE veterinary treatments and medical care for sick/abused elephants and injured elephants. The centre also has two mobile units - clinic team and rescue team which move around Chiang Mai area giving free treatment to other sick and injured elephants that are unable to move or come to the hospital. The center is only partly government funded and so it relies on its income from the center and private contributions in order to continue to undertake its good works effectively.

Thai Elephant Conservation Center is well known for its Young Elephant Training School. After a young elephant turns three years old, its off to school to be trained. During school holidays, the young elephants go to the forest for relaxation, interspace the years of steady training until they are nine years old, when they graduated as a fully trained, working elephant. Visitors are free to visit the hospital and the Elephant Training School.

After taking their bath, the elephants made a procession to the auditorium. 

The first elephant held and waved the flag, followed by two elephants behind holding the drum supported by a stick and the one behind beat the drum to signal visitors to go to the auditorium as the show will be starting soon.

The other elephants paraded to the auditorium holding tails by tails. So Cute!

Unlike other elephant shows, the elephants here performed more educational show, demonstrating how the elephants have been trained in traditional logging techniques like moving logs, carrying logs and then staking them in order. They also demonstrate their agility and ability to do complex behaviour of their own nature. 

The artistic side of the elephants are shown in an internationally famous mini concert performed by the Elephant Orchestra - a musical ensemble consisting of 16 elephants which play live music on specially designed musical instruments like the slit drums, gong, bow bass, rattles, xylophone-like renats as well as a thundersheet or their own trumpeting. The Thai Elephant Orchestra is the first in the world; providing a musical array of elephantine vocalizations. 

Like other elephant camps, the elephants here know how to paint pictures too. Prices of their paintings range from 500 baht to 1,000 baht each. You can help support the cause of elephant conservation simply by buying one or more paintings at the gift shop.

THAI ELEPHANT CONSERVATION CENTER OPENING HOURS:
Daily: 8:00am – 4:00pm   
Show Time: 10:00am, 11:00am (1:30pm- additional show on weekends and public holidays only)
Elephant Rides: 8:30am - 3:30pm from 10 minutes to 1 hour ride

FEE: in Thai Baht
Entrance Fee: Adult 150/Child 100 (inclusive of tram ride and show)
Elephant Rides per elephant: 30 minutes - 500/1 hour - 1,000

OTHER ACTIVITIES:

1. Mahout Courses -  http://www.changthai.com/mahout/

2. Trekking Program - http://www.thailandelephant.org/en/trekking.html

3. Home-stay program - http://www.thailandelephant.org/en/homestay.html

For more information: http://www.thaielephanttraining.com/?page_id=36

HOW TO GET THERE:  Thai Elephant Conservation Center, 28-29 Lampang-Chiang Mai Highway, Wiang Tan, Hangchat District. 

1. By Your Own  

Drive about 75-80 km south of Chiang Mai, along the mountainous Chiang Mai - Lampang Highway 11 direct to Lampang.  (about 1 hour)

2. By Bus 
From Chiang Mai: Take local bus from Chiang Mai bus arcade as early as 7:00am. (lastest 11am to catch the elephant last show on weekend and holidays only) 

Fare: 70 baht and tell driver to drop you at the elephant center (or have the staff at information desk to write your destination in Thai for the driver/bus conductor) 

To catch a bus back to Chiang Mai, you need to run across a busy 6-lane highway and flag down any bus passing by. (for your info, there is no bus stop sign.)  

From Lampang: Take a bus from Lampang Bus station.

Fare: 60 baht and tell driver to stop you at the center.

To catch a bus back to Lampang, wait at a bus stop outside the center.

Fare: 80 baht. 

3. By Tour

1 day tour - prices vary depending on number of people and tour itinerary which may include an elephant ride or a trip to Lampang. (check it out with travel agents)

4. By Taxi/hire car with driver

From 1,500 baht more or less.

NOTE:

Be there before the elephant show so you can watch the elephant taking their bath. Bath time: 9:45am. (1:10pm-additional on weekends and public holidays only)

The centre has a variety of restaurants, snack shops, gift shops and also an elephant dung paper mini factory.

For more information:
http://www.thailandelephant.org/en/roadsidepark.html
http://www.thailandelephant.org/en/restaurants.html
http://www.thailandelephant.org/en/dungpaper.html