Elephant Conservation Center, Lampang, Thailand

E L E P H A N T S E R V A T I O N C E N T E R

The Thai Elephant Conservation Center (TECC) was established to conserve and protect Thai elephants and
to distribute knowledge to interested people. In 1969, the Forest Industry Organization (F.I.O) founded the Young Elephant Training Center at Ban Pang La to
teach elephants how to log, the first training center ever in Thailand. In 1992,

the school was moved to Hangchat District and renamed The Thai Elephant Conservation Center. It is located between km. 28-29 on an area of
762 rai along the Lampang- Chiangmai Highway in Lampang Province. The Center was
officially opened by HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn

C O N T A C T A D D R E S S
Thai Elephant Conservation Project 26
Ta-Maho Road Wiang Neu Subdistrict, Muang District, Lampang 52000.
Tel. (66-54) 228-108, Fax (66-54) 231-150
Thai Elephant Conservation Center km. 28-29 Lampang-Chiangmai Highway, Wiang Tan Subdistrict, Hang Chat
District, Lampang, Thailand 52190.
Tel./Fax. (66-54) 228-034, 229-04
Taxi charge: 2400 Baht return trip
ค่ารถแท๊กซี่ 2400 บาท ไป-กลับ
Contact Person: Patrick 081 617 2116 (oversea call ++66 81 617 2116)
ติดต่อ เพ็ญนภา(แก้ว) 081 498 0613(จากต่างประเทศ ++66 81 498 0613)

ELEPHANT RIDES AND ELEPHANT SHOWS
The TECC presents the only eco-friendly show in
Thailand, just as elephant traditionally worked in our forests. Our announcers have extensive knowledge and describe every aspect of our fascinating elephant show.

We have a strong commitment to the humane treatment of our elephants and we are devoted to their well-being.

You can also take a ride on an elephant`s back around our beautiful natural areas. Rides are available everyday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The Center is open to the public daily with two shows daily from Monday to Friday at 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.
Weekends and holidays there is a third show at 1:30 p.m. Elephant bathing is at 9:45 a.m. everyday

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Chiangmai, Chiang rai, Mae Hong Son, Pai , Nan, Sukhothai - Thailand:
Taxi, Tour services and Trip Advisor
Contact Person: Patrick 081 617 2116 (oversea call ++66 81 617 2116)
ติดต่อ เพ็ญนภา(แก้ว) 081 498 0613(จากต่างประเทศ ++66 81 498 0613)
E-mail: neomart@gmail.com


peshtigofire
Fitchburg, Wisconsin
Tripadvisor
“An incredible experience”
Thai Elephant Conservation Center

My wife and I completed a 3-day VIP mahout-training course at TECC in September. Knowing this was a priority for us during our time in Thailand, we made a reservation more than 9 months in advance (which wasn’t really necessary since we were the only ones in the VIP program there during our stay). Our emails with the Center were always answered in a quick manner by Supat Sutti – in fact he even emailed us about a week before we were to be there to reconfirm and arrange transportation between our hotel in Chiang Mai and the Center.

Since we wanted to be out there and be ready for Day One of our course, we opted to spend an extra night at the facilities. We stayed in a VIP cabin, which was moldy and had a leaky roof (my wife discovered this as drips from the roof splattered on her face while she lay in bed during the nightly rains). They charged us 500 baht (per person, we thought total) for the extra night – and while we thought that, as the rest of the time we were to stay there, it included meals, it did not so we had to pay for dinner that night and breakfast the next morning (about another 700 baht total). So for what we thought was going to cost us an additional 500 baht ended up being 1700 -- just for one night's stay, no activities at all.

That said, we LOVED the course! The VIP course is much more about you having one-on-one time with your elephant. The regular course is about teaching the elephant tricks so that you can perform together in one of the three daily shows the center puts on for tourists who just come and visit for the day. The VIP course, which is stunningly only a few hundred baht more than the regular course, offers more personal time with “your” elephant: riding it through the jungle for several hours at a time, feeding “your” elephant bamboo and sugar cane, and bathing “your” elephant several times a day which was an absolute highlight of the experience. There’s no words to completely describe the way an elephant lowers himself into the water and lets you splash water on him and he sprays you with a trunk full of water in return!

Aside from just having fun, we also learned more about the life of an elephant and the life of his/her mahout – the Thai word for owner. They really have a unique and special bond together that lasts a lifetime (in fact, often elephants outlive their mahouts). We also had the chance to hand feed baby elephants and to visit “sick” elephants in their hospital. At the time we were there, there were 13 sick or injured elephants at the center with illnesses ranging from eye infections to disabled legs from land mine accidents.

This is the only elephant center in Thailand that receives assistance from the government. In fact, the Thai King himself has his elephants cared for by this program and these people. This is not your typical circus act affair – but rather an in depth chance to learn and bond with one of these enormous gentle giants.

Be careful when riding the elephant. You do so bareback – no “saddle” or bucket to sit in. Riding through the jungle can be dangerous at times, as the elephants like to eat all the time and don’t seem to notice that the branches they are pulling on to get the leaves are almost knocking you off their backs.

The meals during the course are included and the cook was really nice to talk to. He was one of two people we interacted with that spoke English.

A lot of emphasis seems to be on “tipping” practically everyone who you interact with. Because we brought only a set amount of cash with us, and the center does not accept credit cards, we ending up being short on cash so be prepared. After we ended up owing more than we thought we did for that first night, and having to pay 1000 baht each way to get out there, the costs of the program add up. Also our VIP program promised a T-shirt and/or coffee mug and a DVD of the elephants, but we got none of that. Since the website is light on details, we also want to tell everyone to bring their own camera and/or video recorder (water proof is the best) to capture your experiences. We were under the impression from the site that these memories would be captured by staff and given to us in a DVD at the end of the course and that never happened.

While we felt that they had bilked the tourist for as much as they possibly could, you really can’t put a price on how wonderful this once-in-a-lifetime experience is. All in all, the course ended up costing us about 10,000 baht per person for the 3 days, 850 baht per person for the extra night, and 600 baht per person in tips to the mahouts, plus 2400 baht for transport there and back (Taxi Chiangmai Booking, Patrick Smith ++66 81 617 2116 or local mobile 081 617 2116 ติดต่อ เพ็ญนภา 081 498 0613 or e-mail: neomart@gmail.com)– as well as another 1100 baht for a painting done by an elephant; so about $800 US total. A very expensive few days by Thai standards, but really worth it!