Thai Elephant Conservation Center: A Haven for Gentle Giants in Lampang

The Bear Team 6 min read

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Elephants are among the most valuable animals in Thailand. Thai people have been respecting and paying awareness to those elephants for so long. They’re sometimes like members of families. Despite the significance, some elephants are still treated badly. Thus, many Thai elephant care and conservation centers were established in many districts, including the one in Lampang Province, which will be our topic in this article.

The Thai Elephant Conservation Center at Lampang is a great place to facilitate people’s love for these gentle giants. Those elephants at the center are taken care of ideally. There are both healthy and ill elephants. The sight is natural, which is suitable for both elephants and people. It’s similarly a significant place for the tourism of Lampang as it is another outstanding northern Thai province. At the same time, this is a place that you must go to.

Many delightful activities await you there, all good for people of all ages. You can have an incredible time with your family and friends for sure. So, mark your calendar to enjoy a long trip to the Thai Elephant Conservation Center in Lampang with us.

 Fun Fact!

Thailand’s only state-owned elephant camp currently cares for more than 50 Asian elephants. Although it’s an important tourist attraction, it’s also a significant facility for elephant welfare in Thailand.

A Haven for Elephant Lovers in Lampang

Thai Elephant Conservation Center is located at Ban Thung Kwan, Wiang Tan Sub-district, under the management of the Northern Region Forest Industry Department.

The Forest Industry Organization was initially an elephant training center, the first and only one in the world, and has been conducted since 1969. It is a place to put forward and train young elephants for obedience and creativity while the mother elephant goes to work in the forest.  However, there is a policy to close the forest, which makes the elephants unemployed; therefore, the training center for young elephants has been modified to be a shelter for old and sick elephants. It is also an Elephant Hospital. 

Accordingly, the Forest Industry Organization established the Thai Elephant Conservation Center in January 1992 and coordinated entertainment for tourism, such as elephant shows, which still conserve the art of making wood using elephants as a vehicle. It is crucial to labor for the hauling of wood shown for both Thai and foreign tourists to see.

 Trivia

The TECC is too enormous to explore on foot effortlessly. Therefore, a shuttle bus service (20 Baht each) is the only way to get around quickly. Private cars and songthaews must be parked near the entrance to the central car park. There are some places to buy food and drinks, with restaurants serving Thai and international food.

Why Visit the Thai Elephant Conservation Center in Lampang?

Lampang Thailand Elephant Conservation Center is a place for nature lovers to visit when in Thailand. Here, you can learn stories about elephants while relaxing on their back and get a kick out of spectacle elephant shows that generate memorable times for your trip!

To Explore Elephant Sanctuaries for A Meaningful Visit

There are so many beautiful places in the Lampang Elephant Conservation Center worth your visit. The first place you must pay attention to is the on-site hospital inside the center, yearning to care for sick elephants. Inside the hospital are a mobile clinic and a recovery unit, which is often ready at any time to save injured elephants. 

Here, we can also find the Pang La sanctuary, which is responsible for caring for old elephants. Elephant Care Manual is another noticeable area providing mahouts and owners with practical tips and advice to help them look after their animals better.

To Enjoy Captivating Elephant Shows

Every show takes you about 40 minutes to fully enjoy. Visitors may wonder how thoughtful and skilled the elephants at the show are while nearly facing no significant challenges doing precious things like painting, pushing trunks, and playing with mahouts. It is assumed that no elephants are urged into these entertainments, but they do it voluntarily.

The mahouts also show their mastered skills in monitoring elephants using a particular communication technique. Occasionally, they use body language to make sure signs that elephants can realize and obey the actions they await. You will have 3 daily opportunities to fascinate yourself with a funny elephant show at 10:00 and 11:00 in the morning and 1:30 in the afternoon.

If you have a child or an elderly member in your family, you may need to take them on an elephant’s back to have fantastic sightseeing. The seats are tightly tied on every elephant’s back. You almost go up, have a seat, and the mahout will be with you, too, to keep the elephant walking around. You will be able to see cool water and a green jungle area. You can select your time for the trip, from 10 minutes to an hour, depending on your time and money.

To Witness Elephants Enjoy Their Bath Time

You can see the elephants doing an ever-increasingly fascinating thing – bathing! After putting up with a role in the show, elephants should bathe in the pond to refresh themselves. Notice that the activity will take place only 2 times every day at 9:45 am and 1:15 pm.

To Check Out the Royal Elephant Stables

Ten white elephants are owned by His Majesty the King of Thailand. Six of them stay at the Royal Elephant Stables within the TECC. The Royal Stables aren’t usually open to the public. Still, some white elephants are on show for appointed events.

How to Visit the Thai Elephant Conservation Center in Lampang?

The Thai Elephant Conservation Centre is in Lampang province. Still, it is easy to attain from the city of Chiang Mai. Buses departing from the Chiang Mai Arcade bus station to Lampang will pass by the TECC. It is situated between the 28th and 29th-kilometer markers along the primary Chiang Mai-Lampang highway. The TECC is roughly 60-70 minutes out of Chiang Mai.

Alternatively, you can hire an air-conditioned taxi or a songthaew for private hire. Either do this directly or via any reputable tour office in Chiang Mai. From Lampang, the journey takes around 30-40 minutes, and you can follow the same procedure by hiring a taxi/songthaew or taking a Chiang Mai-bound bus. Regular buses use the route, and when you return to Chiang Mai or Lampang, wait on the opposing side to which you were dropped off and flag down the bus when it moves forward.

 Did you know?

You can take photos with elephants, but please do that when the mahouts are with you for your security. You can similarly walk around by yourself to see some events of elephants, with pictures and texts, to get some new knowledge.

Maps & More Information 

The Thai Elephant Conservation Center, founded in 1993 under royal patronage, is a government-owned facility that operates Elephant Park. This center allows visitors to witness elephant shows and observe them during their bathing routines, among other activities. Notably, it is one of the most budget-friendly Elephant Centers in Chiang Mai, making it a popular choice for Thai families and schoolchildren to visit.