Seeing the Elephants of Thailand

Thai culture regards the majestic elephant very highly. Honored in art and religion, the elephant in Thailand also has been a decorated veteran of war, and integral to the success of the now-dwindling teak forest cultivation and transportation.

There are two different species of elephant - the African (Loxodonta africana) and the Asian variety (Elephas maximus). The Thai elephant belongs to the Asian variety, but Thai elephants have a few different and distinct 'races'. Thai elephants generally have shorter front legs and a more robust body than the Indian elephant.

Another place you can see Thai elephants, both at work and at play, is the Elephant Conservation Center, near Lampang, approximately 350 miles north of Bangkok. Its an excellent location to begin your explorations of Northern Thailand and the Hill Country, with all its beautiful native crafts and silverwork and the multitude of Buddhist temples and wats.

The Elephant Conservation Center educates and entertains the public, and both trains and protects Thai elephants. You can even take a one day mahout training class! It is claimed that around the beginning of the 20th Century, the Thai elephant population was around 100,000. The last 'official' elephant census (2003) estimated the Thai elephant population at 3,000 to 3,500, with approximately half living as domesticated work animals, and the other half living in the jungle and mountain wilds of Thailand. In Bangkok, Thailand's largest city, over 300 elephants live and work in the city.

You can get a close up look at elephants working, playing, resting, bathing and nurturing their young. The Elephant Conservation Center is a part of the Veterinary Department of the Northern Timber Work Division of the Forestry Industry organization. This is the first Thai center to formally train elephants for forest work. Guided elephants rides, with an attentive and informative mahout (trainer) is an enjoyable activity for the whole family. Plan to spend at least a half day at the Center, and be sure to view the educational exhibits.

Just 30 minutes or so from Chiang Mai lays Mae Sa Elephant Camp. Public transportation is entirely too spotty to take your chances on, so either rent a car or moped, or go with an organized tour group. Their daily elephant show begins at 9:30 am, and is something you won't want to miss. Interact with mahouts and elephants, ride through the mountain jungle terrain on the back of a majestic giant, enjoy visual arts in the many paintings and sculptures representing elephants in every phase of their lives, doing what elephants do best, amaze humans!

If you have a little longer than a half day or day in the Chiang Mai region, check out the multi-day elephant treks! With some overnighter elephant treks, you stay in luxurious lodgings along the way, mingle with the Hill Tribe Hmong people, and even get to include authentic Thai cooking lessons. http://www.wayfarersthailand.com is an excellent resource for elephant trekking information, and also offers terrific white water rafting trips. There is a lot to do in and around Chiang Mai, and for a slower paced vacation, give Chiang Mai a week or two, for relaxed exploration.

So, pack up the family, or go it alone, but explore the history and culture of Thailand's elephants, in the gorgeous natural settings of the Chiang Mai region. Explore the temples, explore the cultures, buy some intricately carved and molded Hill Tribe silver, even take home a few sheets of elephant dung paper, crafted from - hm, well you get the idea…