Thai Elephant Conservation Center

Thai Elephant Conservation Center

Thai Elephant Conservation Center
4
About
This 300-acre area consists of an elephant hospital and training school, which help to conserve the Thai elephants and protect them from extinction.
Does not meet animal welfare guidelines
Tripadvisor does not provide bookings for this experience because it does not meet our animal welfare guidelines.
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.

Top ways to experience Thai Elephant Conservation Center and nearby attractions

The area
Address
Reach out directly
Best nearby
We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Attractions
1 within 10 kms

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.


4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles534 reviews
Excellent
301
Very good
136
Average
45
Poor
20
Terrible
32

Frank J
Hua Hin, Thailand85 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
The Conservation Center also contains the Friends of the Asian Elephant Hospital. There is no fee to visit the hospital, and no interactions with the elephants. But you can see them, and also can make a donation. The Elephant Conservation Center offers rides and elephant painting etc, which I assume they do in order to keep the place funded. But you can give that a miss and visit the hospital instead, and make your own donation.
Written February 1, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Perry H
San Diego, CA1,794 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Friends
This is a very large park that is owned by the Government. The grounds are beautiful and pretty much well maintained. The staff were friendly. The show was pretty good and the Elephant ride was good. Sometimes the shuttle was a little late but beats walking the large park. They have a hotel and homestay on site and an Elephant hospital. Overall a great activity for the entire family.
Written February 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

burtoninarabia
milwaukee, wisconsin53 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2014 • Friends
Of all my experiences in Thailand this time around, this experience stood out as the worst. I have been to a good many elephant camps/sanctuaries in Thailand and Cambodia, and I booked a 2-day stay at TECC because of the reviews I had read on Trip Advisor. Those people evidently had not gone to a good elephant place.

Apart from the fact that they put a show on here and make the elephants do things they shouldn't have to do (play musical instruments, paint, pull logs, bow when people clap), the riding experience is not up to par in comparison with other places I have been. The guide (guide, not mahout) assigned to the people who came for the day did not speak English very well, and therefore, he was unable to answer questions about what we were going to be doing. The company should have made him memorize a script to inform people about what they would be doing during the day. As it was, no one had any idea of what was next, whether or not you could bring your camera with you, whether you needed your hat, what type of footwear would be acceptable, and on and on. During the "orientation," the guide was not very informative, just told us the difference between Asian and African elephants, kept looking at what was going on in the elephant yard (which interrupted his train of thought), and in short, it was a total waste of time.

The mahouts weren't much better. What bothered me was that they kept hitting the elephants. They each carried the hook with them, and we saw one tug on the elephant's ear with the hook to get it to turn. I also saw them jabbing the backs of elephants with a stick that had a metal nail protruding from it. The really good elephant places to go to do not treat their elephants like this. If you want to go to a good elephant place, go to Patara or Thai Elephant Home. The mahouts at Patara don't even carry a hook with them "just in case." You may have to book in advance by some weeks, but the difference between a good place and a bad place is substantial.

The mahouts also thought it very funny when people had problems getting on their elephants. Sure, it might be funny, but the way these guys acted was pretty low class.
We were forced to go to the elephant show, in which a female announcer with a microphone held close to her lips with a raucous voice spoke mostly Thai the whole time at high decibel level. While riding our elephants in this very beautiful area afterwards, we were met with another loud microphone held by a guy entertaining some students. The whole thing was noisy and not tastefully done.
We passed a little shop area, and there was a basketful of slingshots. I asked the guide why they were selling them. He picked one up and aimed it at a dog that was lying there and laughed. I said, "That doesn't go over well with Westerners, you know?" He just laughed, which might stem from his inability to fully understand English. I later saw that the mahouts threatened their elephants constantly with slingshot usage.

The bungalows were another story. My friends' bungalow's main light was burned out. I told the guide and asked for a new light bulb. The response: "just take a different bungalow." Well, we looked at the other bungalows - one whole side had bungalows filled with garbage that hadn't been removed; the other side had no bed clothing and weren't made up for visitors. It was totally depressing. What's more, there was a pack of dogs running around outside the bungalows that kept attacking another dog, and we kept hearing his screams and squeals when he was attacked each time. Response to complaint: "We have a lot of dogs around here."

I thought we were supposed to bathe our elephants like we did in other camps -- i.e. give them a good scrubbing in the river and get those parasites and pebbles out of their skin. Here, just a dip in the river for a minute or two. When I asked about the scrubdown, they said "Tomorrow, tomorrow." We didn't stay for tomorrow, so I don't know if that actually happens.

On safety issues, a lot needs to be said. After the "bath" in the river, we were told we would take the elephants "into the forest" for the evening. My two friends and I were riding the elephants, and "taking them into the forest" involved going up a steep hill on top of the elephant (bareback) and told to dismount on the steep hillside. One friend said she was almost stepped on by her elephant because the path was extremely narrow and she almost rolled down the hill to avoid it. The other friend we saw going straight up to the top of the cliff. Somehow she got off the elephant. We all were expected to manage to get down this steep hill with flip flops on, which was near impossible. This is a huge safety problem. I couldn't walk down a steep hill with flip flops on and had to take them off, and I got my foot pricked by plant debris over and over. I don't know what these people are thinking, but from the looks on their faces, they thought it was kind of funny.

The whole place was depressing and substandard - not only the accommodations, but the whole experience -- that we asked for a refund for Day 2 and then left. I do NOT recommend this place, even though it is supported by the government (and the king). TECC needs to take a look at how to improve its image, hire guides who can speak better English and take their job seriously, cut down on the noise, address the safety issues, and most important, treat their elephants a little better in front of people who pay for the pleasure of being with them. I am just flabbergasted that so many people on Trip Advisor thought this was the greatest experience ever. It was the worst elephant experience I have ever had in Asia, and I am writing this in hopes that other people will choose a responsible elephant place to visit like the two that I mentioned if they want to ride elephants.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. It's for the welfare of all elephants.
Written January 27, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

wildlifetravel
Glen Ellyn, IL35 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2012 • Couples
We expected the TECC to be the highlight of our trip and were disappointed on many levels. We booked the 2 day homestay. The staff was friendly and accomodations what we expected. However, we our both lovers of animals and the treatment, while not overtly cruel, rubbed us the wrong way. Our interaction with the elephants was mostly during the Elephant show which is the same thing 3 times a day. We were bored with it after 1 time, so I can only imagine what the elephants felt like. The mahouts were not overly cruel but the whole experience was too focused on shows and making the elephants do tricks. The animals did not seem particularly happy either. The final straw for us was the "jungle ride" which consisted of riding the elephants down a road while the elephants carried its own chain. We then locked each elephant up, isolated from the herd, and left them in the forest. We were able to rationalize that overall this place brings more good than harm, but for a conservation center affiliated with universities, we had hoped the elephants would be in a more natural environment and not solely focused on performing tricks.

Also, the itenirary is pretty boring. We left early because the first day only involves doing a bath (fun) and the elephant show (not fun) twice. We were done by 3 pm with nothing to do except wait for the next morning where we would do another bath and show. We decided to leave as it was not worth waiting around 15 hours with not much to do just for a short morning segment we had already done.
Written June 19, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Bishopsgambit72
London, UK16 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2015 • Friends
If this is a so called conservation centre, why are the elephants forced to take tourists for rides? People, wake up and educate yourselves about elephants! These are wild animals who belong in the jungle!! For you to be able to ride one, it is tortured and deprived of food when it is young!
I must say we didn’t go here by choice, but our host for the day just sprung it on us and we couldn’t back out.
When we visited, there was a large bull elephant shackled on all 4 feet and swaying from side to side, this is their way of showing they are under tremendous stress.
All the elephants who were taken out for rides were then paraded at an enclosure for visitors to feed them. Forced to pander to tourists again.
This is not a conservation centre, just another place to exploit elephants. Avoid like the plague.
Written September 8, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sofie VK
Budel, The Netherlands10 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2015 • Friends
The elephant rides on the pictures show the people sitting on the neck (the way you should sit if you want to), but in reality you sit on a wooden bench attached to their backs. The mahout sits in front with something that looks like an axe. The elephants for the elephant rides stand on concrete floors, with two iron chains around their feet. They do have immediate access to a little food, so I guess it could be worse. Still the elephants look unhappy and I feel misguided by the advertisements. The name Elephant Centre sounds like it is some kind of sanctuary or reservoir but it's not. I went here based on reviews of other people and now that I've seen the park I am shocked about how positive the reviews are. This centre might not be as bad as some others, or as expensive as some others. But there is no way to deny that this place is based on making profit by tourist, and not about giving better life to elephants.
Written December 17, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

S J
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2018 • Solo
This is not a conservation center. We drive one hour by car to see free elephants in a natural environment. No way, the elephants are treated a bit better than all the others places but they have the chains all the time, they have to do a stupid show...the only moment of the day were they are free is probably the bath...but not that sure about that. I spoke (in thai) with many people working there and everyone confirm that the elephants have the chains almost always. Very disappointed, i thought was completely something else.
Written January 29, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

William P
Gasquet, CA14 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2015 • Couples
Like many of the reviewers, we had mixed feelings about going to an elephant center, but we found the Thai Elephant Conservation Center to be a wonderful experience.
We stayed for two weeks in Chiang Mai. There were numerous tour operators that would take us south to the Thai Elephant Conservation Center for a hefty price. We wanted to save our money for other experiences, so we went the local way. In case this is of help to other travelers, this is how we went from Chiang Mai to the Thai Elephant Conservation Center and back...
We took a tuk tuk from our hotel to the Arcade Bus Station for about 150 baht. The bus station is large and a little confusing. (There are three bus stations in Chiang Mai, so be sure you go to the main station, which is the Arcade Bus Station). Ask around to find the ticket window for the bus to Lampang. You have to take a number and wait your turn. When you buy your ticket, tell the ticket agent that you want to get off at the Thai Elephant Conservation Center. The cost was only 80 baht. The bus was very nice, with an attendant showing us to our seat and giving us water. We told her that we wanted to get off at the Thai Elephant Conservation Center, and she made sure that the driver knew this, and she warned us in advance when we were close to the center.
After a one hour and twenty minute ride through beautiful countryside, the bus stopped along the highway on the same side as the Center.
We walked up a long path and found ourselves to be the first people there. We wanted to arrive early so we could see them bathe the elephants and give them their morning treatments. The place was like a large beautifully maintained park. It was not very touristy or crowded. We spent the whole day walking around watching the elephants and their mahouts (handlers who start at an early age with one elephant and dedicate themselves to that one elephant for most of its life). They had a maternity area with four mother elephants and their babies. The hospital was sad, but interesting. One of the elephants had stepped on a land mine in Myanmar and had been transported all the way to this center. It was strange to see an elephant with an IV bag and line running into its neck. Later in the morning, hundreds of little Thai school kids arrived on field trips. It was touching to see how thrilled they were to see so many elephants.
Although we had mixed feelings about riding on them, we took an hour ride on a large elephant, wading through a shallow lake, them along a jungle stream, and then up a steep mountain through the jungle. It was an amazing feel and experience. They closed the center at 3:30 pm, so the elephants could go spend the night in the surrounding jungle. We walked back out to the highway and flagged down the next bus that came by. When you exit the Center, don't walk to the right and out the exit. The freeway curves in this location and there is a cement center divider. It did not look like a safe place to cross the highway. Instead, walk to the left and go back out the entrance. From the entrance you can walk a short distance to the left. Here it is much safer to cross the road. There is a covered pavilion where you can wait for the next bus back to Chiang Mai. We were charged 70 baht for the ride back to Chiang Mai. We felt pleased that we made the trip in the local way and saved a lot of money. Overall, the Thai Elephant Conservation Center was one of the highlights of our stay in Chiang Mai.
Written February 17, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

MaRth2
Cairo73 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2014 • Friends
The Elephant Conservation Center is NOT an elephant sanctuary. These are working elephants who are not kept in anything close to their natural state. I would say this place is more of a Mahout conservation center. I don't personally feel good about elephants being used for work, but I also understand that mahouts and their working elephants are part of a millennia-long tradition in Thailand.

I saw elephant bathing (short but they seemed to like it and I will never know how the mahouts stay dry while they do it) and the elephant show (some log pulling, rolling and stacking, and then cheesy music playing and painting, including an elephant wearing pink bows on her head). Then you can buy sugar cane to feed to the elephants.

I did not witness any incidents of physical abuse towards the elephants during my day trip there, and I did see elephants receiving what I am told is free medical care in the elephant hospital. The center is also supposedly doing work on elephant smuggling from Burma. It seems the center is focused on improving the situation of Thailand's working elephants by preventing wild capture from Burma and seeing to their medical needs. If you want to support that work, this is not a bad way to spend a morning.

On the other hand, there is little to no education of visitors. The staff may be quite knowledgeable but they don't speak English so if you speak Thai they might be able to help. There are no signs with information about elephants or conservation or even mahouts. What there is is a lot of touristy souvenirs for you to spend money on.

If you want to see happy elephants living together in family groups, this is not the place. Elephants are individually chained and made to entertain visitors with tricks or offer rides using chairs (which I have read are not good for elephants' backs). But if you would like to see a demonstration of how elephants are and have been used in Thailand for transport, logging, and entertainment, this place will give you that chance and seems more ethical than your average road-side elephant rides.
Written July 8, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

MurphKazoo
Denver, CO28 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2012 • Couples
Lonely Planet claimed this place avoided a circus atmosphere, but with elephants painting pictures for tourists to buy and performing in shows many times daily, I wish they would just let the elephants wander around freely.
Written July 12, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Showing results 1-10 of 366
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing

THAI ELEPHANT CONSERVATION CENTER - All You MUST Know Before You Go (2024)

All Lampang HotelsLampang Hotel DealsLast Minute Hotels in Lampang
All things to do in Lampang
RestaurantsFlightsVacation RentalsTravel StoriesCruisesRental Cars