Well, after reading this:

http://adoreanimals.com/blog/the-eth...nt-experience/

I definitely don't want to ride on an elephant's back.

I used to want to swim with dolphins too. Used to.

enlightening link with places to check out - thank you, WW!

I went to the one in Lampang and it is a conservation center which treats the elephant with care. A great experience. Also I was glad we made this stop in Lampang because there was so much to do in Chiang Mai. I was in Chiang Mai for four days and took a one day Rainforest hike in the jungle it was amazing.

The only two places I recommend are the Thai Elephant Conservation Center and the Elephant Nature PArk. Yes, you will read positive reviews of the other places on TA, but the reviewers were just looking for an opportunity to interact with elephants - not doing a careful review of how the elephants are treated.