HI All,
I am looking at going to the Thai Elephant Conservation Center in Lampang. It appears to be about 50 miles south of Chaing Mai. Are there regular buses that could take us there, as we do not have a vehicle? Has anyone been before?

We spent half a day there during our visit to Chiang Mai in January and loved it. We used Poon, a driver who has been highly recommended on this site to take us there. Her rates are very reasonable and she is a delight to be around. She has a special pass for the Thai Elephant Conservation Center that allows her to park within the site rather than in the public parking outside of it. You can reach her by e-mailing her sister Ratt in Bangkok -- [email protected].
The TECC is a fabulous facility sponsored by the Thai government. If you get there at about 9:15 or so you can spend time with the baby elephants and watch the elephants bathing and then see an elephant show, which is very well done. You can also do a short elephant ride for as little as half an hour or as long as several hours, whatever you prefer. We thought an hour was fine for us. They also have an elephant hospital on the premises. If you are interested, you can spend several days in a "mahout" training program, or just go for a day or part of a day. While you are in the area Poon can also take you to see sights in Lampang. If you use Poon please say hello from Rob and Carole Wilder from Connecticut.

Thank you for your input! They offer a one-day training course that I am very interested in. How far away was it? Did you meet up with Poon in Chaing Mai? Do you remember the cost?

TECC is about an hour from Chiang Mai. I think Poon charges 2800B per day, but if you are going to be spending the entire day at the TECC it may not be worthwhile to use her. There is a bus, I believe, from Chiang Mai to Lampang that may stop near the TECC. You can e-mail them & they can give you info about how to get there. We did a lot of other things that same day, so it made sense to have Poon drive us there & elsewhere. I don't remember the cost of TECC but they should have info on their web site. I think it was very inexpensive. We loved it & also loved Chiang Mai.

I've been to a lot of the elephant centers around Chiang Mai in the past 20 years, and this is definitely the one to go to. It is also the place where you know the animals are being well cared for.

I'd be really interested in the one day training program. Is is feasible for a 59 year-old, overweight and out of shape woman.

If you haven't found it already, the website is www.changthai.com. The website has directions how to get there including how to take the bus. We have a reservation for the 3-day program for August and it looks like fun. Others have been and posted here and had a wonderful time. Enjoy planning your trip!