Here we’re outside Maesa Elephant Camp at Tapae Road in Muang District, Chiang Mai. This place is but only a short distance drive from Four Seasons Resort where we just had our beautiful lunch.

Mom’s standing beside the huge Portrait of Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej & Queen Sirikit outside Maesa Elephant Camp :

Maesa Elephant Camp has been open for over 30 years & is home to more than 70 elephants – the oldest is 54 years old & the youngest is 2 years old. It’s the 1st Elephant Camp in the World to be certified ISO 9001 version 2000, & it’s also received the Thailand Standard Camp Award.

Choochart Kalmapijit, the Camp’s Founder whose understanding of the deep intelligence of elephants (called “Chang” in Thai) inspired him to establish Maesa Elephant Camp with the initial of only 5 elephants, in 1976.

Asian elephants have long been used as transportation, timber logging or even in wars. And with the opening of Maesa Elephant Camp, Choochart also founded the Association of Thai Elephant Procreation to encourgae elephant breeding so that the future of Asian elephants is assured.

Maesa Elephant Camp has also helped further the cause of the conservation & future of Asian elephants as at the turn of the twentieth century, there were more than 100000 elephants in Thailand, today, there’re less than 5000. And since then, staffs from Maesa Elephant Camp have become leaders & experts in the field of elephant breeding, training, healthcare & substainable tourism.

Below are the Maps of Maesa Elephant Camp :

And here are the Maesa Elephant Camp Pamphlets : 

And here’s the Maesa Elephant Show Ticket :

Notice the Guinness World Records Logo on the above Ticket?!

YES YES, 8 elephants from Maesa Elephant Camp have become World recorders with their self-drawn Paintings!!!

Aiming to spread the value of the skills & artistic works of the Thai elephants to the world, Maesa Elephant Camp decided to nominate their elephants’ Painting to be recorded by the Guinness World Records.

A Painting entitled “Cold Wind, Swirling Mist, Charming Lanna” was created by a group of 8 Elephant Artists on Dec 13, 2004, at a Painting reheasal for the Guinness World Records shooting that took place on 19 Feb, 2005.

Ripley’s Believe It Or Not (Thailand) awarded its coveted Prize to Maesa Elephant Camp for this 2.40 metres wide & 12 metres long Painting as ” “The Largest Painting by A Group of Elephants“. The 8 Elephant Artists spent 6 hours creating the Painting which combines 8 Panels each created by the 8 elephants. Only non-toxic acrylic paint is used & the 8 elephants took a short break of 15-20 min every hour to have a rest for some food & water.

On Feb 19, 2005 – the 8 Elephant Artists spent another 6 hours skillfully creating a modern impressionist Painting of 2.40 metres wide & 12 metres Long, to depict the gorgeous natural scenery of Northern Thailand. And this Painting entitled “Cold Wind, Swirling Mist, Charming Lanna I” was recorded by the Guinness World Records as “The Most Expensive Painting by A Group of Elephants“.

The Painting consists of 2 connecting canvas Panels & the 1st Panel was bought by Ms Panit Warin (Sinanta), a Thai born businesswoman who lives in California, for 1.5 million bahts. The Painting has since been donated to the Thai Government to be kept as a National Tresaure, & the 2nd Panel is on display at Maesa Elephant Camp Gallery.

Well, below is the reverse side of the Maesa Elephant Show Ticket : 

Oops!! The next Elephant Showtime is at 1.30pm, which is about now!! So we’ve to hurry hurry!!

Entering Maesa Elephant Camp now :

Maesa Elephant Camp flanks a rushing river in a beautiful lush tropical Valley a mere 20 minutes scenic drive from downtown Chiang Mai.

And once inside the Camp, we see a most beautiful rushing river (or Maesa Stream) in which some elephants are bathing & playing :

What a lovely scene as I quickly stop to snap some photos :

Heheh it’s my very first time seeing elephants bathing in real life & I’m so excited as I watch the beautiful fun playful them!!

It’s so so cool & I can go on watching these loving elephants without getting tired if only I’ve got the time!!!

Here’s the Maesa Elephant Camp display sign & above the steps on its right is where we’re heading now for our Elephant Show :

We’re now at the top of the hill :

And HEY see the many elephants all preparing & getting ready for the elephant show :

We’re now seated at the high wooden benches, among a huge crowd of audience, right infront of the elephant showground - me holding Sugar Canes & Bananas which we’ll be needing to feed the elephants later!

These Sugar Canes & Bananas, including tons of Grasses that are used to feed the elephants, are all self-grown in Maesa Elephant Camp to ensure the wellbeing & nourishments of the elephants.

The Elephant Show’s about to start now - I’m really excited about watching my 2nd Elephant Show in Chiang Mai as I’d loved my very 1st Elephant Show in Maetemann Elephant Camp last Dec!

Here comes the Elephant Parade to welcome guests :

Two big elephants carrying a ”WELCOME TO MAESA ELEPHANT CAMP” wooden Tag hung from a long thin iron rod over their trunks, followed by more big & small elephants behind :

Haha, these young elephants are dancing for us – how wonderful!!!

And the below elephants are demonstrating how they sleep at nights, lying on their sides :

The elephants continue parading around the showground with some dancing & some playing Hula Hoops – so cute so cute!!

The elephants love to show off their skills & like humans, they understand the meaning of applause & they love it when we clap & cheer loudly &  they know how to appreciate it by bowing before us as a form of saying “Thank You“!! And they’re so happy & having so much fun!!

Thai people have long had a place in their hearts for elephants. Whether they worked together to log timber, travel across harsh terrain or lead troops into battles, Thai people have had a close relationship with elephants for centuries.

And Kachasart is a branch of study dedicated solely to elephants, & this local wisdom has been passed down from generation to generation on how to teach Manhouts (or Elephant Keepers) to train elephants, how to build life-long relationship & communicate with the elephants, & how to care for them. At the same time, the elephants are trained to get acquainted with human beings. 

This art of elephant training requires much endurance & time, and an intimate & considerable relationship between each elephant & its Mahout. And Maesa Elephant Camp has done very well in this area cos the elephants are all very well-behaved & so smart!!

The elephants are now swinging their trunks in circles :

And here below shows the elephants removing the Hats from the heads of their Mahouts. And the mischievous elephants are enjoying themselves as they play with their Mahouts trying to trick them into believing they wana help them put on the Hats initially, but never so till after having enough fun - making us all laugh so much!!

And now’s the most fun sports of the elephants as they engage in an Elephant Football match :

An elephant Football goal keeper guards fiercely behind a goal pole as the above elephant Football player tries to kick in the ball – hehheh it’s so exciting as we watch on………..

Here’s another strong kick by the elephant Football player which finally gets into the Goal pole!! Hooray Hooray!!!

And now it’s time for the talented elephants to showcase their artistic skills – The Elephant Painting Show!

I’m now presenting to you a Video of a Talented elephant working on a Painting taken by myself here at Maesa Elephant Camp :

When the young calves in Maesa Elephant Nursery reach 2 years old, they’ll be seperated from their mothers & live with a Mahout, & be trained on learning commands & performing skills such as Painting.

The 1st step for the young elephants is to learn to hold the brush in their trunks. And the next step is for the mahouts to train the elephants to put paint onto paper, & they successfully paint dots, lines, abstract & realistic drawings eventually!!

Below is a photo of the same elephant artist (whom I took the earlier Video) continuing on his Painting, & I’m wondering what exactly he is painting…….

More elephant Artists showing off their talented skills in abstract or realistic paintings :

Oh I see, the elephant (same one whom I took Video) is actually painting a Tree, & it’s so beautiful – how amazing!!

And the same elephant Artist is now almost finishing his Painting here :

After several minutes, the Painting is finally completed :

And the Mahout proudly shows the lovely Tree Painting to the cheering crowd :

Below shows the elephant about to pick up & carry his Painting Set with his trunk :

And all the Paintings done by the elephant Artists during this Elephant Painting Show will be showcased for sales in Measa Elephant Camp.

Well, following is the interesting Dart Game Show by the elephants where a member of the audience is asked to compete with the elephant in throwing Darts at Balloons placed in a distance : 

The Dart Game Show goes on for a while & the winner is guess who?!

The talented elephant of course!!! Cos they’re so well-trained & talented!!

The most challenging skill demonstrated in the Elephant Show is the following Logging & Lumber Dragging Show where huge elephants drag long lumber logs in iron chains to the centre of the showground & then piling them up one by one :

Here’s a real cool Video of the Logging & Lumber Dragging Show taken by me )

We’ve now come to the end of our Elephant Show & Mom’s feeding Sugar Canes & Bananas to the 1st elephant :

And it’s photography & touching the elephants time – hmm I can still remember the time when my hubby Dear & I were each sitting on the elephant’s’trunk & being raised high up by the enormously strong “Jumbos” last Dec in Maetemann Elephant Camp!! That was real fun & exciting!!

But cos the crowd is huge & we’ve more plans for our later afternoon, we’ve to make a quick move out of Maesa Elephant Camp now.

But of course being a Wold Souvenirs Lover, I can’t help but have a quick stop at the Camp’s Souvenir Shop to have a glance!! And I’m really glad to have found the following stuffs for Dear & myself :

Bright Yellow Maesa Elephant Camp Souvenir T-shirt for Dear :

Dear & I both have this same design but in Red color Maetemann Elephant Camp T-shirts & we do get pretty many stares from strangers when we’re wearing them haha!!

My Maesa Elephant Camp Souvenirs :

My most beautiful Maesa Elephant Camp Souvenir Plate – love this so much cos it reminds me constantly of my first exciting sight of the elephants bathing & playing in the Maesa Stream upon my arrival at Maesa Elephant Camp before our Elephant Show :

Wooden Handpainted Maesa Elephant Camp Key Ring :

My cutie sweetie with prettie flowery prints & a huge hand threaded Handmade Elephant Soft-Toy : 

Maesa Elephant Camp Souvenir Shopping Bag :

We’ve now left Maesa Elephant Camp’s Souvenir Shop & walking on the Bridge over the rushing Maesa Stream where the Elephants were playing & bathing earlier :

We then pass by the below Maesa Elephant Camp Poster showing the Elephant Show Times & the Guinness World Records set by the Camp’s Elephant Artists, before the Entry & Exit of the Camp :

Here are another 2 Posters showing the Elephant Art Olympic Paintings by the Elephant Artists of Maesa Elephant Camp expressing Thailand’s love for the 2008 Beijing Olympics :

And inclusive in these Elephant Art Olympic Paintings is a stunning Painting of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Torch Lights, with 2 Chinese Characters “Her Ping” meaning “Peace“ :

And documented in these above Posters is the Special Event of June 2008 when Maesa Elephant Camp, in cooperation with the City of Chiang Mai Government, Tourism Authority of Thailand, & Thai Foreign Ministry, presented to the City of Beijing the Paintings depicting different aspects of the 2008 Beijing Olympics painted by the Elephant Artists from Maesa Elephant Camp.

These Paintings were subsequently put on public display in Beijing for all visitors to the 2008 Beijing Olympics to see!! Just like a Panda is a National Mascot of China, so is the Elephant to Thailand, & both symbolize Auspiciousness & Good Luck. And such an Elephant Painting Exhibition is a Gift of Friendship from the Thai people & the Elephants themselves, to Beijing.

The followings are some of the Paintings done by Maesa Elephant Camp’s Elephant Artists which are put on display in Beijing :

Now, 2 of the Elephant Art Olympic Paintings (shown below) done by 11-year-old male Elephant Artist Kong Kam have also been put up for acquisition & auction, starting at a bid of US$888, cos 8 is a Lucky No in China, which is why the 2008 Beijing Olympics started on 8/8/08.

Here below is one of the 2 very rare special edition Paintings depicting Olympic Boxing by Elephant Artist Kong Kam  :

And the 2nd Painting by Elephant Artist Kong Kam depicts the Olympic Running Events : 

What truely amazing talented & skillful elephants whom we’ve just visited in Maesa Elephant Camp!! We enjoyed the most interesting Elephant Show tremendously & are we most happiest that we’re here today!!

And here we are outside Maesa Elephant Camp as we bid Farewell to this beautiful place bringing with us much sweet memories of the most intelligent & fun-loving “Jumbos” of Thailand!

Yes, we love you so much!!