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Blue Elephant Thailand Tours

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Blue Elephant Thailand Tours - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024) - Tripadvisor

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Not a quality tour, misleading and not... - Blue Elephant Thailand Tours

• Asia    
• Thailand    
• Chiang Mai Province    
• Chiang Mai    
• Chiang Mai - Things to Do    
• Blue Elephant Thailand Tours

Such a fun experience, had an amazing time with our fun guides. The lunch included was also really... read more

Our guide was Mr. Bob and he was fabulous. We had a great time exploring, rafting, zip lining... read more

Not a quality tour, misleading and not ethical either - not worth it and was disappointing

Disappointing and misleading. I was told by the owner that the elephant sanctuary was highly ethical and they provide quality tours. We were told to check out photos on Trip Advisor and that they had high ratings. We opted in to this tour and it was not of quality or ethical and not worth the money. We did the 1 day tour with hiking to the waterfall. We basically just fed the elephants, went on a small hike with elephants in the forest and bathed them in a waterfall. On the tour, it says we should learn about the elephants, their story, about the sanctuary and how to care for them and we were not given any of this info. I even later on asked the guide individually and he told me he didn't know how the elephants got to the sanctuary and that he doesn't really do these tours but used to just be a tour guide in the city and sometimes he is called in by the owner to give these elephant tours since he spoke English and doesn't actually work there with the elephants. So the quality of the tour was lacking since we didn’t learn anything about elephants or about the sanctuary, whereas our other friends went on another tour (another sanctuary) and they explained everything and it was more educational. There were a few elephant handlers that went on the hike with us and one of them was drinking a lot of beer, got drunk and was being rough and pushy to the elephants and would yell and push them if they were slow and didn't want to walk. He also threw a beer bottle into the forest... that is just not acceptable. We were told that the tour had great reviews on Trip Advisor and there were all these very appealing photos of the tour and the owner said there is a beautiful treehouse we get to go to for lunch with amazing appealing food and we basically just went up a shack in the forest (with a floor and roof basically), full of spiders and we didn’t get the food that’s as shown on the photos on trip advisor...This is false and misleading. Basically nothing was like in the photos or in the detailed description on the website... We were also told the elephants don’t get to go out to the jungle to be free when there aren’t tourists - they only do the walk for tourists... and most of the time, they are confined to a small area in the farm (sanctuary was more like a farm) with barbed wires which isn’t ethical and the elephants don't get any freedom. The experience spending time with the elephants were nice, but it just seems like they were forced to do these tricks for us for photos and it didn't feel like genuine interaction. So comparing our experience with this tour vs the experience of our friends who did another tour with another sanctuary, the other one sounded more legit (Into The Wild) and better so do your research before booking a tour.

Good morning everyone, greeting from Chiang Mai, Thailand. For correct understanding about these 2 visitors. ABOUT The price. They go back and forth several times of asking a discount rate, leaving the time and WhatsApp back again and again to check the prices with several elephant sanctuaries in Chiang Mai and end up with a decision going with us at around almost 11:00 pm ( almost midnight time ), go with us without a discount rate for our All Day Elephant Sanctuary Tour Chiang Mai at Blue Tao Elephant Village, Large Waterfall Trail on July 2nd, 2023. ABOUT The guide. They did not blame themselves for being late because of went into toilet several times on the way. The guide was being so kind and wait and walked one on one talking about elephants on a slow pace, because he understood that the clients get somthing wrong with the stomach ache or food issue. He did not realise that these clients would turn to be a Venomous snake like today with a negative review. ABOUT The treehouse. They misunderstood about the treehouses. In this program - All Day Elephant Sanctuary Tour Chiang Mai at Blue Tao Elephant Village, Large Waterfall Trail We will have lunch ( picnic lunch, easy to pack and easy to carry in the wild ) on a jungle treehouse overlooking the S Frame Waterfall. ( We served fried rice, fried chicken, omelette and boiled tomato with salt ). In our experience with 11 years in business, clients were happy with our food in the jungle. Further more after the end of our trekking, once we arrival back at the main base camp, we also served clients with foot spa and we served french fried with seasonal fresh fruits. Therefore we service you guys like the king and queen, plenty of foods and really small group tour. They wanted to have lunch in the Treehouse Good View Chiang Mai. We showed online clearly 24 hours, which tour is private and luxury tour, which one is the join in group day tour. We show clearly even the prices for each tour online, what's included and deep into a small details such as suggestion of please bring your own a pair of socks to ware them with our mud boots. Every Full Day Private tour we included a Romantic lunch on our Treetop Escape in Treehouse Good View Chiang Mai, the price is between 5,500 - 6,000 THB per person. ( Comined outdoor activities with elephants waterfall hikes ). The one that these clients took was the join in group day tour ( elephants only ). called " All Day Elephant Sanctuary Tour Chiang Mai at Blue Tao Elephant Village, Large Waterfall Trail " this tour costs at 2,500 THB per person. By the way. We will keep working hard of taking care of our elephants, help save the jobs for several hilltribe families to get away from drugs in the mountain. Keep clean forest as we used to do. If some clients are not happy with our work, we do apologize and will improve our work better and better in the future. Thank you so much everyone for your undestand and kind support.

We really enjoyed our day out to visit the elephants. Toto looked after us very well - he picked us up (driving was very good) and gave us lots of information about Thailand and the elephants. We felt the elephants were very well cared for. They did do a few “tricks” to get some memorable photos but when we walked through the jungle the elephants were given time and space to do what they wanted. If they wanted to stop and eat we all paused until they were happy to move on. Beautiful views for lunch (tasty food) and then lots of fun in the water washing the elephants which they really seemed to enjoy. Thank you for such a lovely day! We would recommend this day out!

Greetings from Chiang Mai, Thailand. We are really glad to hear that you have had a great time with our tour guide and team staff and yes of course, the elephants. Thank you so much for your kind support and hope to see you again in the return trip.

Blue Elephant provided an amazing experince to see the elephants and interact with them for more than a few photos. We did everything from making elephant medicine, to feeding them, to getting elephant kisses, to walking with them through the forrest, and even a bath in the riverbed. We all loved our experience. Mr. Simon, our guide, was very knowledgeable and taught us about the elephants in all off thailand and the specific ones we met (like how two of them were sisters!). The half day experience was perfect, and very convenient with transport to and from hostels and lunch! HIGHLY RECOMMEND

Thank you so much for your valuable time leaving a wonderful comment here. Highly appreciated for your valuable visit and kind support, hope to see you guys again next year.

It was my second time here! The absolute best elephant sanctuary tour you can do! The elephants are really happy and you can see it! You go to waterfalls, prepare food for the elephants, get kissed by the elephants, get hugged by them, and go bathing really close with the elephants. Its an awesome memorable experience. Additionally the guide is superb with good English language skills, nice insights and after the tour you will eat a very good lunch. They pick-up you at hotel and drop-off at the hotel. The best tour and friendliest service I ever got. You also go in really small groups (we were 4 people, while we saw other sanctuaries with 20)

Thank you so much for your wonderful comment and amazing support to our local hilltribe people and the elephants. Hope to see your family again next year.

The Elephante perience at Blue Tao was really unique because I got to bath with the elephants at the fall and to walk with them in the forest and watch them feed themselves from the nearby vegetation as well as watch them scratch their back against the trees. It was a very privileged experience as I paid for a solo private tour. My guide Ms Paeng was lovely and helpful and willing to tell me all I wanted to know. The lunch food was yummy!!!! Are there things that could be improved on this experience, yes there are however that did not jeopardise my whole experience and I am more than happy that I have chosen BLUE TAO VILLAGE experience.!

Thank you so much for your valuable visit and kind support. Hope to see you again next year.

We did a private tour to the elephant sanctuary. It was an excellent experience and our tour guide (BOB) was great (super attentive and would answer all our questions)! would definitely recommend Blue Elephant.. The experience with the elephants was great and fun and we had local food too which was delicious!

Thank you so much for your valuable visit, leaved your wonderful comment here and kind support. We are really glad to hear that you have had a magical time with our team and the elephants. Hope to see you again next year.

Full Day Blue Daily Elephant Care Sanctuary, Waterfall Hiking and Doi Inthanon View

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Activities:

Blue Daily Elephant Care

• Full Day 3 Experiences Chiang Mai Elephant Bamboo Rafting Waterfall
• Full Day Elephant Tour Chiang Mai and Doi Inthanon View
• Half Day Morning Elephant Tour Chiang Mai Blue Daily Elephant Care
• Half Day Afternoon Elephant Tour Chiang Mai Blue Daily Elephant Care
• Rafting Chiang Mai and Elephant Tour, Waterfall, Treehouse
• Doi Suthep and Doi Inthanon Elephant Tour, Treehouse
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• Blue Daily Office Chiang Mai Thailand

Blue Daily Elephant Care Sanctuary

Theatre Packages

Moulin rouge vip packages.

To make your visit to the Piccadilly Theatre extra special, choose from our range of theatre packages available in our new and exclusive Ambassador Lounge. Whether you’d like a gift package for a special occasion or you just feel like treating yourself, our VIP lounge is certain to add a touch of sparkle to your theatre trip. With a limited number of spaces available you wouldn’t want to miss out! You can book your Ambassador Lounge experience via our theatre packages page

Blue Elephant Package

Please note that Blue Elephant Package includes your seat ticket and needs to be booked during checkout for the show. Blue Elephant Package starts from £140 and includes Ambassador Lounge entry, drinks reception with Veuve Clicquot Champagne, premium alcoholic and soft options, cheese board, ice cream, house programme. Book your Blue Elephant package tickets here

Red Windmill Package

Includes entry to the Ambassador Lounge, ½ bottle premium wine, luxury cheeseboard, ice cream, and a programme (Cheeseboard contains Milk, Gluten, Barley, Wheat and Sulphates. Allergen information available from your host). Also includes complimentary access to private cloakroom and toilet

Champagne Package

Includes entry to the Ambassador Lounge, glass of Veuve Clicquot, nibbles, ice cream as well as complimentary access to private cloakroom and toilet. Entry to the lounge is available 90 minutes prior to the show start time

Blue Elephant Thailand Tours

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Similar Experiences

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.

BLUE ELEPHANT THAILAND TOURS (Chiang Mai) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

APRIL SALE:   Discover and book at   up to 60% off!

Thailand Elephant Tours

Elephant adventures in Thailand often take place at conservation reserves near Chiang Mai , where elephants frequently live after they are rescued from harmful environments. Trips often include traveling around the region like you would on a safari, learning about different varieties of elephants and exploring the surrounding terrain. 

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7 elephant tour packages in thailand with 13 reviews.

• Kayak & Canoe
• Christmas & New Year

One Week in Thailand: Kayaking and Hilltribes (3 destinations)

• Coach / Bus
• Sightseeing

Treasures of Thailand

• €150 deposit on some dates Some departure dates offer you the chance to book this tour with a lower deposit.

• In-depth Cultural

Chiang Mai & Elephant Conservation 3D/2N

The tour was overall really well planned and itinerary worked out really well. Accommodation - Lana Palace Hotel was a decent place. Since another group requested my room I ended up getting an upgrade which was nice but also disappointing. The rooms shower head was broken and had a murky smell. 2star hotel that claims to be a 4star Meals - The included meals and the Elephant Conservatory and Morning tour was amazing. I loved the experience of watching alms giving, eating local porridge, and just emmersing in the culture of Chiang Mai. Would highly recommend the tour if you don't mind where you are staying!

• 10% deposit on some dates Some departure dates offer you the chance to book this tour with a lower deposit.

Independent Highlights of Cambodia & Thailand

• Intl. Flights Included

Jungle Book Siam

• Flights included

Chiang Mai & Elephant Experience

Once again the Intrepid guides were fantastic. Knowledgeable, helpful and friendly - experts in what they're there to do! However, I was disappointed with the package tour. It was a 3 day tour, but all up, guides assisted for a total of maybe a day and a half. Much of the time was spent self-exploring, which I don't mind, but to pay an amount for 3days seemed a bit extreme. The accommodation was lovely, perfect in fact, even though they were unaware of any of my tour details. I had to do a lot of extra research to ensure I was getting the most out of my time in Chiang Mai, with no suggestions of places to visit or how to get there from Intrepid. Love Intrepid, but could've done this one on my own.

Western Thailand Highlights with Elephants Care

Our group of nine (teenage children and adults) spent about 5 days with Noom touring Thailand - we loved every single minute of our trip and give credit to Noom for being the perfect guide. He was knowledgeable, professional, polite, and a lot of fun to be around! He made our trip SO EASY! We never worried about anything, literally. He knew everything there was to know about all of the places we visited, he took us to delicious restaurants, he paid great attention to details so every experience we had was very special, he made sure we were always safe, and he went over and above to make all of our tours and experiences the very best! Noom helped make what would have been a nice trip an absolutely fabulous trip, and we would recommend him and his tour company, to anyone!

Regions in Thailand

• Chiang Mai (5)

Travel Styles

• Thailand Travel Guide | All You Need to Know
• Two-Week / 14 Days Thailand Itineraries 2024/2025
• Best 10 Days Thailand Itineraries 2024/2025 (with Reviews)

🐘 The 5 Best Phuket Elephant Tours [2024 Reviews]

The enchanting realm of Phuket may be known for its lush rainforests and turquoise blue waters, but it also boasts a bustling nightlife, rich heritage, and interesting experiences like going to an elephant sanctuary.

Elephants are some of the most majestic creatures in the world, yet it’s rare to have the opportunity to witness them so close up in a way that supports ethical and sustainable practices.

I had the opportunity to go on some elephant tours while there, and I recommend it to any of my friends or family who are in the area. I’ve decided to come up with a guide to the 5 top Phuket elephant tours available, so let’s jump right in!

Best Elephant Tours in Phuket

Quick answer: the 5 best phuket elephant tours for 2024.

• A Morning with the Elephants at Phuket Elephant Sanctuary
• Phuket: Elephant Sanctuary Small Group Tour
• Phuket Elephant Sanctuary Canopy Walkway Tour
• Full-Day Phuket Elephant Sanctuary Tour with Lunch and Dinner
• An Afternoon with the Elephants at Phuket Elephant Sanctuary

Best Phuket Elephant Tour Reviews

1. a morning with the elephants at phuket elephant sanctuary.

• Duration: 3.5 hours
• Departure: 100, Moo 2,, Paklok, Thalang
• Departure Time: 9:30 AM
• Includes:  Lunch, Welcome Snacks, Coffee, Fruits, Juices & Filtered Water, Boots, Socks, Umbrellas, Rain Coats, Mosquito Spray, Bottled water, Air-conditioned vehicle

I can’t think of a better way to spend a morning in Phuket than learning about these gentle giants in a place that really focuses on their health and happiness.

A Morning with the Elephants at Phuket Sanctuary  is a comprehensive experience that was equally as educational as it was fun! If it’s your first time in the city, I can’t recommend this experience enough!

This tour, like every other on this guide, comes with a convenient hotel pickup so you don’t have to worry about booking separate transportation or figuring out how to get to a specific meetup point.

As you can probably deduce from the title, this tour starts off in the morning so you’ll have the rest of the day to explore and partake in any other activities you have planned!

Upon arrival at the Tree Top Sanctuary, we were welcomed with a tasty snack and provided with boots, socks, raincoats, mosquito spray, and umbrellas (it can get pretty wet out in the jungle).

We were given a briefing of what to expect, watching a video to give us a bit of background knowledge on the sanctuary’s efforts before heading out to see the beautiful animals.

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We got to meet many different elephants while the employees fed them bananas, pineapples, and cucumbers. They even let us feed them under supervision, which was so much fun and made me realize just how sweet elephants really are!

I enjoyed learning about why it’s so important to have these conservation efforts, as elephants around the world are in danger (mostly due to human behavior).

After spending a couple of hours out there, we fueled up on a tasty vegetarian Thai meal! Overall, it was a fantastic way to spend a morning learning about an important cause while enjoying the natural beauty and food of Thailand!

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience, 2. phuket: elephant sanctuary small group tour.

• Duration: 4.5 hours
• Departure:  Hotel pickup and drop-off included
• Departure Time: 7:30 AM & 11:30 AM
• Includes: Elephant Care Class, elephant walk, Air-conditioned vehicle, Coffee and/or Tea, Lunch, Cooking Class

This next tour is a blast, and super convenient as you’ll start early in the morning and be back in time for lunch at your hotel!

The Phuket: Elephant Sanctuary Small Group Tour  is not only a fun adventure, it’s also an educational experience that will show you all about how elephants behave and why sanctuaries as so important. If you’re traveling with the entire family, this is one of the best options, in my opinion.

The fact that they pick you right up from your hotel is a big plus, as the sanctuary isn’t really that accessible otherwise.

I noticed right away that our guide was serious about bringing us a wonderful experience, answering any questions we had, and sharing interesting stories and anecdotes along the way.

The vehicle we traveled in was very comfortable, with padded seating, air conditioning, and large windows to view the beautiful scenery as we cruised along.

I was already enamored by the time we got to the Lake Phuket Elephant Nursery, where we were able to watch these stunning animals as they eat and bathe in their natural surroundings.

We fed them bananas and sugar cane, which I was admittedly a bit nervous about at first, but their sweet personalities soon disarmed me. Our guide told us all about each one, their backgrounds, how they came to arrive at the sanctuary, their personalities, and more!

The stroll through the forest with the elephants was as intriguing as it was breathtaking, and I felt I learned quite a lot about their behavior on the outing.

We then headed back to enjoy a delicious Thai lunch complete with fresh fruit while chatting about everything we just saw. It was such a fun time, while learning about the importance of these ethical environments, and of course, falling even more in love with these gentle creatures.

3. Phuket Elephant Sanctuary Canopy Walkway Tour

• Duration: 1.5 hours
• Departure Time: 9:00, 9:30 PM, 2:00, 2:30 PM
• Includes:  Umbrellas, Raincoats, Mosquito Spray, Signature Iced Soda & Unlimited Snack Bar, Free PES souvenir, Bottled water

This next tour takes you right into the heart of Thailand’s thick, green jungles for the chance to connect with some of the most majestic animals on earth.

The experience is led by professional guides and conservationists who know just about everything there is to know about the sanctuary and surrounding environment.

The Phuket Elephant Sanctuary Canopy Walkway Tour  celebrates the intelligence of elephants while promoting their well-being and protection.

I, like probably most people, have seen elephants before at zoos and settings where they’re more controlled.

However, I’d never had the chance to see them roam freely in a forest sanctuary, where I was able to see them in their element: foraging, bathing, eating, and interacting with each other, naturally.

I naively didn’t know much about the challenges elephants have to deal with, as well as responsible tourism, but I’m so grateful I now have a better idea.

Everything about this tour was convenient, from the hotel pickup and drop-off to the included umbrellas, raincoats, mosquito spray, and unlimited snacks and soft drinks.

They even offered us free PES souvenirs, which was the perfect addition to an already amazing tour. In addition, there are a ton of different start times available so you can choose which works best into your itinerary!

The sweet elephants are so beautiful and I was happy to be able to help feed them while our guide told us some interesting facts, including how they’re the largest land mammal on the planet!

The park history itself was also fascinating, and we got to watch a short documentary at the beginning of the tour that helped us understand even more about elephants. Overall, this was a great day that I’d recommend to anyone, of any age or interest.

4. Full-Day Phuket Elephant Sanctuary Tour with Lunch and Dinner

• Duration: 7.5 hours
• Includes:  Boots, socks, umbrellas, raincoats, mosquito spray, snacks, coffee, fruits, juices & filtered Water, air-conditioned vehicle, bottled water, free PES T-Shirt, vegetarian Thai lunch & dinner

This is by far, the most comprehensive, “full-fledged” elephant sanctuary tour of its kind in Phuket. You’ll get to learn all about elephants, conservation efforts, the sanctuary, and enjoy a delicious lunch  and  dinner.

The Full-Day Phuket Elephant Sanctuary Tour with Lunch and Dinner  is fun for anyone who’d like to get a better idea of how important Thailand’s natural environment and conservation efforts are to its wildlife.

I will say, be prepared to have your heartstrings tugged at, as part of learning is also watching the informative video at the beginning about what so many elephants go through on planet Earth.

These are such incredibly sweet, gentle animals, and I got a glimpse into how intelligent and noble they are, watching them roam freely around the stunning sanctuary grounds.

Our guide did a fantastic job, teaching us all about these special creatures, through the clear passion and love she has for them. My personal favorite part of the day was fixing the food for the elephants and hand-feeding them right up close!

I learned about how the sanctuary takes care of injured and mistreated elephants, which made me feel a bit bittersweet.

I also enjoyed walking up on the elevated walkways throughout the forest canopy and the walk through the trees, which offered incredible views!

Throughout the day, we enjoyed complimentary soft drinks, but we were even served a delicious lunch and dinner. Both were more traditionally Thai dishes, though I’m a huge fan of the local cuisine and was happy to revel in the diverse flavors in such a beautiful location.

I’d recommend this tour to families, solo travelers, couples, and anyone who has a passion for animals.

5. An Afternoon with the Elephants at Phuket Elephant Sanctuary

• Departure:  Hotel pickup and drop-off included
• Departure Time: 1:30 PM
• Includes:  Dinner

How do you feel about going on a tour that National Geographic, Lonely Planet, and The Guardian have all endorsed?

Well, you can now with An Afternoon with the Elephants at Phuket Elephant Sanctuary ! Covering over 30 acres of tropical rainforest, we got the chance to see firsthand how these old and injured elephants lived happily with top-notch treatment from the staff.

This is one of the tours that only has one start time and it’s at 1:30 pm, so it’s perfect if you have plans in the morning or at night and want something to fill your afternoon with.

Of course, this isn’t a “filler” tour where you’re just checking off boxes – rather, it’s an educational, immersive experience that will likely make you see elephants differently.

This, like most others on this guide, do include a convenient hotel pickup so you don’t have to deal with booking separate transportation.

The guides did a fantastic job at letting us be “a part” of the experience by feeding the elephants and learning all about them, without intruding upon them or putting them into potentially stressful situations.

After all, this sanctuary is there to keep the animals happy and healthy while supporting their mission of compassionate and ethical elephant tourism. Oh, and do yourself a favor and make sure you visit the little cafe in the back, which is delicious!

After we learned all about the gentle giants, we took a break to enjoy a delicious buffet dinner filled with all kinds of traditional Thai dishes – most of which, I’d never had before.

It seems crazy to say, but it was actually the best dinner I’d had that week, and I’d already visited a lot of yummy restaurants. If you’re looking for a different activity or simply a good alternative to going to dinner at a traditional restaurant, this is the top option!

Tour Guides

The A Morning with the Elephants at Phuket Elephant Sanctuary is our Editors Choice for the best Phuket elephant tour

Krysha Thayer

Related articles, the 5 best taj majal tours from new delhi [2024 reviews], the 5 best halong bay cruises [2024 reviews], ▷ the 5 best hanoi city tours [2024 reviews], ▷ the 5 best mekong delta & cu chi tunnels tours [2024 reviews].

Blue Elephant Thailand Tours

• Half Day Morning Elephant Tour Chiang Mai Sanctuary at Blue Tao
• Half Day Afternoon Elephant Tour Chiang Mai Sanctuary at Blue Tao
• Full Day Visit Elephant Tour Chiang Mai at Blue Tao Elephant Village
• Sticky Waterfall and Elephant Tour, Rafting Chiang Mai, Treehouse
• Elephant and Bamboo Rafting Chiang Mai, Doi Inthanon, Treehouse
• Doi Inthanon Mae Ya Waterfall Elephant Tour, Treehouse
• Long Neck Karen Chiang Mai, Elephant, Rafting, Treehouse
• Zipline Chiang Mai Elephants, Bamboo Rafting, Treehouse
• ATV Chiang Mai Elephant Tour, Treehouse, Bamboo Rafting
• 2-3 Day Overnight Chiang Mai Treehouse Good View, Elephants
• Office Blue Elephant Chiang Mai