Chang Puak Camp

Chang Puak Camp is a ride-and-show elephant camp in the Nam Noi area of Hat Yai, Songkhla — popular with visitors from Malaysia and the far south. Its activity packages centre on elephant rides and a performance show, with add-ons including a magic show, ATV trails and archery.

We don’t recommend elephant riding or performance camps, and this is one. Elephants at ride-and-show venues are broken to accept riders and perform through a training process built on early separation and fear, riding puts sustained strain on their spines, and a life of show routines is a poor substitute for the space and foraging a captive elephant needs.

If you want to spend time with elephants in Thailand, choose an observation-only, no-riding model instead. Our guide to ethical elephant sanctuaries in Thailand explains what separates a genuine sanctuary from a repackaged camp and lists vetted options; Elephant Nature Park near Chiang Mai is the best-known no-riding model in the country and now supports several partner projects elsewhere.

We keep this page so anyone searching for the camp finds an honest account rather than a sales pitch — not as an endorsement.