Elephants & Kwan-changs
Tangthai & Ton
At age 12, Tangthai, whose name means musk melon, is one of the visitors’ favourite elephants here at the Park. She has a wonderful character and is very gentle with our visitors and particularly with children. She loves to be fed bananas, splash around in the pool and generally seek as much attention as possible! Ton, her young Kwan-chang is 19 and devoted to her care and they understand each other perfectly. Tangthai is a long-standing girlfriend of our powerful male elephant, Baramee - there is a great video clip of the two of them in the pool together - you can see it if you click on the tab Gallery/Video gallery.
Duong-Jai & Por
Duong-jai is wonderfully sociable with our visitors and loves to interact with them (her name means ‘Heart’ and she certainly has a big one). She is 37 years old and has a very healthy appetite and therefore takes care of most of the gardening in the Park. She is looked after by her devoted Kwan-chang Por, 28. As you can see here, he is quite a character! He loves taking photos of our visitors with his beautiful elephant and has earned the nickname ‘Look at me’!
Bai-ngern & Pai
Bai-ngern, a 13-year-old female, joined the Park in late 2016 and soon settled in as part of the family. She is best friends with Tangthai who is the same age. Her name (pronounced roughly ‘bai-nurn’) can be translated in several ways but we like ‘Silver Leaf’. Her Kwan-chang, Pai, is 24 years old and was working with elephants in Myanmar when he was personally chosen by Lek to be her Kwan-chang. Pai is always smiling when he is around Bai-Ngern, even when she is being a bit cheeky.
Choosri & Deng
Choosri has been with Lek for well over 35 years; they have a great bond and know each other inside out. Choosri is our eldest elephant at 49 years old and is one of the most contented and gentle elephants you will ever meet (her name even means ‘Goodness’). She is a stunning elephant and we’re so proud of her long standing position in our family. Her Kwan-Chang, Deng, is 42 years old and comes from Krabi. He loves working with Choosri due to her caring and lovable nature. Deng chose to train as a Kwan-Chang to maximise time spent working and bonding with his favourite animal
Baramee & Ti
Baramee is our handsome and mischievous 14-year-old young male well-named as ‘Great’ or ‘Strong’. He certainly has a great personality, if a bit laddish at times, so we don‘t allow our visitors to get too close to him. But you really cannot fail to admire him. Baramee is besotted with Tangthai – they are always trying to cosy up together . Baramee’s Kwan-chang, Ti, is 19 and still just a teenager. He grew up with Baramee so they have a mutual respect and understanding of each other.
Tong-Sri & Jak
In Thai, Tong-Sri‘s name means “Golden Lady.” Tong-Sri thoroughly enjoys her day job, loves meeting our visitors - and simply adores bath-time. She will walk into the water, flop onto her side, and wait to be pampered! Having been with her Kwan-chang, Jak (29), for about 5 years, Tong-Sri is now 37 years old, and a magnificent, very sure-footed and gentle lady of ’middle age‘. She seems to be living life to the full and she and Jak both know exactly how to put a smile on our guests’ faces. Jak says that he is in Heaven working at the Park - he so loves elephants and is totally passionate about them. He is also a very good photographer!
Ja Na & Taik
Ja Na joined Phang Nga Elephant Park in early 2018. Her name means ‘The Best’. She is 14 years old and the cousin of our lovely Bai-Ngern; since they are about the same age, the two teenage girls spend lots of time together. Ja Na loves the water, she splashes around and tends to lie down on the side waiting to be scrubbed. Her Kwan-chang Taik is 32 and hails from Myanmar. Taik has been training as a Kwan-chang under Lek’s watchful eye and is absolutely smitten with Ja Na. He is often seen giving Ja Na a hug simply because he loves her that much. Ja Na and Taik both have the sweetest temperament which makes them such a good pair and wonderful with guests.
Preuksa & F
Preuksa, whose name means Flora, is our newest arrival. She is absolutely gorgeous and is 24 years old. She comes from Umphang, which is Thailand’s most remote district, located in the depths of Tak province in the north of the country. She is settling in extremely well, loves her baths and all the attention, and she is also very friendly so is rapidly getting to know the other members of the herd. Her Kwan-chang is known as F. Preuksa and F have a special bond that has allowed them to connect quickly. F, who is P‘Lek’s son-in-law, has an energetic and playful personality, which is very similar to Preuksa!
Seanuan & Ohm
Ohm and Seanuan have now been at the park for two years. They make a great pair as both are laid-back, a little bit shy and very gentle. Seanuan, at 34 years old, is one of our biggest girls weighing about 3.75 tons. Her name translates as "Soft Lady" and she is truly one of our most beautiful girls. Seanuan is great with families and is always ready for a bath. Ohm is 30 years old and although he is a man of few words, he smiles a lot, is incredibly kind, and loves to answer questions about his gorgeous elephant.