Sometime I ask foreigners this question when I first met them. Aren't you guys the one who want to experience elephant first hand but without the need of hiking for 30 kilometers or more into deep forest? There are few national parks that you can hike and experience the real elephants in their natural in habitat. But why most people choose not to do it? Because they are lazy and they know that the cost vs benefit of hiking that deep in the forest is not worth the price that they need to pay (equipments, risk of encounter preditors, etc). Although, I am not supporting both Pattaya and Southern elephant camps in an shape or form since those places are treating these animals with cruelty and unethical way. A good example would be, I have seen poor elephants being taken away from their home to beg for money at the Pattaya beach on regular basis (almost everyday Jomtien beach). But what can you ask more from Chiang Mai Elephant sanctuary? Are you willing to pitch in money for them to buy a forest land? They are not profit driven company that have large stack of cash to do whatever they want. While, I do believe that Thai government needs to looking into tighten the regulations on these places. You can say that there is literallly no difference between zoo and the sanctuary. Lately, I have seen many people complain about the sanctuary in Chiang Mai. All you did is complaining more and more. If there is no elephant tourism, there will never been these places in first place. The elephant tourism started booming just a few years back and it's not the local who want to experience them, it's most likely foreigners with those stupid looking elephant pants.