I want to see elephants on my travells but dont no where to go. I dont want to see them dressed up and used like a circus, I want to see them wild and being looked after, possibly an orpahange. I dont know where to go?? I was looking at a Kuoni brochure and saw chiang Mai and Rai and these looked to be the only options? I was thinking of doing bangkok then a couple of Islands and if i could go see them on a beach destination then brillliant however if it is better to go to Northern Thailand then it would be worth 2/3 nights out of my schedule! Any advice please?

Actually, there're a couple of elephant camps in the northern part of Thailand ie. Chiang Mai, Lampang. But there are also some camps in the central part of Thailand ie. Kanchanaburi (Not sure). You should check on the net for an elephant camp on your travel route. But I don't know much about elephant camp in the central or other parts of Thailand.

If you ask me if it's worth going to Chiang Mai and other northern province, I would say that's base on your time visiting Thailand. For example, in a couple of week there will be Sonkran Festival and Chiang Mai is one of the biggest hot spot for this festival. If you come to Thiland in the last 3-4 month of the year, the travel will be great-the weather's not too hot.

If you love shopping exotic things, there's a lot.

Anyway, this time of the year is summer and it's may be not a perfect idea to travel in northern part of the country.

When elephants run wild they invade village farms, eat the crops. Villagers get mad and poison them! Sometimes it is better for the elephants to be in a controlled environment. Elephants get hit by trains, buses and heavy trucks when running wild.

Even endangered tigers will be killed if they eat too many villagers!

So, seeing elephants living on their own in the wild won't be as easy as finding them in elephant camps or protected areas.

Surin has an elephant round up every year.
Surin Elephant Roundup - Thailand Travel Information

You may not want to go to places where elephants are controlled by human beings but the alternative is for humans to kill rampaging or foraging elephants. Tourist money goes to support elephant camps, pay employees, pay for medical care, etc.

Nong Nooch is not that far from Bangkok, close to Pattaya.
Nong Nooch Tropical Garden - Pattaya, Thailand

You can bathe elephants in the Chiang Mai area.
Become an Elephant Mahout for a Day - Learn how to bathe, feed and command your own elephant

Elephant Nature Park and rehabilitation camp.
Elephant Nature Park - About Us

Up to you if you think this is too cruel to these animals or not. Keep in mind that when a villager has his crops destroyed or eaten by wild elephants he will probably kill the elephants first! His family's survival or the elephants survival!