Book Living Green or Big Boy in Chiang Mai
This is the booking comparison. Living Green and Big Boy are two independent no-riding sanctuaries. Use the table, then open a product. For a one-sentence distinction (valley vs Karen-run foothills), see Living Green or Big Boy?
Half-day adults start at ฿1,600 at either camp. ThaiEleHub is the booking hub for both. Chiang Mai deposits are 25% per guest. Last verified: 27 Aug 2026.
Side-by-side comparison
| Attribute | Living Green Chiang Mai | Big Boy Chiang Mai |
|---|---|---|
| Location | River valley, ~1.5 h from Chiang Mai city | Doi Inthanon foothills, ~1.5 h from Chiang Mai city |
| Operator | Independent Living Green team | Karen community-managed |
| Landscape | River-valley setting; forest walking, river time | Mountain foothills; forest habitat near Doi Inthanon National Park |
| Animal policy | No riding · No shows · No forced bathing · No forced contact | No riding · No shows · No forced bathing · No control-based interaction |
| Program formats | Half-day (morning / afternoon) · Full-day (Pad Thai cooking) · Full-day (bamboo rafting + cooking) · Full-day (Doi Inthanon combination) | Half-day (morning / afternoon) · Full-day (bamboo rafting + Pad Thai cooking) |
| Price range (adult) | ฿1,600 – ฿2,000 | ฿1,600 – ฿1,800 |
| Child variant | Available on some programs (age 4–8) | Confirm on individual program pages |
| Full-day depth | 3 different full-day combinations | 1 full-day combination |
| Deposit | 25% per person today · balance paid locally | 25% per person today · balance paid locally |
| Cancellation | Free up to 24 h before tour (minus 6.5% payment-channel cost); non-refundable inside 24 h | Free up to 24 h before tour (minus 6.5% payment-channel cost); non-refundable inside 24 h |
| Best for | Nature-focused travelers who want more choice between full-day combinations, families comfortable with a river setting, guests who value forest walking and river time | Nature-focused travelers, couples, families and Doi Inthanon route planners who prefer a quieter, no-control observation experience with a Karen community connection |
| Not best for | Travelers who want elephant riding, staged shows, or heavily choreographed interaction (available at neither) | Travelers who want elephant riding, staged shows, guaranteed bathing photos or high-contact entertainment (available at neither) |
| Booking hub | ThaiEleHub — profile page | ThaiEleHub — collection page |
Which should you choose?
Choose Living Green if …
- You want the widest selection of full-day combinations (cooking, bamboo rafting, Doi Inthanon)
- You prefer a river-valley setting and want to combine sanctuary time with river / cooking experiences
- You want a program that pairs naturally with a food-focused Chiang Mai itinerary
Choose Big Boy if …
- You want a quieter camp style, no-control interaction and Karen-community context
- You are already planning a Doi Inthanon day and want a sanctuary in the same foothill area
- You prefer forest observation over combined-activity itineraries
Either sanctuary works if …
- You want a strictly no-riding, no-show ethical day
- Your budget starts at ฿1,600 per adult for a half-day
- You need Chiang Mai hotel pickup and a same-day return by early evening
- You want an operator with a clear 25% deposit rule and 24-hour cancellation window
What is the same at both sanctuaries
Both sanctuaries operate on the same ethical baseline (no riding, no shows, no forced contact), use the same 25% per-person deposit, and offer the same 24-hour cancellation window. Both are approximately 1.5 hours from Chiang Mai city and both include hotel pickup. ThaiEleHub is the official booking and customer-support hub for both — the deposit flow, WhatsApp support, and free cancellation window are identical.
Bangkok or Pattaya visitors
If you are staying on the coast rather than in Chiang Mai, neither of these sanctuaries is a practical day trip. Instead, see the Living Green Chonburi profile for Bangkok-departure and Pattaya-departure half-day options.
Need Big Boy as its own one-paragraph fact sheet? What is Big Boy Elephant Sanctuary?
Book or ask
Book any program with a 25% per-person deposit on the individual product page, or WhatsApp the ThaiEleHub team for a same-day confirmation: +66 98 858 9666. Email: info@thaielehub.com.
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