Thai people have long had a place in their hearts for elephants. Whether they worked together to log timber, travel across harsh terrain or lead troops into battle, Thai people have had a close relationship with elephants for centuries. Kachasart is a branch of study dedicated solely to elephants, and this local wisdom has been passed down from generation to generation covering such facts as to how to teach mahouts to train elephants, how to build life-long relationships and communicate with elephants and how to care for them. The art of elephant training requires much endurance and time as well as an intimate and considerate relationship between each elephant and its mahout.

At Maesa Elephant Camp, all elephants are trained to get acquainted with human beings and especially their mahouts as a basic platform for other advanced training. During this period of three months, the mahouts will teach their elephants how to communicate with them, at the same time building an intimate relationship with them by such activities as bathing, jungle walks and other activities.

Following this introduction, a more advanced training programme is started where mahouts and elephants work together on mounting and dismounts, playing games and practicing various skill sets. Each training activity is taken at a different pace for each animal according to how they adjust to the challenge. It is important that the elephants enjoy their activities and are not overly exerted.

Through this training, each elephant's preference and skills emerge and in time each and every elephant at Maesa Elephant Camp is able to entertain, act or use their particular skill so that they enjoy their daily jobs and our visitors enjoy an array of skills which is often most unexpected to those unfamiliar with elephants. Similar to human being, elephants understand the meaning of applause and appreciate it. Give them a big clap after each show! Bravo!