Plai Thong Bai
Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) at
Surin elephant study center (Ban Ta Klang Elephant Village) in Thailand

Biography

♂ Plai Thong Bai
Thongbai and Mr Lun Salangam. *SURINSTUDY

Alternative name:	Thongbai

Identification

Local id Number	3

Description
Species:	Asian elephant (Elephas maximus)
Sex and age:	Male ♂ 57 years old
Dentition
Incisives	tusker
Management:	Free contact
Origin
Born:	* 1969 captive-born
Birth place:	in Ban Ta Klang elephant village

Parents:	♂ Noi x ♀ Bua Ngoen
Locations - owners
Present / last location:	Surin elephant study center (Ban Ta Klang Elephant Village), in Thailand

Date of arrival

	Surin elephant study center (Ban Ta Klang Elephant Village) from Ban Ta Klang elephant village

Record history
History of updates	2011-11-30: mother, birthplace, picture 2011-12-01: father, text 2018-05-04: dentition 2018-06-13: alt spelling name

Latest document update	2024-03-07 17:58:45
Google map

Biography

Plai Thong Bai is a living Male ♂ Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) , located at the Surin elephant study center (Ban Ta Klang Elephant Village), in Thailand.

Thong Bai arrived to the Surin elephant study center (Ban Ta Klang Elephant Village) unknown date, relocated from the Ban Ta Klang elephant village, in Thailand.

Social

Thong Bai lives together with 51 other elephants at the Surin elephant study center (Ban Ta Klang Elephant Village): (detailed list)

1. ♀ Anda born 2014
2. ♀ Pang Anna born 1987
3. ♂ Plai Boon rod born 1976
4. ♂ Plai Boon thum born 1996
5. ♂ Plai Bua Barn born 1981
6. ♂ Plai Bua Barn II born 1993
7. ♀ Pang Bua Kham born 1985
8. ♂ Plai Bua Thong (พลายบัวทอง)
9. ♀ Pang Chanthip born 1972
10. ♂ Plai Chokchai born 1997
11. ♂ Plai Dung Dee born 1985
12. ♀ Pang Eleaw (พังอีแหล๋ว)
13. ♀ Euang Luang born 1993
14. ♀ Pang Kamli Thong born 1996
15. ♀ Pang Kanda (พังกานดา)
16. ♂ Plai Kham Kaew (พลายคำแก้ว) born 1981
17. ♂ Plai Kham lan (พลายคำล้าน)
18. ♂ Plai Kham Mun (พลายคำมูล)
19. ♀ Pang Kham Saen born 1975
20. ♀ Pang Kham Saw (พังคำสาว) born 2003
21. ♂ Plai Kham Sean (พลายคำแสน)
22. ♂ Plai Khen (พลายเคน)
23. ♂ Plai Kwai Meung (พลายขวัญเมือง)
24. ♀ Pang Lanna (พังล้านนา) born 1997
25. ♀ Pang Na Sa (พังนาซ่า) born 2001
26. ♂ Plai Ngen (พลายเงิน)
27. ♀ Pang Mae Noal
28. ♀ Pang Nong Da (พังน้องดา)
29. ♂ Plai Nong Tak (พังน้องตั๊ก) born 1983
30. ♀ Nung Ning (หนุงหนิง) born 2007
31. ♀ Pạng khan ja na (พังกาญจนา) born 1989
32. ♂ Plai Ra chan (พลายราชันย์)
33. ♂ Ran Koon born 2010-10-31
34. ♀ Pang Sa det (พังเสด็จ) born 2008
35. ♀ Pang Saen Luang (พังแสนหลวง)
36. ♀ Pang Saen Suk (พลายแสนสุข) born 1998
37. ♀ Pang Saeng Daew (พังแสงดาว)
38. ♀ Pang Sai Fa born 1998
39. ♂ Plai Sakbi (สักใบ) born 1981
40. ♂ Plai Sampao Thong (พลายสำเภาทอง)
41. ♂ Plai Sanam Chai (พลายสนามไชย) born 1996
42. ♀ Pang Sombourn
43. ♂ Plai Sompon (พลายสมพร)
44. ♀ Sri Suda (พังศรีสุดา) born 1996
45. ♂ Plai Thong Daeng (พลายทองแดง) born 1994
46. ♂ Plai Thong Dee (พลายทองดี) born 1977
47. ♀ Pang Thong Khun (พังทองคูณ)
48. ♀ Pang Tongbai (พังทองใบ) born 1998
49. ♂ Seador Tumjai born 1974
50. ⚪ Unnamed born 2023-02-14
51. ♀ Pang Wassana (พังวาสนา)

Affiliated people

1: Lun Salangam (owner )

1: Suchet Salangam (mahout to 2019 )

Origin

Plai is a prefix name, orginally a Mon word, meaning youthful male or a strong man, today used in Thailand for male elephants with tusks.

Plai Thong Bai was born captive-born 1969 at Ban Ta Klang elephant village.

Parentage

Parents of Plai Thong Bai are: ♂ Noi (father) and ♀ Bua Ngoen (mother).

Siblings through the father Noi:

1974(M) Tumjai
1998(F) Pancake (???????)

Siblings through the mother Bua Ngoen:

(F) noname
(M) noname
>1972?(F) Chand Pen
>1975?(F) Thong Muan
>1978?(M) Rambo

Pedigree

**Thong Bais ancestral Pedigree:**
P	I	II	III
Thong Bai	Sire (f): Noi Born: 2026-03	Sire ff: Born: 2026-03	Sire fff:
		Sire ff: Born: 2026-03	Dame ffm:
		Dame fm: Born: 2026-03	Sire fmf:
		Dame fm: Born: 2026-03	Dame fmm:
	Dame m: Bua Ngoen Born: 2026-03	Sire mf: Born: 2026-03	Sire mff:
		Sire mf: Born: 2026-03	Dame mfm:
		Dame mm: Born: 2026-03	Sire mmf:
		Dame mm: Born: 2026-03	Dame mmm:

Comments / pictures

The third calf was Plai Thong Bai. His father was Plai Noi (deceased).

Thongbai is one of Ban Ta Klangs most famous elephants, often leading processions, and he also was chosen by Chang Beer for their advertisment pictures.

Records about Thong Bai from Surin elephant study center, Ban Ta Klang, Surin, Thailand
Thong Bai in Surin elephant study center (Ban Ta Klang Elephant Village)

Thong Bai in Surin elephant study center (Ban Ta Klang Elephant Village)

Reference list

References

Koehl, Dan, (2026). Plai Thong Bai, Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) located at Surin elephant study center (Ban Ta Klang Elephant Village) in Thailand. Elephant Encyclopedia, available online retrieved 12 March 2026 at https://www.elephant.se/database2.php?elephant_id=6912. (archived at the Wayback machine)