Non Chai
Creator and leader of EFV
Non is the heart and soul of EFV and has been working professionally working with elephants since he was 15 years old. He truly understands them and has a bond with each of the elephants that is indescribable. It is through his guidance that our guests are able to connect with and better understand our elephant family.
Non has been trying to create a camp to protect his elephants and his culture since 2013 and has faced many types of backlash/betrayal along the way. Rather than type his life story here, we welcome you to come to EFV and hear from him first-hand!
Non’s charismatic charm brings a special energy to all tours- he is not a person you will soon forget
Niijan (“knee-jawn”)
On-site driver
Niijan is one of the gentle souls behind all the action at EFV and has been a steady backbone for many years already. He has been working with elephants since he was 11 years old, earning as little as 700THB/month at the time. Niijan truly loves the elephants at EFV and has a special connection with each one.
Uncle to everyone, he can seem a bit shy at first, but don’t let that fool you- once people start to get more comfortable on their tour, let the pranks begin!
Pawarisa
Full-time staff, bookkeeper
EFV is very lucky to have Pawarisa, Non’s youngest sister, assisting with camp activities, cooking, and cleaning. Without her, the camp’s finances would surely fall apart. She is also the creator of all of the elephant bracelets sold at EFV! You might find her to be quite shy, but she is truly one of the sweetest people you could ever meet.
Pawarisa is the first person in her family to ever go to university! She graduated from Chiang Mai Rajabhat University in 2019 with a degree in Tourism and Hospitality. With the experience she gains at EFV, she hopes to one day open her own café.
Sakcharn (“Sa-Cha”)
Full-time tour guide, local transportation, maintenance
Sakcharn only just started to learn English in May of 2022, but he has become our most social and outgoing tourguide! He is the youngest person in Nonchai, Chai, and Pawarisa’s family, with the personality to match.
Sakcharn was drafted into the Thai military for a 2 year service and is now happy to be back in the jungle working alongside his family. Sakcharn is also our main driver within the village and elephant camp, so you will see a lot of him if you book a full-day or overnight tour! He is a constant jokester and loves to make new friends- his latest goal is to get 1 million followers on Instagram
Chai-Lek
Driver, tour guide
Chai-Lek is one of Non’s younger brothers and is undoubtedly our goofiest tourguide and driver. Chai, like Non, began working with elephants in his teenage years and has worked with various tour groups as he got older. He is rather outgoing and is a perfect host to those under his care.
Though he might not admit it, he has a secret talent playing football/soccer and loves to play competitively when he is not in the role of the doting husband.
Janjira (“jawn-jee-ruh”)
Camp Manager
Janjira, wife of Chai-Lek, is EFV’s incredible manager! She single-handledy keeps the camp going on all fronts. She is very passionate and, like most EFV staff, an incredibly hard worker. Janjira is incredibly dedicated to her family and always works to support them to the fullest.
She and Pawarisa were in the same class at Chiang Mai Rajabhat University where she also graduated with a degree in Tourism and Hospitality in 2019.
Noodoh (“New-doh”)
Elephant Keeper
Both sides of Noodoh’s family have owned elephants for centuries so he grew up in close proximity with them. He has been professionally working with them since he was 16 and is incredibly dedicated to his own elephant, our bull “Golah Su”. Noodoh is the only person at EFV that Golah Su will listen or respond to, which can make Noodoh’s job quite challenging sometimes.
Noodoh is the type of person who can truly live off the land- it is not uncommon to find him foraging for, hunting, and cooking his own food out in the jungle
Pin (“Bean”)
Chef
Pin is the amazing lady behind all of the food at EFV! She is a mom to 2 boys who have seemingly infinite energy – you’ll meet them and her husband, P’Taw, on any overnight tours! Pin actually has her own road-side restaurant that is very popular with the villagers of NongTao. Pin is an incredible hostess with a kind heart and shy, yet goofy personality. She is an incredibly hard worker and we are so, so lucky to have her as part of our team!
Noodoh is the type of person who can truly live off the land- it is not uncommon to find him foraging for, hunting, and cooking his own food out in the jungle
Carmelle – left EFV 07/2024
Co-creator, Manager
Carmelle is a dual citizen of Canada/USA and partnered with Nonchai in early 2019 to create EFV. Her background is veterinary medicine and behaviour, so if you see a lot of dogs around the elephant camp, you can blame her and her alone!
Carmelle will do most of the website details, bookings, social media advertising, and evening portions of tours. She prefers to stay in the background for the most part, as not to “steal the spotlight” from the Karen people who have worked so hard to make this camp possible. If you ask her what her main role is, she will say that she is a “cultural bridge” for the Karen people- helping to explain the culture and help people understand their practices and way of life better.
Alexis
Web guy
Alexis (left on the picture) is a university teacher and a web designer in Bangkok. His students made our website so he updates it and fix the occasional bugs. He is handsmome, smart and funny and since he has admin access he can write pretty much what he wants on his bio.