Plai Suraphan
Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) at
Nong Nooch Tropical Gardens in Thailand

Suraphan lives together with 95 other elephants at the Nong Nooch Tropical Gardens: (detailed list)

1. 1. ♂ Plai Bai Lan born 2025-02-06
2. 2. ♀ Bai Toey born 2002?
3. 3. ♂ Baicha born 2021-07-07
4. 4. ♂ Plai Bird born 1976
5. 5. ♂ Plai Boonmak born 2023-08-18
6. 6. ♀ Pang Boonrod
7. 7. ♂ Plai Bua Jay born 2022-09-29
8. 8. ♂ Plai Bua Khao born 2020-01-31
9. 9. ♀ Busarakham
10. 10. ♂ Plai Chai born 2023-04-09
11. 11. ♀ Pang Chompu
12. 12. ♀ Christmas born 2003?
13. 13. ♀ Clear Sky born 2016
14. 14. ♂ Plai Daorung born 2023-02-10
15. 15. ♀ Pang Dorami
16. 16. ♀ Pang Duen Pen
17. 17. ♀ Pang Jenni born 1980
18. 18. ♀ Jing Jo born 1985
19. 19. ♀ Kai-Nui
20. 20. ♀ Kaimuk born 2020-05-13
21. 21. ♂ Plai Kanun born 2024-08-09
22. 22. ♂ Plai Mai Muang born 2001
23. 23. ♀ Pang Manoch born 2022-09-03
24. 24. ♀ Pang Meesa born 2024-04-30
25. 25. ♂ Plai Mithun born 2024-06-01
26. 26. ♀ Morakot
27. 27. ♂ Plai Muk born 2003
28. 28. ⚪ Mukda born 2014
29. 29. ♂ Nam Phu born 2019-11-02
30. 30. ♂ Plai Nammon born 2017-05-21
31. 31. ♀ Phang Napthong born 2017-04-10
32. 32. ♂ Plai Ning Nong born 1995?
33. 33. ♀ Pang Nong June born 2024-06-01
34. 34. ♀ Nong Mae
35. 35. ♀ Pang Nong Porn born 1997
36. 36. ♀ Nong Ying born 2017-08-10
37. 37. ♀ Nongnong born 1993
38. 38. ♀ Pang Noppamas born 2023-11-07
39. 39. ♂ Plai Ong-Ard born 2024-06-08
40. 40. ♀ Opal born 2020-10-19
41. 41. ♀ Orn born 2017-08-09
42. 42. ♂ Paetai born 2018
43. 43. ♀ Pailin born 2001
44. 44. ♂ Pempoon born 2021-05-00
45. 45. ♀ Phang Sombat born 1993
46. 46. ♂ Philin Helụuxngire born 2018-01-02
47. 47. ♀ Pang Ploy born 2001
48. 48. ♀ Porn Tip
49. 49. ♂ Pornchai born 2010-02-14
50. 50. ♀ Pang Saengdao born 2003
51. 51. ♂ Plai Santisuk born 2011-12-09
52. 52. ♂ Plai Sao-har born 2003-04-05
53. 53. ♀ Pang Sapparot born 2024-05-18
54. 54. ♀ Sarai born 2000?
55. 55. ♀ Pang Songkran
56. 56. ♀ Sopha born 2020-04-01
57. 57. ♀ Susara Kam born 1995
58. 58. ♀ Thongkam
59. 59. ♀ Thongkoon
60. 60. ♀ Pang Took Jai born 2016-11-08
61. 61. ♀ Pang Troot-Jeen born 2001-01-26
62. 62. ♀ Tubtim born 2011
63. 63. ♀ Pang Ubol born 1976
64. 64. ⚪ unknown born 2014-03-13
65. 65. ⚪ unknown born 2020
66. 66. ♀ unknown born 2004-03-00
67. 67. ♂ unknown born 2003-05-10
68. 68. ♀ unknown born 2009-09-04
69. 69. ⚪ unknown born 2019
70. 70. ⚪ unknown born 2020
71. 71. ⚪ unknown born 2018
72. 72. ⚪ unknown born 2017
73. 73. ⚪ unknown born 2019
74. 74. ⚪ unknown born 2017
75. 75. ♂ unknown born 2022-10-00
76. 76. ⚪ unknown born 2017
77. 77. ⚪ unknown born 2019
78. 78. ⚪ unknown born 2018
79. 79. ♂ unknown born 2023-12-00
80. 80. ♀ unknown born 2021-06-00?
81. 81. ⚪ unknown born 2017-09-27
82. 82. ⚪ unknown born 2012-02-24
83. 83. ⚪ unknown born 2019
84. 84. ⚪ unknown born 2018
85. 85. ⚪ unknown born 2014-03-13
86. 86. ⚪ unknown born 2017
87. 87. ♂ Unnamed born 2012-05-01
88. 88. ♀ Unnamed born 2025-03-21
89. 89. ♂ Unnamed born 2014-01-06
90. 90. ♂ Unnamed born 2025-03-17
91. 91. ♀ Wanpheng (วันเพ็ญ) born 1990
92. 92. ♀ Wanvisa born 2010-05-28
93. 93. ♀ Pang Wara Pim born 2022-09-03
94. 94. ♀ Pang Wassana
95. 95. ♀ Pang Yok born 2003

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 Suraphan was born captive-born as birth number 117 2024-12-01 at Nong Nooch Tropical Gardens.

Siblings through the father Ning Nong:

1. 2014-01-06(M) Unnamed
2. 2014-03-13() unknown
3. 2020-10-19(F) Opal
4. 2022-01-18 -- † 2022-09-26 (M) Diamond
5. 2023-02-10(M) Daorung
6. 2023-04-09(M) Chai
7. 2023-08-18(M) Boonmak
8. 2023-11-07(F) Noppamas
9. 2025-03-17(M) Unnamed
10. 2025-03-21(F) Unnamed

Pedigree

2024-12-09: Nong Nooch Pattaya celebrated the birth of “Plai Suraphan,” a healthy male elephant born to mother Pang Saengdao at 3:00 AM on December 1. The newborn displays the exceptional “banana leaf spine” feature, making him a prime candidate for future breeding. A traditional blessing ceremony was held featuring dancers, a parade of 30 elephants, and rituals for prosperity, including garland offerings and symbolic blessings.

Plai Suraphan is the 27th offspring of the renowned 27-year-old bull elephant, Plai Ning Nong, and the 7th calf born at Nong Nooch in 2024.

References

Sources used for this article is among others:

• https://www.pattayamail.com/news/a-special-moment-at-nong-nooch-pattaya-as-baby-elephant-plai-suraphan-joins-the-herd-483081
  
• https://www.nongnoochpattaya.com/zh/article/977

Recommended Litterature:

Relevant links

Internal relevant links

• More elephants from: Nong Nooch Tropical Gardens
• More elephants from: Thailand
• More elephants that was born: 2024-12-01
• All breeding cows
• All breeding bulls
• The elephant database startpage. Statistics
• List of all captive born elephants in the database

External relevant links (Opens in new window)

Search more on the web for Plai Suraphan

(The name Suraphan is already submitted into the link, just click on the link for relevant results)

• elephant-news.com
• Asianelephant.net
• Billboard
• Buckles Blog
• circushistory.org
• Elephant_Commentator
• Elefanten-Fotolexikon.eu
• elefanten.wikia
• Google Internet search
• Google Books
• ShowMe Elephants
• ZooChat
• ZooChat