Thread: Khao Kheow Zoo

Khao Kheow Zoo is about a 40KM drive from Pattaya and is in Sri Racha, it is well sign posted both from Pattaya and Bangkok so you can't miss it.

There are 2 zoos in Sri Racha, this one the Khao Kheow Open Zoo and The Tiger Zoo, also there is a butterfly farm, the Tiger Zoo is quite expensive on their entrance fee though, Khao Kheow I think is 50baht per person and 50baht for the car so really does make for a cheap day out.

Looking through the forum the last time I went to Khao Kheow Zoo was in 2006, you can see that thread here. Khao Kheow Zoo (Khao Kheow Open Zoo/Sri Racha).

So about the zoo, it is big, ie covers a large area, it seems to have a lot less animals nowadays, also many of the housing areas for the animals are now empty and falling apart, some look like they have been that way for a couple or more years, basically it looks like things are going down hill for the zoo, they do a night safari but can't imagine that is very popular, the flight of the gibbons thing seems to have caught on all over Thailand, but are there enough interested tourists to support all of them?

Khao Kheow Zoo is still worth spending the day at though, enough animals and stuff to keep most people happy, the animals they do have all seem well fed and well looked after, the cages or housing areas all seem large enough and pretty good for them, all in all a good day out was had by all.

The zoo puts on several shows during the day with different animals so you have to try and time your driving correctly if your driving yourself so you don't miss them, think there is a cat show, a bird show, maybe some others, we missed them

As you drive into the zoo there are lots of shops and restaurants on either side of the road, also plenty of car parking further up the road, you can drive your own car or bike round the zoo, rent a golf cart to tour the zoo, or they have these things that will take you round the zoo free of charge.



With Khao meaning mountain and kheow meaning green you will find lots of mountains covered in greenery, so it is quite scenic in places, this lake is near the big cats cages.



During the week which is when we went the place was empty of tourists, Thai or Farang, not sure why as the entrance fee is a bargain for anybody, probably one of the cheapest tourist attractions on the Eastern Seaboard, Thai National Parks cost more to enter, anyway due to lack of customers most of the food and drink kiosks were closed, even this pizza kiosk, really can't imagine a good pizza coming from a zoo in Sri Racha, you never know though



Time to see the elephants, you can buy food for them and feed them, bananas were 20baht per bunch, probably would need a few hundred bunches to kill the hunger pains for an elephant though, could also buy sugar cane for them.



The elephants looked quite happy, only 3 were begging for food, the rest were off doing whatever elephants normally do when they are not being fed bananas by tourists.

The elephant on the left looks like he could do with going in the water with all that dirt and straw on his head and back, suppose it's to help keep him cool.



For some reason this deer was in the cage with the elephants, the elephants ignored him but he really didn't seem to happy with the idea of living with the elephants, probably had his foot trod on before by one of the big buggers, anyway he can't peel bananas, so peel them before you throw him any, he didn't seem to mind that they got covered in dirt.



Next it was time to visit he sheep, it is quite easy to get into their enclosure if you wanted to, but my mate says the Welsh sheep are a lot sexier than these things, got to admit I didn't realsie they were even sheep till I read the information board for them.



Hot or Not?



Now this zoo has good toilets, and unlike Thailands main airport it has loads of them, on the plus side they look pretty smart also.

The entrance, concrete made to look like wood.



The urinals, on the left that again is concrete made to look like the end cuts off of a tree trunk.



And the sinks, all quite nice actually.



235 Moo 7 T.Bangphra Sriracha, Chonburi, 20110
Tel :+66 (0)-3829-8270