Bangkok Snake Farm Review

The Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute andnot seem to be anywhere else in the Snake
Snake Farm is on the Rama IV road, not farFarm.
from the Sala Daeng BTS Skytrain Station inThe Anacondas also had a cage which is now also
Bangkok. It is quite easy to reach by Skytrain orempty. In fact, all the snakes in the peripheral
taxi.enclosures were gone, and the enclosures were
This trip to the Snake Farm was my third, andempty. I was disappointed because, other than
the show has got less enjoyable each time I havethe King Cobra, those two types of snakes were
gone. The first issue are the prices whichthe best to look at by far.
increased in January, 2010. Foreigners pay THBOn a previous visit the King Cobra, which comes
200 for adults, while Thais pay only 40 THB forout very early in the show, had plenty of life and
adults each. It seems extraordinary to me toaggression. I was awed by the snake's anger and
have to pay five times a local's price. It is athe look in its eyes. This time it acted as though it
massive difference, but other people might havehad been wacked on the head because it could
different views on this subject.barely stand up and open its hood.
Double pricing is alive and well in ThailandFor first time visitors there was a mild thrill when
elsewhere too. Later in the same day we went toone of the snake handlers put a venomous snake
a temple called Wat Arun. Thais get in free whileclose to his head. But he really was in no danger
foreigners have to pay THB 50. At both placesbecause he was holding the snake further down
the price for Thais was not advertised or writtenits body. The smallish snake could not have
anywhere. I only found out because I had to payreached the handler, even with all its strength.
for all the Thais who went with us for the day.There was another snake with a bit of life, but
And, it was a very expensive day!overall there were not many snakes shown to
The Snake Farm has changed significantly since Iour group.
first visited it about two years ago. The snakesThe announcer spoke English reasonably well, and
had more life in them before, and they didn't actwas amusing. They also put on a slide show in a
as if they were on sleep medication. There is adifferent building which was included with the
big new area in the centre of the outsideentry fee. Unfortunately, we got there too late to
auditorium. This area has cages and open airsee it. We also didn't see any snakes have their
enclosures. The enclosures and area in general arevenom extracted. This act is promoted on a sign
all new and of a high quality. But the snakes area the Snake Farm.
just curled up sleeping on pieces of wood, lying inThere are exhibits inside one building at the Snake
pots, or in the water.Farm. The biggest exhibit is of snakes preserved
The highlight of my previous trips was seeing thein large jars. Another exhibit has a few snake
Black Mambas and numerous white mice in theskeletons on show. The most interesting exhibit
same big enclosure which was the size of a smallfor me was the Python model, in which the
house. The speed of those snakes was incrediblesnake's body had been opened up to show the
and they weren't even moving over open ground.arrangement of the internal organs within the
Every time a Black Mamba passed a whitesnake. Fascinating!
mouse, you held your breath and hoped the littleThe exhibit area is professionally built, and there
mouse was not bitten or eaten.are lots of pictures and text in both Thai and
The Black Mamba cage is still there, but the BlackEnglish. This is the best part of the Snake Farm.
Mambas, and the little white mice are gone and do