Khao Kheow Open Zoo – a large zoo near Pattaya

In the suburbs of Pattaya there are several places with different animals: sheep, elephants, crocodiles, snakes and some others. But usually these are either narrowly themed places with one type of animal, or small collections of animals – not enough to be called zoos.

Khao Kheow Open Zoo is a large and diverse zoo with animals and birds from different continents.

Khao Kheow Open Zoo is located between Pattaya and Bangkok. The distance from Pattaya is about 50 km.

At the time of writing, Khao Kheow Open Zoo has not yet fully recovered from the effects of 2020-2021. There are many animals, but it is obvious that some animals are missing. Animals that eat meat were especially hard hit. For example, the part of the zoo dedicated to cats (Tiger valley) was completely empty at the time of our visit…

I also didn’t see camels, horses, kangaroos, or pandas. I don’t remember the hippos, but my wife says that they were sitting in the water and only the tops of their backs were visible.

The building with the butterflies was closed.

The turtles held out best – they tolerate long interruptions in food well.

How much are tickets to Khao Kheow Open Zoo?

Khao Kheow Open Zoo ticket prices are as follows:

Adult Thai – 150 baht
Thai child (no taller than 135 cm) – 30 baht
Civil servant (upon presentation of ID) – 70 baht
Thais over 60 years old and disabled – free
Adult foreigner – 250 baht
Foreign child – 100 baht
Motorcycle – 40 baht
Car – 80 baht
Bus – 100 baht

How to get to Khao Kheow Open Zoo

I drew a route along which I was traveling.

I didn't like driving on road number 3702 (on the map this is the section from C to D). This is an industrial area and there are a lot of large trucks there. There were almost no cars there. It was very uncomfortable to ride a motorcycle there. But this is a short distance – about 10 km. I didn’t find any other way to get to the zoo, since it is located next to several mountains and there is no way to get to it from the opposite side.

You can drive further along Sukhumvit towards Bangkok and approach the turn to the zoo on road 3701, but this will only lengthen the route without making it better – road 3701 (which runs parallel to 3702, but in the other direction) is also filled with trucks.

Then, when turning from road 3702 (after point E), I completely lost my way and got lost a little along country roads and even drove into some field. To make it easier for you, I have added points with junctions.

With all this, the journey is not long and for a one-day trip (from Pattaya or Bangkok), this place is ideal. Children especially have fun there.

Also note that the route from B to E is along the toll road number 7. If you are driving a car, you can use the toll road. But motorcycles are prohibited from driving on road number 7.

Khao Kheow Open Zoo Map

Below you can see a map of Khao Kheow Open Zoo.

It shows the main groups of animals.

The entrance is located next to parking P1. They also sell tickets there.

The place where you can rent a golf cart is marked as “Golf cart service”.

Toilets are also marked on the map.

The colors represent the following:

Green – animal demonstration zone ZONE 1
Red – animal demonstration area ZONE 2
Orange – service area (offices, shops, restaurants, parking lots)
Blue – reserve (breeding department, hospital)

Pay attention to the paths marked with dotted lines – these are paths for walking routes or bridges over ponds.

In general, the map is very sketchy and rather imprecise in terms of proportions and rotation angles – take this into account.

Also remember that not all places are marked on the map – look at the signs around you. For example, I still don’t understand what kind of place this is with a small waterfall:

Golf cart rental at Khao Kheow Open Zoo

To move around the zoo in comfort, you can rent a golf cart.

If you have never driven this type of transport, then see the article: How to drive a Golf Car: detailed step-by-step instructions and tips

The cost is as follows:

renting a 4-seater golf cart for 2 hours costs 500 baht, the next hour costs 200 baht. If you use the golf cart for less than an hour, the cost will be 350 baht and you will get 150 baht back.
renting a 6-seater golf cart for 2 hours costs 700 baht, the next hour costs 300 baht. If you use the golf cart for less than an hour, the cost will be 500 baht and you will get 200 baht back.

In addition to the rental fee, a security deposit, such as a driver's license, is required.

When renting a golf cart we were given a coupon for a discount on coffee – we really enjoyed the coffee.

Is it possible to drive your own vehicle to Khao Kheow Open Zoo?

Pay attention to the map – two zones are highlighted there. Both areas are accessible by golf cart.

And you can also move around zone 2 with your own transport (car or motorcycle).

Show schedule at Khao Kheow Open Zoo

Penguin Parade: 10.00, 14.00 – every day. And also at 15.30, but only on Saturday and Sunday, as well as on national weekends.
Elephant relaxation (elephants swim in a huge pool, spectators can watch from above or through the glass wall of the pool): 11.00 and 14.30 – every day. And also at 12.30, but only on Saturday and Sunday, as well as on national weekends.
Flying parade (birds): at 10.30 and 14.30 – every day.

Viewpoint Khao Kheow Open Zoo

In general, the nature there is very picturesque – there are mountains nearby.

As you move along the road you will see a sign and a viewpoint. The sign says Wat Satchatham Uthen Tawai and the world's largest Vishnukarma statue

Another spelling of the temple is Wat Sajjatham Uthen Thawai. In Thai: วัดสัจจธรรมอุเทนถวาย.

But I was unable to see either the temple or the statue – perhaps it was too cloudy or the trees were too tall.

I only saw what is shown in the photograph.

Animals and birds Khao Kheow Open Zoo

Monkey

Monkeys are represented in the zoo by several species.

Among them are Thai monkeys, which you could see in many other places in Thailand. They do not have their own enclosure, but live on their own.

These monkeys steal from golf carts and may snatch things from your hands – be careful.

Monkeys steal not only from people, but also from other animals.

Video of monkeys at Khao Kheow Open Zoo:

Another type of monkey meets tourists almost at the very entrance – spider monkeys.

Video of spider monkeys in Khao Kheow Open Zoo:

The Bornean orangutan lives 50-60 years. They eat fruits, leaves, plant shoots, tree bark, insects, and bird eggs. They give birth to one cub after a pregnancy lasting 235-270 days. They live in Bornean and Indonesia in low-mountain and hilly tropical rain forests.

Bornean Orangutan Video:

Another video of a Bornean orangutan:

Chimpanzees live 40-50 years. They eat seeds, fruits, leaves, tree bark, flowers, and insects. Pregnancy lasts almost 8 months, giving birth to 1 cub. They live in Africa, in tropical rain forests.

Chimpanzee video:

Rhinoceroses

Rhinoceroses, if you look closely at them, resemble creatures from another planet, or at least from another historical era.

Like many other herbivores, rhinoceroses can be fed.

Rhino video:

Rhino feeding video:

Pink flamingos

Pink flamingos make sounds similar to chicken sounds. Next to the flamingos there are smaller birds, completely different from flamingos and not pink in color – perhaps this is what pink flamingo chicks look like.

Video of pink flamingos:

Giraffes

Giraffes are gorgeous and cool!

I am very impressed by their way of life – they seem to be here, but at the same time they reach where other animals cannot reach.

Deer and gazelles

Deer and gazelles are present in different parts of the park. Some of them graze right next to the road.

Some are in separate enclosures. And you can see some ungulates next to other animals, for example, giraffes.

Video of a gazelle or antelope (or something else – I'm not very good at these animals):

Snakes and other reptiles

Snakes and various lizards are kept in aquariums in a separate building.

Reptiles never cease to amaze – they are very unusual and very different.

These animals are also from another era. At that time, it was not necessary to maintain a constant body temperature (reptiles are cold-blooded).

To me, reptiles remind me of amphibians (especially newts) with rough skin. In general, they have common features: reproduction by eggs (amphibians have caviar), cold-blooded, and the ability to regenerate some parts of the body.

Extinct dinosaurs are also reptiles.

If I understand correctly, these are color variants of one single type of snake.

In this photo you can see the snake's head, as well as the skin that the snake has shed. Snakes shed their entire skin – this is the norm for them. In terms of the level of unpleasantness, finding a snake skin in the grass near your home can only be rivaled by one thing – stumbling upon the snake itself.

Video of a reptile – an amazing creature, like a snake with legs:

Turtles

Turtles are also reptiles. But, you see, they are very different from lizards and snakes. Although if you look only at the head of a turtle, then after a while it begins to seem that it is the head of a snake.

You can find turtles in several places at Khao Kheow Open Zoo. Some aquatic turtles are found near snakes and lizards in aquariums.

I also saw some aquatic turtles in the open air.

As for land turtles, they have several open-air enclosures.

Crocodiles and alligators

Crocodiles are another representative of reptiles.

By the way, if you are a big fan of crocodiles, then there is a crocodile farm near Pattaya. There you can see crocodiles of all ages.

You can also compete with crocodiles on your reaction speed: there you can buy a piece of chicken, which is tied to a stick with a long rope. With this chicken you can tease the crocodiles until they bite it. Usually everything happens very quickly and at once.

Capybaras

Yes, these big funny hamsters are called capybaras. I haven't seen these animals before – maybe it's just an adult hamster))))

Capybara video:

Tapirs

But these animals are called tapirs. They have long, soft muzzles that look like small trunks.

When my wife saw them, she told me:

– Wow, they’re not too lazy to paint these animals.

I saw these animals for the first time in my life, but I immediately had doubts:

– Do you know that they are painted?

– Of course! Can’t you see for yourself – here they are black, and there they are white.

This argument did not convince me.

I somehow forgot about these animals, but my wife was already at home googling about them – it turned out that animals are like this from birth. She was very surprised – she was sure that they were painted by zoo employees…

Pay special attention to the impudent monkeys – they steal bananas from the tapirs' food. Tapirs are extremely friendly (or indifferent).

Bird Aviary

The aviary with birds is made in a very interesting way – it is a fenced part of the forest. In this case, one of the natural barriers is the mountain. This is a fairly large space, inside of which there are stairs in several tiers.

We are all accustomed to pigeons and some even dislike them, calling them “flying rats”. But pigeons are not only birds that we see every day and do not pay attention to them (and some also hate them). Some types of pigeons can be quite beautiful. The following photo shows two types of pigeons:

Nicobar Pigeon
Emerald Dove

No one would call such lovely creatures as flying rats.

And these white ones are called Pied Imperial Pigeon.

Here you can see other equally beautiful pigeons:

Spotted Dove
Victoria Crowned Pigeon
Green Imperial Pigeon

Overall beautiful and educational.

This structure amazes me from an engineering point of view.

And this is a peacock. Peacocks are famous for their huge and beautiful tail. But only males have a tail – they use it to impress females. Peacocks have a voice as nasty as they are beautiful.

Video of a male peacock showing off his luxurious tail.

Rams and goats

In addition to the photo, I have two videos of goats (or rams – I'm not sure):

Don't think that I'm a big fan of any kind of goats, it's just that during the rain we got stuck next to the territory of these animals.

In this video, rams fight – they hit each other with their horns. But only once. The rest of the time they try to unhook their horns and itch.

And looking at this video, I myself begin to itch. They seemed to be preparing for battle again – hitting their horns with a running start. But eventually everyone just started itching.

Elephants

Did you think I would forget about the elephants?

You can feed the elephants.

And elephants swim several times a day – the schedule is given above.

As you can see, elephants feel very comfortable in the water.

Just the other day, the Thai news reported that two elephants swam across the river and swam to Laos. The river there is not small at all – quite wide. And then two weeks later the elephants returned. Thais joke: your visa has expired?

It's hard to imagine, but elephants in Thailand are found as wild animals. And although they are Thailand's most beloved animal, elephants can cause quite a bit of damage to farmers' fields.

It's also not easy to imagine, but elephants live not only on the plains, but are also found in mountainous areas. For example, there are many elephants in Khao Yai National Park.

Hippos

I already mentioned that I didn't see any hippos. It turned out that they were in one of the videos. For example, if you are attentive enough, you will see the backs of hippos in the water.

Conclusion

Overall, even for adults, visiting Khao Kheow Open Zoo feels like an adventure. What does the new turn bring us, what animals await us?

The zoo is large and it is especially interesting to explore it at first.