I’ve visited quite a few zoos across Thailand over the years, but the Samut Prakan Crocodile Farm & Zoo had always been the one I intentionally skipped. It’s just half an hour from our house, yet its long-standing bad reputation kept us away. The place was said to be in decline even before Covid, and the pandemic apparently finished it off — the zoo was closed in 2020, went into liquidation in 2021.
Recently, though, I read online that it’s now under new management trying to bring it back to life. Seeing the constant criticism it still receives online, often using old photos from years ago, actually made me want to visit and see what’s really happening there.
First Impressions and Admission
We went on a Sunday morning, and the zoo was far from crowded. Entrance fees are 100 THB for adults and 50 THB for children, which feels too low considering the size of the place. There’s double pricing, foreigners are charged 400 THB, which seems steep — I didn’t see any other Westerners, just a Japanese couple who likely paid the same rate.
At first glance, parts of the zoo have clearly been renovated. The entrance area and Thai-style buildings look freshly maintained, but most of the grounds remain in bad shape. It’s a pity, because the zoo covers a vast area with an impressive variety of animals. With real investment, it could be a truly enjoyable family destination again.
A Zoo With Potential — and Challenges
Compared to our visit a few months ago to the Sri Ayutthaya Zoo, which was packed with Thai families, Samut Prakan feels almost abandoned. The difference isn’t public interest — Thai families do visit zoos — it’s management and funding. With proper maintenance and marketing, this place could easily draw large crowds again.
The zoo is famous for being the world’s largest crocodile farm, and that’s not an exaggeration. There are crocodiles everywhere. It fits naturally within Thailand’s context, as crocodiles are native here, though very few remain in the wild today.
The Siamese Crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis) is now critically endangered; I was lucky enough to spot one in the wild at Khao Yai National Park once, it could be seen resting on rocks near a river from a trail. The Saltwater Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) has also nearly disappeared from Thai nature.
Today, crocodiles are mostly found in farms — there are said to be hundreds of thousands across the country, and some reports claim that this zoo alone houses around 60,000. Founded in 1950, the Samut Prakan Crocodile Farm originally aimed to conserve species while also producing crocodile skins for the fashion industry, hoping to reduce poaching. Sadly, it didn’t prevent the near-extinction of wild populations, and outside of remote national parks, you’ll never encounter one in Thailand today.
Located in Tambon Tai Ban, Samut Prakan province, just south of Bangkok — about a 30–40-minute drive from the city center or 15 minutes from Ancient City (Muang Boran). It’s easily reached by car or taxi via Sukhumvit Road or the Kanchanaphisek Expressway, with parking available at the entrance.
The zoo is open daily from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, and the crocodile show usually takes place twice a day, around 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM. Admission costs 100 THB for Thai adults and 50 THB for children, while foreign visitors pay 400 THB for adults and 200 THB for children. Tickets are sold on-site only. Highlights include enormous crocodile enclosures and live shows, as well as elephants, tigers, lions, hippos, bears, chimpanzees, and an orangutan. Families can enjoy petting zones with goats, rabbits, and capybaras, a small sightseeing train that circles the outer areas of the zoo, and several feeding activities for goats, fish, and deer.
Inside the Park: Crocodiles, Big Animals, and Family Fun
The crocodile enclosures vary — some are large, natural-looking ponds, while others are smaller farm-like concrete block areas. There’s also a Crocodile Wrestling Show, where handlers perform daring acts by placing their hands (and sometimes heads) in the crocodiles’ mouths. It’s quite freightening but the trainers know what they’re doing, though a read a few years ago one of their trainers got his head and neck bitten, but recovered.
Beyond reptiles, the zoo is home to elephants, hippopotamuses, lions, tigers, Asiatic black bears, and several binturongs — large, black, bear-like civet relatives rarely seen in the wild. There are also quite a few chimpanzees, an orangutan, and a mix of birds and reptiles.
We took our time walking around, feeding some animals. The kids loved it — especially the goats and rabbits, which roam freely or stay in petting enclosures. They also got to touch capybaras, always a highlight for children.
We also took the small train that circles the zoo — and honestly, it feels like a miracle that it’s still running. It rattles slowly through the more distant sections of the park, giving a glimpse of just how large the place really is. Unfortunately, those outer areas are also the least maintained, overgrown and in clear need of attention. There’s a desperate need for gardeners and maintenance staff in general to bring the grounds back to life.
Condition and Animal Welfare
Many enclosures are visibly old and in need of maintenance, but the animals generally looked healthy and active. The chimpanzee section is clearly too small and should be an urgent priority for renovation. Overall, though, the animals didn’t seem neglected or mistreated.
The elephants particularly stood out — they looked great and were walking freely around the park, always accompanied by their mahout (personal caretaker). Only one was being used for short elephant rides, a huge female who seemed calm and well-treated. She was left to roam freely and even stopped to take a shower right in front of us, which was quite a moment to witness. She also had plenty of food available, a reassuring contrast to old reports from the Covid period that showed underfed elephants when the zoo was struggling to survive.
People will always debate the ethics of using animals for entertainment, but the crocodiles used in the shows actually appeared fine, and you can argue they will have a longer life there than in the farming sections.
Final Thoughts: A Place That Deserves a Second Chance
I’ve always enjoyed visiting zoos — I see them as both educational and a way to connect people with wildlife they might never otherwise see. The Samut Prakan Crocodile Farm & Zoo is clearly in transition: some progress has been made, but it’s far from the modern, clean, and well-funded attraction it could be.
It desperately needs serious investment, better management, and a new vision to rise again. The potential is there — the location is close to Bangkok, the grounds are spacious, and the animal variety is impressive.
That said, there are many far better zoos in Thailand today, and this one is unfortunately among the weakest of the large ones. The best example remains the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi Province, home of the famous dwarf hippo Moo Deng and one of the most well-managed and animal-friendly parks in the country. Safari World, north of Bangkok, also offers an excellent experience — especially the open safari zone where you can drive among more than a hundred giraffes. Further north, both the Chiang Mai Zoo and the Chiang Mai Night Safari stand out for their organization, care for animals, and the quality of their visitor experience.
I also can’t wait for the new public zoo that’s being built to replace the old Dusit Zoo that closed in 2018 — it will be located north of Bangkok in Pathum Thani, on a 300-rai plot and is expected to open its first phase in the coming years (2028 it seems).
With proper funding and attention, the Samut Prakan Crocodile Farm & Zoo could still find its place among these institutions. It has the heritage, the space, and the species diversity — it just needs a fresh start to truly be reborn from its ashes and become a great destination for families and animal lovers alike.
We had lunch just 10 minutes away next to the river. Above my favorite Thai spicy salad, Yam Tua Pu, in a great unknown local seafood restaurant in Samut Prakan near Pak Nam market. Right next to the Chao Praya, that at this point is just a few kilometers to the sea so brackish water and it’s in the middle of the port but still enjoyable.
A riverside seafood restaurant located next to the Pak Nam seafood market. The food is good and obviously very fresh. There’s plenty of parking on the side of the restaurant. Service was quite good too. we will be back next time we shop at the seafood market.
