Like most reviews say, this zoo kinda sucks. I am not basing this on animal cruelty criterion or lack of species. The elephants and giraffes looked fairly well tended.
The place is just kind of run-down and odd, with a KFC and 7-11 in the middle of the park. It is unclear where to walk because there are cars parked everywhere. It was actually hard to see the animals.
I think we hit it on the wrong day — it appears to be graduation day from one or more universities in the area. Since the zoo is right next to many palaces where perhaps ceremonies were held, people were camped out inside the zoo with mats and food. At 8:30 a.m.
In some ways it was the right day because we got to do some people watching. It appears that extended family — many from outside Bangkok — gather to celebrate their graduate. It was nice to see suntanned farmers in their Sunday best waving and grabbing my kids’ hands. Jaded Bangkok natives hardly give us the time of day. That is ok too. But I’ve learned to love Thailand from North– where the people are crazy friendly — to South.
Sometimes a broad, missing-tooth smile and a laugh as we try to speak Thai makes me really happy.
