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 Dusit
Zoo
Located in Central Bangkok between Chitlada
Palace where the king lives and the Ananda
Samakhom Throne Hall, the
Dusit Zoo is a good place to be for families out
for a weekend trip or children visiting. Tourists flock
the place too when they want to get away from the hustle
and bustle of the city. Known as the only Zoo in
Bangkok, the Dusit Zoo is a show piece of various
animals that are rare and not too often seen in the
western world. Apart from other animal parks or wild
life safaris, this zoo truly keeps up to its legendary
fame of being Bangkok’s biggest animal showpiece.
Attractions
The Dusit Zoo has at present
more than 2,000 animals
from both Thailand as well as species from all around
the world. It is spread over 47 acres including 12 acres
of lake area. The zoo has proved to be source of family
entertainment to the Thai families as well as tourists.
You can expect to see elephants, hippos, tigers,
giraffes, zebra, monkey, bear and many more such
varieties of local as well as exotic species. Children
are sure to love the motley collection of kangaroos,
penguins, zebras, monkey, etc. There are also animal
shows and animal feeding sessions in which you can
participate.
One of the highlights and beauty of the zoo is the
huge lake located within the zoo
itself. Visitors can hire paddleboats in the lake
and have a boating experience here. The lake has fish,
alligators and turtles, which will provide you company
while you do your bit of boating! There are many
facilities within the zoo which lead to tourist
recreation. A special train takes people around the zoo,
by which they can reach different parts of the place.
The tram ride has an interesting ticket system - one
gets down at the same colored station as the color of
your ticket. Besides the animals, the grounds have
adequate playing area for children with small and fun
rides. Other recreations include food stalls, elephant
rides and animal feeding shows.
History of the Dusit Zoo of Bangkok
Known to the Thais as 'Khao Din', the Dusit
Zoo is Thailand's first zoo. The property on which
it is built was once the private botanical garden of
King Rama V. Later, King Rama VII donated the park to
the Bangkok Municipal Authorities so that it could be
used as a zoo and public park. The zoo first opened in
1954 and has a collection of animals comprising over
300 mammals, 800 birds, and 200
reptiles, including relatively
rare indigenous species.
At the last count the zoo has housed some 1,600 animals
since the last 60 years. With a total area covering
188,800 square meters, Dusit Zoo is self
sufficient for the animals. It has an animal hospital, a
zoo museum as well as an educational centre.
Important Information
The Dusit Zoo is open every weekday from 8am to 6
in the evening. It is in fact the color, the animals and
all the fun in store that proves to be a major draw in
the form of the Dusit Zoo. The entry rate is 30 Baht per
adult, and 5 Baht per child. You could either consult a
map to move around the zoo or take a tram which will
give you a tour within the zoo.
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