Sriracha Tiger Zoo (Pattaya)
The Sriracha Tiger Zoo has been a popular tourist attraction in Pattaya since it openend in 1997. It is home to over 400 Bengal Tigers, one of the largest collections in the world.
The zoo is also home to a wide variety of animals including a large population of crocodiles, elephants, pigs, camels, and many other animals you wouldn’t expect to see in Thailand.
The Pattaya Tiger Zoo is part zoo, part circus, and part amusement park. They offer a variety of shows and experiences where you can both watch and interact with the animals. If the mood and your courage are fitting, you can get your photo taken with a tiger or feeding a tiger cub. Some of the extra activities in the park cost an additional fee.
Between the various shows and activities there is enough to keep you entertained for a half or possibly a full day if you decide to take it all in. There is a restaurant on site to grab a bit of lunch as well as food and drink stands throughout the park.
Shows At the Sriracha Tiger Zoo
Tiger Show
The Bengal tigers and their trainers put on a spectacle for vistiors to the park. You’ll see tigers jumping through hoops of fire, walking on tight ropes, and much more. It is similar to what you might see at a circus.
Crocodile Show
Here the trainers will interact with some very large crocs, putting themselves in some hair-raising positions. You’ll see them getting dangerously close, even putting their heads inside the open mouths of a very patient crocodile.
Elephant Show
Similar to other elephant shows around Thailand. You’ll see elephants doing a variety of fun tricks, doing their best to entertain the crowd.
Pig Show
This is a quick show, where they have pigs race down a small track. Not one of the highlights.
Animal Show Times:
Crocodile Show Times: 9:30, 10:30, 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00
Tiger Show Times: 11:00 13:30 15:30
Elephant Show Times: 11:40 14:30 16:30
Pig Show Times: Every 30 Minutes
Sriracha Zoo Video
Something to give you a little idea of what you’ll see.
Additional Activities
In addition to the main show, the Sriracha Tiger Zoo has a variety of other activities one can watch or take part in. These are mainly add-ons that you have to pay for.
You can see a tiger Feeding piglets, a Pig feeding Tiger cubs, and crocodile feeding. The famous Scorpion Queen lets dozens of big black scorpion crawl over her.
You can take part in the Shoot’n’Feed, where you take a rifle and shoot a target over the tigers den. A direct hit drops food that the tigers run after.
You can take a ride around the park on the back of an Elephant, which is a very touristy thing to do. But there are better places to do it like the Pattaya Elephant Village.
If you want to get your picture taken with some of the animals the most popular shots are while you are feeding a tiger cub or sitting next to a large Bengal tiger.
Food and Drink
The onsite restaurant at the Sriracha Tiger Zoo is available for lunch, serving Thai, Chinese, and western cuisine. If you want a snack or drink, there are plenty of food and drink kiosks around the park. The specialty of the house is a variety of crocodile entrees which are worth a try, if only to say you ate crocodile meat once.
>>Checkout our guide to find more Places to visit in Pattaya
Animal Cruelty Controversy
No article on the Sriracha Tiger Zoo would be complete without mentioning the controversy surrounding animal cruelty at the park. Various investigations have been done over the years, focusing on the poor treatment of the animals, bad living conditions, and some tigers not having proper nutrition. (Source)
One source alludes to the tiger zoo breeding and selling tigers to foreign markets like China, where they are used in the illicit traditional medicine trade. (Source)
While some users on Tripadvisor have claimed they believed the tigers were drugged or sedated in order take pictures with them, none of the other stories have corroborated those claims.
Although some animal rights activists will tell you any zoo is bad and you should not visit, that is not everyone’s opinion. However, we were able to find a number of sources claiming animal cruelty offenses at the Sriracha Tiger Zoo. Read the articles and make your own conclusion. If these allegations are enough you may want to give it a miss, or venture out there and see for yourself.
Getting There
From Pattaya: The Sriracha Zoo is located about 30 minutes north of Pattaya. If you don’t have your own vehicle it is best to arrange transportation by taxi, private car, or mini-van. You can also book a tour package with one of the many companies around Pattaya or your hotel’s tour desk.
From Bangkok: The zoo is about 1 hour outside of Bangkok. The best option for people without their own transport is once again booking through your hotel’s travel desk, a local tour company, or arranging your own car and driver for the day.
Admission Fee: Adult: 450 Baht, Child: 250 Baht
Opening Hours: 8:00 am – 6:00 pm, Restaurant Hours 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
Address: 341 Moo 3, Nongkham, Sriracha, Chonburi 20110, Thailand
Phone: (038) 296556-8
Website: http://www.tigerzoo.com/eng/index.php
Location: 30 Minutes to the north of Pattaya, just off the Bangkok to Pattaya Highway.
Map:
