- Address: Bangkok, Thailand
- Hours: 8:30am–4:30pm weekdays; 8:30am–12pm weekends and holidays
- Admission: 200 Baht
Snake Farm (Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute) Tours
Part of the Thai Red Cross Institute, this snake farm—home to thousands of snakes from around the world—seeks to demystify the demonized creatures, understand local snake habitat, and serve as a breeding center for venomous snakes while procuring anti-venom used to treat bites throughout the country.
For travelers, the two-story center has several interesting displays and exhibits, offering detailed explanations of snakes' evolution, anatomy, and lifecycle, while also showcasing terrariums housing live reptiles. Another highlight at the Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute is the regularly scheduled shows (2:30pm on weekdays and 11am on weekends and holidays), during which visitors can see how venoms are extracted from certain snakes—such as banded kraits and cobras—in order to make needed anti-venoms. Occasionally, handlers showcase tame specimens such as vivid yellow albino boa constrictors and pythons, allowing willing visitors to handle them under supervision of trained staff members.
Additional displays serve a public service: informing residents and visitors of some of the more dangerous snakes in Thailand, while also detailing the toxicology of snake venom and teaching how to offer basic first aid to bite victims.
Practical Info
The Snake Farm is located at the intersection of Rama IV and Henry Dunant roads in downtown Bangkok, next door to the Chulalongkorn Hospital and University and near the Sam Yan metro stop. The site is a short walk from Lumpini Park. The farm is open from 8:30am to 4:30pm on weekdays and from 8:30am to noon on weekends and holidays. Admission costs 200 Baht ($5.50) for adults and 50 Baht ($1.40) for children.
