Khao Kheow Open Zoo

Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Si Racha houses more than 2,000 animals across open-range enclosures rather than cages, with drive-through and walk-through sections spread over a large hillside site. Entry is 350 THB for foreign adults (120 THB children), 200 THB for Thai adults (40 THB children), open daily 08:00-17:00. A Friday-to-Sunday night safari runs separately after dark.

The drive-through zones put giraffes, zebras, and antelope within arm’s reach of your car window — bring your own vehicle or rent a golf cart at the gate. Walk-through sections cover primates, big cats, and a large bird enclosure where hornbills and pelicans move freely overhead. Feeding sessions run at set times through the day, letting visitors hand-feed giraffes and, in some sections, elephants and hippos — the zoo’s signature draw and also its most contested feature (see below). The elephant area includes a walk-through viewing path rather than performance shows, though some visitors have reported seeing chained animals or enclosures that feel dated compared to the newer open-range zones.

Watch out: Khao Kheow has drawn repeated animal-welfare criticism — flagged by TripAdvisor’s own welfare guidelines and by groups including World Animal Protection — over close-contact feeding and enclosure conditions for some animals, most visibly during the 2024 viral attention around the zoo’s pygmy hippo. The zoo disputes this and says its facilities meet international standards, but if unlimited hands-on animal contact concerns you, stick to the drive-through zones and skip the feeding sessions.

Insider Tip: Arrive at opening (08:00) for the coolest temperatures and the most active animals — by mid-morning, both the heat and the crowds build fast, and animals retreat to shade.

Khao Kheow sits about 20 minutes inland from Bang Saen, the closest beach town and a straightforward day-trip base. Combine it with Bang Saen Beach in the morning and the zoo in the afternoon, or visit Khao Sam Muk for its monkey colony if wildlife is the theme of your day.