Royal Sea Farming and Aquaculture Demonstration Project Under the Initiatives of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit

This royal-initiative aquaculture centre in Bang Kaeo, Phetchaburi, demonstrates zero-waste integrated sea farming — and it’s open to walk-in visitors, not just researchers. Set up under Queen Sirikit’s patronage, it exists to show farmers and the public methods of raising seafood that don’t strip out mangroves or pollute the coastline the way some commercial shrimp farms do.

The ponds cover several distinct operations rather than one generic “fish farm” setup: commercial-scale artemia (brine shrimp) cultivation, natural sea salt and sea-salt powder production evaporated straight from seawater, mussels grown on suspended rope rafts instead of dredged seabeds, and breeding and nursery ponds where juvenile stock is raised before release or sale. Walking the site means moving between these different pond types rather than following one fixed loop, and staff or accompanying signage explain what’s happening at each stage.

Insider Tip: This is a working demonstration station, not a polished visitor centre — go in expecting a genuine aquaculture operation with a research/education mandate, not an aquarium-style attraction with interpretive theming.

It’s a fitting complement to Phetchaburi’s low-key stretch of Gulf coast, where salt pans and fishing communities have worked this shoreline for generations; the project formalises and modernises practices that are already part of local life in Ban Laem district.

Wear closed shoes rather than sandals — the pond walkways can be muddy after rain — and bring sun protection, since most of the site is open-air with limited shade. It sits close enough to the coast to pair with a stop at Hat Chao Samran, a quieter beach in the same district, or a half-day combined with Phra Nakhon Khiri Historical Park back in Phetchaburi town if you’re making a full day of it.