By Mark Scodellaro
Upon heading back to the Siam Aquarium at Siam Paragon Shopping Center in the heart of bangkok, I must say I was very surprised. Obviously an aquarium situated in the center of the busy metropolis of landlocked Bangkok would not be able to compete with other aquariums, like the Sydney Aquarium, located right on the water, but Siam Aquarium holds up.
The aquarium is decently large and focuses more on creating a sensory experience involving undersea life than conservation or education. The aquarium boasts several massive tanks which contain many different types of fish in an array of colours. The aquarium allows for a lot of time to be spent just looking and enjoying the undersea life. Of course the aquarium has a large shark tank which hosts an underwater tunnel, allowing visitors to enjoy a walk through and up close experience with the many sharks and manta rays. For the more adventurous, and those interested in getting even more up close, Siam Aquarium, for an extra fee, has the option to go on a dive with the sharks. This experience allows visitors to go for a short dive into the tank and paddle around with the fishes.
Although I would not say it was the focus of the aquarium, there are several exhibitions that teach visitors about different types of marine ecosystems, including those found in Thailand, and abroad. They also feature rooms catering to specific types of sea life such as SeaHorses, and show off several tanks with these fascinating little creatures. There is also, of course, the classics like a Touch Tank, which allows usually the younger guests to touch various sea creatures and learn a bit about the animals from staff on hand.
If you want a good family trip, or something different to do in a big city i would highly recommend this aquarium, as it is a bit of fun for the whole family. However, if you are a true marine enthusiast, these exhibits might come up short compared to some of the larger more elaborate aquariums out there
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Neo hippie, yoga non- guru, and man of mystery. Avid traveller but only recently started writing about it. Yoga enthusiast, activist, and teacher in Bangkok. Loving father of four fur babies.
This piece was prepared online by Panuruji Kenta, Publisher, SEVENSEAS Media