Tropical Storm Tour: Thailand Part 5
Monday, June 8, 2015
Bangkok, Thailand
The outdoor serpentarium at the Queen Saovabha Institute Snake Farm in Silom, Bangkok, Thailand.
The outdoor serpentarium at the Queen Saovabha Institute Snake Farm in Silom, Bangkok, Thailand.
The outdoor serpentarium at the Queen Saovabha Institute Snake Farm in Silom, Bangkok, Thailand.
The indoor serpentarium at the Queen Saovabha Institute Snake Farm in Silom, Bangkok, Thailand.
The indoor serpentarium at the Queen Saovabha Institute Snake Farm in Silom, Bangkok, Thailand.
The indoor serpentarium at the Queen Saovabha Institute Snake Farm in Silom, Bangkok, Thailand.
A snake handler at the Queen Saovabha Institute Snake Farm in Silom, Bangkok, Thailand.
A King Cobra and a snake handler engaged in a standoff at the Queen Saovabha Institute Snake Farm in Silom, Bangkok, Thailand.
Today, I visited another Bangkok attraction I’d never even heard of before–the Queen Saovabha Institute Snake Farm down in the Silom district. Whereas most snake farms are run more like a carnival side show, this one is multi-faceted, encompassing an institute where poisonous snake antivenin is produced, an extensive museum, as well as indoor and outdoor serpentariums. Whoever is responsible for the interior design of the super-buttery museum should win some kind of award. Not only does it look modern and graphically attractive, it boasts numerous informative exhibits that trace the natural history and morphology of snakes, as well as displays of their skeletons, skins and preserved bodies. The serpentariums are also swell–especially when some of the snakes crawl around all in your face!
Two King Cobras and a snake handler engaged in a standoff at the Queen Saovabha Institute Snake Farm in Silom, Bangkok, Thailand.
A tourist and a Boa Constrictor spend some quality time together at the Queen Saovabha Institute Snake Farm in Silom, Bangkok, Thailand.
A museum display at the Queen Saovabha Institute Snake Farm in Silom, Bangkok, Thailand.
A museum display at the Queen Saovabha Institute Snake Farm in Silom, Bangkok, Thailand.
A museum display at the Queen Saovabha Institute Snake Farm in Silom, Bangkok, Thailand.
A museum display at the Queen Saovabha Institute Snake Farm in Silom, Bangkok, Thailand.
A fried banana vendor in Silom, Bangkok, Thailand.
The Sri Maha Mariamman temple in Silom, Bangkok, Thaland.
A weird wall ad on Thanon Pan in Silom, Bangkok, Thaland.
But, it gets even better. The climax of the day was the snake handling show, in which a funny emcee and two handlers showed off a few of their most prized possessions. The highlight was the King Cobras, which still had their fangs and venom intact. Despite the fact that the only safety gear the handlers had on were rubber boots, they were fearless as they dodged the snakes’ attempted strikes, and it was thrilling when they slowly went to grab the snakes by the neck to put them away. The show ended with an invitation for the audience to pose for photos with a big Boa Constrictor wrapped around their shoulders. If you ever find yourself in Bangkok, I highly recommend a visit to the Queen Saovabha Institute Snake Farm. Make sure you’re there when the show takes place, which is only once per day at 2:30 pm on weekdays, and 11:00 am on weekends.
Words and photos ©2015 Arcane Candy.
Leave a Reply