Things to Do Near Bangkok Airport During Transit

If you are in transit at Bangkok's SuvarnabhumiBaht for adults and 150 Baht for children. It is
International Airport for more than 6 hours andopen form 8am to 5pm daily.
don't fancy sitting around the airport all day, thereIn the same area as the Ancient Siam park is the
are a number of attractions nearby that are aSamut Prakan Crocodile Farm and Zoo. Built in
short taxi ride away and will definitely break up1950, it was Thailand's first crocodile farm and
the boredom of your short stay. A verynow houses over 60,000 crocodiles, of both the
interesting and unique option near the airport issaltwater and freshwater variety. You can see
"Ancient Siam" (formerly known as Ancient City).elephants, chimpanzees, and other animals such as
Called Mueang Boran in Thai, it is a cultural parkgibbons, turtles, boa constrictors, pythons, birds,
spread over 200 acres and is referred to as thecamels, hippopotamuses, and of various species
world's largest outdoor museum.of fishes. There is also a tiger chained up with
The park is built in the shape of Thailand andwhich you can have your photo taken.
houses 116 replicas, reconstructed monumentsThe park is open from 7am to 6pm and shows
and architectural attractions. Each of theare performed every hour between 9am and
structures are placed in it's geographically correct5pm, with handlers catching the crocodiles bare
position within the Thailand-shaped park. Some ofhanded, wrestling with them and even placing their
the monuments are life-sized, while others arehands and heads inside the crocodiles' open jaws.
scaled down. Spending a day here will give you aThere are also elephant shows with performances
great tour of the history of Thailand and you canevery hour between 9:30 am and 4:30 pm.
even opt for a private guided tour in English,Be warned that this zoo has come under a lot of
though of course at an extra cost (1500 Baht).flack from some tourists for the way the animals
The architecture on display throughout the park isare treated with small concrete enclosures with
absolutely amazing, a lot of it quite difficult to findno secondary barriers. Advances in zoo designs
nowadays throughout Thailand. Apart from somehave certainly not come to Thailand yet and if
major reproductions such as the floating market,you are sensitive to such things you may want to
the reclining Buddha, the Pavilion of the Enlightenedskip this zoo.
and the Giant Swing and Brahmin Temple, youIn summary if you have between eight and
can also see and walk through realistic depictionstwelve hours, the Ancient Siam park is an
of traditional Thai villages which are still inexcellent choice to get outside, have a relaxing
abundance today in rural Thailand, but unless youtime and even learn something about Thailand. If
have Thai friends or relatives to take you, ityou have a shorter amount of time and if you
would be difficult to see during your stay.have the stomach for it, you may consider the
Ancient Siam really is very beautiful and it is soCrocodile Farm and Zoo. Both of these attractions
large that you can spend a peaceful day roamingare close to each other and can be reached by
or cycling and only run into someone every nowtaxi from the airport in a little over half an hour.
and then. Bicycles, and even 2 and 3 seaterBe sure to check at the new Tours for Transit
bicycles, can be rented inside the park for 50Passengers desks in the transfer hall of the
Baht each (100 and 150 Baht respectively for duoairport to see if these destinations are offered as
and triple bicycles).a tour. If so you can avoid paying the 700 baht
The park is roughly 15 kilometers from the airportairport tax when you re-check-in to your onward
and is accessible in 40 minutes. Admission is 300flight by taking the tour.