How to get to the crocodile farm
Ideally, a visit to the Crocodile Farm can be combined with a visit to the Erawan Museum, as both are not far from each other. The Samutprakan province is located in the southeastern outskirts of Bangkok, about 25 kilometers away. The crocodile farm is best reached by taxi or tuk tuk. Buses also pass by the crocodile farm, the bus stops are not directly at the crocodile farm and if you are not sure about the timetable you should take a taxi or tuk tuk from / to the main road to Sukhumvit Road just for the return trip.
Entertainment, breeding & gardening or pure business?
Animal husbandry, zootechnics, zoos are terms that are nowadays in focus and must withstand criticism. The biggest criticism in the world is first and foremost "animal welfare". In this aspect, a visit to the crocodile farm will at least cause a slight stomach ache for a tourist. So you do not have to think about it for a long time, if an animal show does justice to the animals these days, they usually will not, no animal will be the showmaster in their natural habitat, except the human being.
The crocodile farm in Samutprakarn breeds crocodiles for meat and leather production. From the operators point of view, crocodile meat is a healthy food, with a higher protein content than pork or chicken and less fat. In addition to the meat, the leather of the crocodiles is processed and offered in our own souvenir shop.
Are they allowed to do that? Is that legal? The crocodile farm itself advertises that they a) CSG - Crocodile Spelialist Group joined and b have the permission of the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) to trading with crocodiles and their products), both the domestic as well as the international market.
The operation of a crocodile farm can be viewed from two perspectives: in the past, crocodiles were ruthlessly hunted and killed because the leather used to make certain products was used by consumers worldwide. So the decline of a population can not be good and not right to satisfy consumer behavior. The artificial breeding of crocodiles on one hand counteracts the decline, if targeted breeding, populations are built and the depletion of nature is prevented. When crocodile meat and crocodile leather products are created as "product", it is difficult to look at it from a moral point of view, because consumption is still present even if something is given back to nature.
To what extent the breed contributes to the preservation of the species crocodile, we can not assess. We hope that everything goes right and that the crocodile farm contributes to the preservation of the crocodiles.
In addition to the large crocodile farm you will find many more animals that serve as part of the zoo. Elephants, tigers, monkeys, snakes are not as many as crocodiles to see, they complete the (entertainment) program.
What remains? The question remains, is the visit to the crocodile farm good or bad, right or wrong, okay or reprehensible? Some would argue favorably, because with the farm as a whole is done for something for the animals, for the breeding, for the preservation. The others say that this form of animal husbandry and breeding does not do the animals justice. Whether a visit to the zoo, the crocodile show, which are certainly not natural, is morally out of order, ultimately everyone has to decide for themselves.
Tickets
400 Baht is the entrance fee for a tourist.
Time
The crocodile farm is large and the crocodile shows take place every hour. If you want to see more than just the crocodile show, you should plan 2 to 3 hours in any case.
