Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute

Bangkok


Founded in 1923, Asia's oldest snake farm gathers antivenom by milking snakes, injecting it into horses, and then harvesting and purifying the antigens the equines produce. Milking sessions (11am Monday to Friday) and snake-handling performances (2.30pm Monday to Friday and 11am weekends) are held at the outdoor amphitheatre. The latter is quite a spectacle – picture a 3m king cobra furiously lashing at a handler as he deftly demonstrates his handling capabilities. Leave a donation for the snakes at the office.

The compound houses several varieties of snakes in glass/metal cages, mostly pythons of varying sizes.


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