Khao Kheow Open Zoo and Moo Deng: a day trip guide from Bangkok

Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Si Racha, Chonburi, is home to Moo Deng, the pygmy hippo who became an internet star in 2024 and turned two on 10 July 2026. The zoo, run by the Zoological Park Organization of Thailand, is open every day and sits about 108 km by road from central Bangkok, which makes Khao Kheow Open Zoo and Moo Deng an easy day trip. This guide covers getting there, tickets, timed shows, the Night Zoo and the rules the zoo asks visitors to follow.

At a glance

Where	Khao Kheow Open Zoo, 235 Moo 7, Bang Phra, Si Racha, Chonburi 20110
Distance from Bangkok	About 108 km by road; roughly 1 hour 20 minutes by car without heavy traffic
Opening hours	Daily, 08:00-17:00 as listed in recent Thai media; confirm on the zoo’s official page
Foreign visitors	Adult 350 baht; child 120 baht (up to 12 years and no taller than 135 cm)
Thai visitors	Adult 200 baht; child 40 baht; free for under-3s, people with disabilities, monks, veterans and over-60s
Vehicle entry	Motorcycle 40 baht; car 80 baht; bus 100 baht
Moo Deng	Hippopotamus Zone
Night Zoo	Adult 250 baht, child 150 baht; advance booking only
Contact	038-318444 ext. 213; official website; Facebook (facebook.com/kkopenzoo)

Prices are those published on the zoo’s official website on 6 November 2026. Tickets can also be booked online through the Zoological Park Organization’s Zoo E-Ticket system.

Getting there from Bangkok

The zoo lies in the hills of Bang Phra, inland from Si Racha town. By road it is about 108 km from central Bangkok, and Rome2rio estimates a little under an hour and a half by car or taxi. Driving is the simplest option, because the zoo is spread out and parking is on site.

There is no direct bus or train to the gate. The usual public-transport route is a bus from Mo Chit (the Northern Bus Terminal) to Si Racha, then a local taxi or hired car for the final stretch. Allow two to three hours each way and check the last bus back before you set off.

Families without a car often book a driver for the day. Agree the waiting time and fare before leaving Bangkok, as the zoo is large enough to fill a full day.

Meeting Moo Deng

Moo Deng lives in the Hippopotamus Zone with her mother, Jona. The zoo’s own posts call them its “pygmy hippo family” and list them first among its animal superstars, alongside the larger hippos Jae Kha Moo and Mae Mali.

Her fame has shaped how she is shown. In September 2024 the zoo limited viewing to five minutes per group at busy times, after some visitors threw objects and poured water on her while she slept. It also installed CCTV around the enclosure. The zoo has not published a current timed-slot system on its website, so follow the queue arrangements and staff instructions on the day.

The zoo’s message is simple: watch from a distance. Never throw food, water or anything else into an enclosure, and never climb barriers; in 2026 the zoo reminded visitors that entering an animal area is strictly prohibited and that warning signs and staff instructions must be followed. Pygmy hippos rest for long periods, so a quiet hippo is a normal hippo.

The zoo is also planning a bigger home for its hippos. At Moo Deng’s birthday event in July 2026 it announced Hippo Village, a 75-million-baht project to transform the landmark by 2027.

Moo Deng’s friends: other animals and zones

Khao Kheow is an open zoo, with large paddocks set into forested hills rather than rows of cages. The zoo’s current highlights include:

• Little Flash, a two-toed sloth, in the Sloth Zone
• Nong Nueng, a clouded leopard
• Gop Gap, a giant anteater
• Nong Wan Chan and other capybaras in the Capybara Zone
• Hana and Hashi, the red pandas; a third red panda, a female of about five, arrived on 27 October 2026 and is in quarantine for at least 30 days
• A white rhinoceros calf born on 22 September 2026, World Rhino Day, in the African animal exhibit

Other stops the zoo promotes are a raft ride to view the lemur island, a miniature train, the Rainbow Bridge and the Khao Kheow Landmark photo spot.

Timed shows and getting around

The zoo publishes a daily programme of timed activities on its website. The 2026 schedule runs until late December:

Time	Activity
10:00-10:30 and 14:00-14:30	Penguin Parade (Humboldt penguins)
10:30-11:00 and 14:30-15:30	Flying Parade (painted storks over the water)
11:00-11:45 and 14:30-15:00	Swimming elephants, viewed through a large glass tank

Distances between zones are long, and walking all of them in the heat is hard work. The zoo lists these services:

• Zoo tram: 15-35 baht per round
• Electric sightseeing train: 10-50 baht per round
• Golf cart rental: 500-700 baht for two hours
• EV tricycle: 300 baht for two hours

Foreign visitors from nine countries and territories, including Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong, can pay admission by scanning a QR code under the QR Cross Border scheme.

Khao Kheow Night Zoo

After dark, the zoo runs a separate Night Zoo by tram. According to Thairath, it operates on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, costs 250 baht for adults and 150 baht for children under 135 cm, and accepts advance bookings only, with no walk-ins. Animals seen on the route include giraffes, zebras, white rhinos, clouded leopards and slow lorises.

The zoo says there is only one round per night and that seats should be reserved early. A start time is not published on its website, so check with the zoo on 038-318444 ext. 213 or its Facebook page (facebook.com/kkopenzoo) when booking.

For a closer look behind the scenes, the zoo’s Zoo Keeper Insight lets groups of up to four people aged 12 and over help prepare food and clean exhibits, including those of Moo Deng and the red pandas. It costs 5,000 baht per group, excluding admission, and bookings are open until September 2027.

Tips for a comfortable day

• Arrive early. Mornings are cooler and the animals tend to be more active; plan the morning shows around your route to the Hippopotamus Zone.
• Bring water, a hat and sunscreen. Much of the zoo is outdoors and open to the sun, and the hills add effort.
• Wear comfortable shoes, or budget for the tram or a golf cart.
• Leave pets at home. The zoo prohibits all pets, smoking and alcohol, and rule-breakers can be fined up to 2,000 baht.
• Check special days. The zoo has given children and over-60s free entry on some public holidays; these offers are announced on its website and Facebook page.

Back in Bangkok and looking for an evening out? See this week on stage in Bangkok. For more animal news and guides, visit our Animals section.