Bangkok Snake Farm: the venom show at the Thai Red Cross

Updated on October 5, 2026

The Bangkok Snake Farm is part of the Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute, founded in 1923 by the Thai Red Cross. The institute breeds venomous snakes to produce antivenom, and opens part of the site to the public: a small museum, a reptile garden and two demonstrations a day on weekdays. In October 2026, admission costs THB 200 for a foreign adult and THB 50 for a child. Allow 1 to 1.5 hours for a visit that includes a demonstration. The institute stands at the corner of Rama IV Road and Henri Dunant Road, five minutes' walk from Sala Daeng station and opposite Lumphini Park.

Highlights

The venom extraction demonstration

A handler picks up the snakes bare-handed or with a hook and has them release venom into a small glass, while a presenter commentates. The session lasts about thirty minutes; it shows what the institute is for: making the serums used against snakebites.

The snake pits

In the courtyard, cobras, vipers and pythons are kept in pits, behind glass or low walls. The king cobra, the monocled cobra and the green pit vipers are the ones guides mention most often.

The Siamese cobra

This spitting cobra, common in Thailand, is one of the species you see up close during the snake presentation, behind glass or at a safe distance from the handler.

The museum and the statue of Queen Saovabha

A small museum shows preserved specimens and the history of the institute, set up in memory of Queen Saovabha Phongsri, consort of Rama V.

Infos pratiques

Tips

Demonstration times differ by day: on weekdays, a venom extraction at 11:00 and a snake presentation at 14:00; at weekends, a presentation at 11:00 only (found in October 2026, to be confirmed before you go). Arrive 15 to 20 minutes early to get a good spot. The snakes are behind barriers: follow the staff's instructions and never put a hand through the railings. The visit suits children from about 6 or 7 years old; younger ones may find it frightening. For a family visit, combine it with neighbouring Lumphini Park and read our guide Bangkok with children. The area is described in our guide to Silom and Sathorn.

How to get there

1871 Rama IV Road, Pathum Wan, Bangkok 10330. BTS Sala Daeng or MRT Si Lom (interchange), then 5 minutes' walk east along Rama IV Road. Lumphini Park is on the other side of the street.