Chiang Mai Zoo has reopened its aquarium after a 29-million-baht renovation. The country's first aquarium, located on a mountain, is expected to attract more visitors than ever.
Zoo director, Wuthichai Muangman, said the director-general of the Zoological Park Organization of Thailand (ZPO) Attapon Srihayrun allocated a 2023 budget of over 29 million baht to the zoo to renovate its aquarium.
The work is now complete, and the aquarium reopened on April 1, said Mr Wuthichai.
Mr Attapon said the upgraded aquarium espouses the theme of environmental protection and saving the earth. He expected a 10% increase in aquarium income from admission fees following the reopening. The facility was closed last year for the renovation.
"It will be a popular tourist attraction because it was the first place in the country that brought the sea to a mountain, and it meets global standards. The aquarium is also a good learning centre for kids and youths too," Mr Attapon said. He added the admission fees are low, compared to similar aquariums in other countries, which usually charge each visitor at least 1,000 baht.
Admission fees at the Chiang Mai Zoo Aquarium are 300 baht for Thai adults, 175 baht for Thai children, 640 baht for an adult foreigner and 375 baht for a foreign child.
Mr Attapon said the ZPO would provide the aquarium with an additional one-million-baht budget for sourcing more marine species.
As well as being a tourist attraction and learning centre, the aquarium is also a research and conservation centre, said Mr Attapon.
According to Narutat Chareonsedtasin, CEO of Marine Scape (Thailand), the company that manages Chiang Mai Zoo Aquarium, the aquarium is home to the world's longest underwater tunnel, which is 133 metres long, and features the most river fish species in Thailand, with over 80 species from the Mekong River Basin and Chao Phraya Basin exhibited there.
As part of the renovation, the aquarium's air conditioning, walkways, ventilation and the marine animals' well-being were improved, he said.