Rayong Aquarium — Attraction in Rayong Province

I was very willing to write a nice review about this aquarium, but unfortunately I can’t, because I was not even able to visit it due to the poor and misleading information provided by the staff and through their Google page. According to the information online, the aquarium was supposed to be open, and that’s what pushed me and my family to drive all the way there. But once we arrived, the reality was very different: we saw a line of cars being turned around at the entrance. The person working as a gate opener was letting people enter, only for them to leave the parking area two minutes later when they realized the aquarium was actually closed. This was not only disappointing, but completely unprofessional. What made the situation even worse is that I had called beforehand to double-check if the aquarium was really open. Nobody answered the phone, not once. And when I confronted the gate staff about this, instead of apologizing or offering any kind of explanation, they simply shrugged and said there was nothing they could do. That is not true. At the very least, they could have stopped people before entering and clearly informed them that the aquarium was closed. They could have placed a simple sign at the entrance saying “Closed” to save people’s time, money, and energy. And above all, they could and should update their official website and Google page, since this is what most visitors rely on when deciding whether to visit. The lack of responsibility shown here is unacceptable. Visitors travel with their families, sometimes from far away, and expect a minimum of reliability from an institution that promotes itself as a tourist attraction. Instead, what I found was disorganization, indifference, and a complete disregard for visitors’ time. I am genuinely disappointed because the aquarium itself looks beautiful from the photos and reviews online, and I truly wanted to experience it. Sadly, I was not given the chance because of very preventable mistakes. I sincerely hope management takes this feedback seriously and improves communication, organization, and professionalism. Otherwise, they risk damaging not only their reputation but also the trust of future visitors who, like me, will leave with nothing but...

ENGLISH

If you spend your holiday within easy reach of Rayong, a visit to the aquarium is a must. The operators have created a very interesting retreat here - of course with a pinch of "cheesy Thaistyle" - but this aquarium does not have to hide itself.

The basins tell you with how much love the employees are in the matter. Everything is very clean, the water in the pool crystal clear and the animals seem – yes, it is not the sea - to feel very comfortable here.

There are many very large specimens of fish and sea turtles that you do not get to see so often even in the wild. The aquarium in Rayong really does make its contribution to further education, which includes not only "pools of fish" but also many areas on which - as we know it from museums - relations, such as those to fishing or the creation of artificial reefs are explained.

A special plus is that the operators have understood that it is not the right way to "rob" tourists through inflated prices - here are all the same and pay the same - this is for Thailand something special - my compliment.

Have fun visiting the aquarium - and if you want to donate - no one is stopping you!

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DEUTSCH

Wenn Ihr Euren Urlaub in Reichweite von Rayong verbringt ist einen Besuch des Aquariums ein Muss. Die Betreiber haben hier ein sehr interessantes Refugium geschaffen – natürlich mit einer Prise “kitschigem Thaistyle“ - aber dieses Aquarium braucht sich nicht zu verstecken.

Den Becken sieht man förmlich an mit wie viel Liebe die Mitarbeiter bei der Sache sind. Alles ist sehr sauber, das Wasser in den Becken glasklar und die Tiere scheinen sich – wenn es auch nicht das Meer ist – hier sehr wohl zu fühlen.

Es gibt viele sehr große Exemplare von Fischen und Meeresschildkröten die man selbst in freier Wildbahn so nah nicht oft zu sehen bekommt. Das Aquarium erfüllt in Rayong auch wirklich seinen Beitrag zur Weiterbildung, den es sind nicht nur “Becken mit Fischen“ zu sehen, sondern auch viele Flächen auf denen – wie wir es aus Museen kennen – Zusammenhänge, wie beispielsweise der zur Fischerei oder zur Schaffung künstlicher Riffe erläutert werden.

Ein besonders Plus ist, das die Betreiber verstanden haben, dass es nicht die feine Englische Art ist Touristen durch überhöhte Preise „abzufischen“ – hier sind alle gleich und zahlen auch das Gleiche – mein Kompliment für dieses für Thailand zukunftsweisende Vorgehen.

Viel Spaß beim Besuch des Aquariums – und wenn Ihr etwas spenden wollt – keiner hindert Euch daran!

Folgt gerne meinem Google Maps Profil, schaut Euch auch meine weiteren Rezessionen an und besucht auf jeden Fall...

Best value for money aquarium in the world I guess. If you are 3-4 people and have a day to spare, I would recommend to take a trip to Rayong Aquarium from Bangkok. The amount of taxi + aquarium ticket plus lunch will be cheaper than 3 people visiting SIAM Sea World. And you get to have fun at beach, get some great bargains on decorations made from sea shells starting at 20THB in the market near Aquarium. There is big underwater tunnel where you can see sting rays swimming over your head, a ray whose swimming action looks like a bird flying. Huge groupers, puffer fish, lion fish, sharks, shrimps, stone fish and what not! Huge acrylic column at entrance invites the visitors while the very colourful and photoworthy exterior is...