How is the Tiger Kingdom in Chiang Mai - The Temple of the Tigers of Thailand

The Tigers are very interesting animals, both by strength and beauty. In Chiang Mai, in northern Thailand, stands the Tiger Kingdom, better known as the Temple of the Tigers, a place where we can have direct contact with these animals.

A trip to Thailand provides experiences with various animal species.

I did the elephant ride the day before the Tiger Kingdom and this may have influenced my opinion of the famous Temple of the Tigers.

Before embarking on this trip I researched a lot about these places and found divided opinions: on the one hand some people defend this place (the Tiger Kingdom specifically), claiming that it is the best structured in Thailand and that there the tigers are well treated .... on the other hand there are those who do not like the place and say that the tigers are doped and should not live that way.

Well, I read a lot and thought hard about whether or not to do the tour. In the end I decided to go and have the conclusions on my own.

I will report here exactly how my visit was and at the end of the post I will conclude with my view on the place.

How to visit the Tiger Kingdom in Chiang Mai?

The Tiger Kingdom is a bit far from the center of Chiang Mai. The best way to get there is with red cars that look like tuk-tuks.

These tuk-tuks circulate around the city and they have stickers indicating where they go - it's pretty easy ... what else is Tiger Kingdom sticker.

Well, coming to Tiger Kingdom I soon saw a nice structure - like a zoo.

At the entrance they explained to me how the visit works .... There is not much secret: you just have to choose which cages you want to enter. They are divided according to the size of the tigers: newborns, small, medium and large.

The price also varies according to the size of the tigers:

Newborn Tigers: 1,000 Bahts
Small Tigers: 900 Bahts
Medium Tigers: 800 Baths
Big Tigers: 800 Bahts

You can choose just one or two packs of 2, 3 or all sizes.

There is also a package with all sizes + 1 photo session in one of the cages (which you choose).

I walked into the cage of the New Born Tigers and visited the others from outside the cages :)

Anyway, with the tickets in hand, I headed for the first part of the ride - the little tigers.

Smallest Tiger, the Newborn Tigers
Guys, there's no denying that they are the most beautiful things in the world - I hope my dogs never read this !!

To enter the cage you need to leave your belongings in a closet, wash your hands and, in the cases of the small cage, also take off the shoes.

The time inside the cage is very short ... The guide takes you close to one of the tigers and explains that you can lie down near the tiger and move your hand in it - as long as it is in the direction of the fur and without touching the head.

I confess that I got carried away and two minutes after starting the caresses .. I touched the head on the little tiger ... I swear it was unintentionally ... But seriously, it is irresistible ... He is so Cute !!!!

Then I visited the other cages, with medium and large tigers.

The annoying part was that they were super sleepy and there came the doubt: are they even doped?

They yawned all the time .... sometimes they would wake up, take turns, and then lay down to sleep again.

My Final Thoughts on Tiger Kingdom?

So, I can not tell if they are doped or not ....

What the park informs is that the Tigers are nocturnal animals that sleep a lot, like cats. As they are also very well fed at night, it is during the day that they sleep and rest. The park also emphasizes that the tigers around here are accustomed to the presence of people, since they live with them since they are young.

Well, doped or not, that was not the biggest problem I saw there. What I did not really like was the size of the cages. I think those tigers would need to live in a much larger place - or loose in nature or in a much larger reserve, with room for them to run freely.

The Big Tigers looked more like fat tigers - I may be wrong, I'm not a vet .... In my lazy look, the tigers seemed to be fat and sedentary, which would not happen if they had space to run.

Anyway ... my view on Tiger Kingdom is that. I can not say if they are doped, but rather that I think they deserve to live in a bigger place.

General information about Tiger Kingdom
Leaving the center of Chiang Mai you will take about 45 minutes to reach the park.

The internal visit will take less than 2 hours - maybe this will vary if the park is full or you have a large group.

I advise you to book a morning to visit the park - enough is enough.

This tour does not need to be booked in advance, just get there and buy your tickets at the front desk.

I hope I have helped to clear your doubts about the famous Park of the Tigers of Thailand. Let's remember that we are talking about a place where culture is totally different from ours, so it's cool to think twice before judging what they do over there. The decision to visit or not the place I leave in the hands of each one.