So I guess the fishies aren’t dead after all. With weeks-long closure, many people wondered how the fish at Siam Ocean World would survive.

Well according to an insider, there were actually staff at all times at the aquarium. Some even slept at the office just to make sure the fish and animals were safe and fed.

And they look happy alright. As if nothing ever happened. We human could feel, and smell, otherwise though. Some parts of the aquarium just smell like old rags. Think of an old humid theater. Some parts were unbearable, especially areas where there are open tanks. Guess the fish got a bit too excited and splashed around spilling the water onto their carpeted floors. And no one bothered to clean it before reopening the place.

The starfish petting tank was also gone and was replaced but some kind of stage. Great. Another loud and annoying performance area.

One additional feature added to the aquarium from the last time I went was the “Free Photo Booth”. Yup it’s true it’s free but the photo they give you at the exit is smaller than a postage stamp. Of course if you want a normal size print big enough for you to recognize your face, you would have to pay at least 250 baht. Rip off. We took photos with our own cameras, and iPhones, and they come out looking much better than their green-screen “free” one.

It’s a nice place to hang out in though. It’s beautiful, peaceful, well if you pick the time and day parents don’t take their kids to. There’s no time limit so you can just take a seat in front one of their big tanks and just…stare.

Was gonna upload one of these shots to Bangkok Through the iPhone but then I just took so many so here are all of them.