Pata Zoo () is a private zoo on the 6th and 7th floors of Pata Pinklao Department Store, Bang Yi Khan Subdistrict, Bang Phlat District, Bangkok between Borommaratchachonnani and Arun Amarin Intersections close to Phra Pinklao Bridge. Pata Zoo has operated since 1983, along with the department store. Pata Zoo has been the subject of ongoing attention from Thai animal welfare organizations, who have raised concerns about the conditions of certain enclosures, particularly those housing primates such as the gorilla Bua Noi.
Layout The zoo is divided into two parts, upper and lower floor:
Sixth floor – Nocturnal animals, fish, reptiles. Of interest are the many albino Burmese pythons which the zoo is able to breed successfully. Large stuffed giant freshwater stingray is also displayed; it is the largest species of freshwater stingray in the world and an endangered species. On weekends there are magic shows and information and education sessions about exotic pets. Seventh floor – Birds, orangutans, macaques, gibbons, binturongs, guinea pigs, rabbits, pygmy goats, sheep, Asiatic black bears, lemurs, and an artificial waterfall and botanical garden. One notable animal featured here is a female western lowland gorilla over 30 years old named Bua Noi (บัวน้อย, 'little lotus'), the only gorilla left in Thailand. Most critics of the Pata Zoo have focused on the living conditions of Bua Noi. She was born in the wild, captured as a baby, and has lived at the zoo since September 1987. The zoo veterinarian and zoo director insist that she is in good mental and physical health.
Animal Welfare Concerns Animal rights activists and campaigners submitted a petition of 35,000 signatures in September 2014 to Thailand's Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) calling for the zoo's closure and the immediate removal of Bua Noi from the zoo. The DNP responded by declaring it could not withdraw the licence of Pata Zoo as the zoo had not done anything against the law. The DNP director-general argued that the Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act did not forbid animals from being caged in high-rise buildings and, therefore, Pata Zoo did not violate the law by maintaining a zoo on top of a building. The zoo immediately declared its innocence of any wrongdoing.
In March 2015, it was reported that Thai authorities charged that Pata Zoo had broken several laws and ordered the removal of all large animals, including Bua Noi, from the zoo. The zoo declined to transfer the gorilla to another facility. , Bua Noi was still in captivity at the zoo.
Following a fire at the zoo later that year, actress Gillian Anderson and animal rights group PETA sent a letter to the zoo's owner expressing concern about the animals' welfare and urging him to consider closing the facility.Siobhan Robbins, "Cher calls for Thailand's Pata Zoo to rehome gorilla Bua Noi after 30 years living above shopping centre," SkyNews 10 December 2020. At the end of 2020, singer and actress Cher wrote a letter to Thailand’s environment minister, asking the minister to support her efforts to relocate the gorilla. Jennifer Hassan,"Cher saved the world’s loneliest elephant. Can she free Thailand’s last gorilla?" The Washington Post 10 December 2020.
Zoo's Public Response and Welfare Measures
In March 2023, activists sprayed messages on the department store building calling for Bua Noi to be freed. In response, the zoo announced a bounty of 100,000 baht for information leading to the arrest of the offenders, citing intrusion. The zoo stated it was ready to issue a transparent statement clarifying what it described as the full truth after facing prolonged criticism.
Since January 2025, the zoo has introduced a new policy allowing visitors to see Bua Noi in limited groups of no more than 30 people at a time, in order to reduce stress for the aging gorilla. Before each viewing, visitors are shown a video presentation explaining what the zoo presents as the background of Bua Noi: she was born in a German zoo and has been living here since 1987 under the care of the same keeper to this day. The zoo emphasizes that she has always been cared for with dedication and affection.
Operating Days and Hours Since April 20, 2026, the zoo has adjusted its operating days and hours. It has changed from being open every day except Mondays, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., to being open only on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Selected animal species Mammals
Tammar wallaby Dusky pademelon Common tree shrew Brown lemur Ruffed lemur Black and white ruffed lemur Northern slow loris Pygmy slow loris Common marmoset Weeper capuchin Common squirrel monkey Tufted capuchin Allen's swamp monkey Red-tailed guenon De brazza's monkey Green monkey Chlorocebus Stump-tailed macaque Crab-eating macaque Rhesus macaque Pig-tailed macaque Mandrill Gabon talapoin Silvered leaf monkey Tenasserim langur Dusky leaf monkey Phayre's leaf monkey Lar gibbon Pileated gibbon White-cheeked gibbon Western lowland gorilla Chimpanzee Bornean orangutan Pale giant squirrel Black giant squirrel Black-tailed prairie dog Red giant flying squirrel Belly-banded squirrel Variable squirrel Prevost's squirrel Indochinese ground squirrel Capybara Asiatic brush-tailed porcupine Malayan porcupine Crested porcupine Four-toed hedgehog Large flying fox Asiatic golden cat Leopard cat Clouded leopard Indochinese leopard Tiger Binturong Three-striped palm civet Masked palm civet Common palm civet Banded linsang Large Indian civet Javan mongoose Meerkat Golden jackal Sun bear Tibetan black bear Hog badger Chinese ferret-badger Lesser mouse-deer Northern red muntjac
Birds
Crested wood partridge Chinese francolin Greater flamingo Spotted dove Red turtle dove Grey-capped emerald dove Zebra dove Blue-crowned pigeon Thick-billed green pigeon Renauld's ground dove Greater coucal Koel Common gallinule Black crowned crane Humboldt penguin Red-wattled lapwing Sunda scops owl Northern brown hornbill Bushy-crested hornbill Southern brown hornbill Northern pied hornbill White-crowned hornbill Great indian hornbill Rhinoceros hornbill Wreathed hornbill Red-billed hornbill Common hoopoe Coppersmith barbet Lineated barbet Red-throated barbet Great barbet Collared falconet Cockatiel White cockatoo Sulphur-crested cockatoo Goffin's cockatoo Grey parrot Yellow-naped amazon Green-cheeked amazon Hyacinth macaw Blue-and-yellow macaw Scarlet macaw Military macaw Sun parakeet Burrowing parrot Red-shouldered macaw Yellow-backed lorikeet Black-capped lory Vernal hanging parrot Eclectus parrot Moustached parakeet Grey-headed parakeet Blossom-headed parakeet Red-winged parrot Mangrove pitta Fairy-bluebird Golden-fronted leafbird Blue-winged leafbird Red avadavat Pin-tailed parrotfinch Chestnut munia Java finch Amazonian umbrellabird Racket-tailed drongo Green magpie Jungle crow Red-billed blue magpie Red-whiskered bulbul Everett's white-eye White-crested laughingthrush White-vented myna Common myna Pied starling Chestnut-tailed starling White-shouldered starling Golden-crested myna Philippine glossy starling Common hill myna Oriental magpie robin
Reptiles
Alligator snapping turtle Red-eared slider African spurred tortoise Indian star tortoise Elongated tortoise Burmese black tortoise Leopard tortoise Southeast Asian box tortoise Asian leaf turtle Yellow-headed temple turtle Giant Asian pond turtle Malaysian giant turtle Black marsh turtle Big-headed turtle Fly river turtle Eastern long-necked turtle Mata mata Acanthosaura armata Hydrosaurus amboinensis
In August of the same year, the zoo announced a temporary suspension of Bua Noi's public viewing sessions to allow her more time to rest.
Gallery
References
External links Facebook page Pata Zoo in Bangkok, Thailand (video)