Chiang Mai - Siam Insect Zoo

Date of Exploration : 17 Dec 2011

Opened on 1 Oct 2006 by the Ek-Amnuay family of insectologists, the Siam Insect Zoo (SIZ) is a must-see when in Chiang Mai for creepy crawlie lovers. Or those seeking to overcome being squirmish around one of nature's most spectacular creations.

The insectarium may look simple and rather rundown but its unpretentious set-up provided an air of rustic casualness that befits the mission of insect appreciation. It feels more Indiana Jonesy inspecting insect specimens in this somewhat 'wild' setting than in a modern, concrete, air-conditioned room. Kinda like seeing a lion in a zoo versus an African safari.

Tucked along a scenic road, the Siam Insect Zoo is best reached by taking a taxi. Entry Fee : 200 bht (Adult). Opening Hours : 9am - 5pm daily.

The Siam Insect Zoo is a hidden gem of Chiang Mai that showcases an amazing collection of live insects as well as a comprehensive selection of specimens across the various insect taxonomy.

Thailand has an estimated 87,500 indigenous animal species and 50% belong to the insect family. I enjoyed how the exhibits were not always neatly fixed to a wall but you can pick up a jar or specimen box.

Let me give your face a hug... the Nephila Maculata photographed here is a species of Golden Orb-Web Spider commonly found in Asian forests from India to China, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, even to north Australia. With its legs fully stretched, it's as big as my face!

The best part of the Siam Insect Zoo is its amazing collection of live insects that you can interact with! Most insectariums have a see-no-touch policy or they have only a very small collection that they allow visitors to hold in their hands.

Caterpillar of the Blue Tiger Butterfly but I think it should be nicknamed the Jail Suit Catepillar. Heh heh.



I've not seen so many different species of live catepillars at one place and the really awesome part was being able to feel them crawling on my hand!

SIZ has quite a few mini mantises for visitors to get upclose with. I've never seen a mantis so small (about the size of a 5 cents coin) yet so brilliantly coloured.

First time seeing a live Pink Orchid Mantis... so incredibly beautiful and delicate.

The mantis was very bewitching to watch but hard to find once it escaped. I was equally smitten with Casio Exilim EX-ZR100's Super Macro Mode which made macro insect photography so much fun! All photos in this post are shot with the compact camera.

Within the zoo is also a butterfly enclosure but there weren't many fluttering around.

In Thai, butterfly is called 'phi seu'. 'Phi' is Thai for ghost and 'seu' means shirt. Thai for insect is 'malaeng', which is the name is SIZ's website.

Blue Tiger (Tirumala Limniace) Butterfly.

The bizzare and cool Leaf Insect (a.k.a. Walking Leaf). A 47 million fossilised record suggests that the insect has been around for a long time and has changed very little from its ancestors.

An open scorpion pit at SIZ had hordes of these nightmarish crawlies waiting to get to know visitors.

The species found at SIZ are the common Asian Forest Scorpions that belong to a family of giant scorpions capable of growing up to 20cm! 

Though it looks fearsome, this species is actually quite docile. The Asian Forest Scorpion venom is not fatal to human but the sting still delivers a nasty pain.

I was thrilled silly to be able to hold the scorpions and pose for photos with them.

I can get lost for hours in insectariums but since I was with company, the visit was over in under an hour. We were fortunate that it wasn't peak tourism season so we practically had the place to ourselves without having to compete with other tourists for photo opportunities with the insect attractions.

Of all the butterfly farms, parks, enclosures, and insectariums I've been to so far in Singapore, Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong and Bangkok, I would say that Siam Insect Zoo offered the best upclose and personal encounters in account of the variety of insects I could get my hands on!

Related Posts :

Bangkok Butterfly Garden & Insectarium
Kuala Lumpur Butterfly Park
Penang Butterfly Farm
Sentosa Butterfly Park & Insect Kingdom
MacroMania!
Hong Kong Wetland Park

Is central Bangkok flooded huh?

While everybody is asking whether it is safe to visit Bangkok in the wake of the kingdom's most crippling flood in 50 years, I decided to go see for myself.

And I'm happy to report, everything is as per normal in central Bangkok!

View from Mo Chit BTS Station looking out to the city skyline framed by the roof of a multi-storey carpark. It's business as usual in Bangkok.

In the weeks leading up to my trip, I watched the news very closely and was worried over how many pairs of swimming trunks to bring. And also the health risks following severe inundation. I was expecting chaos.

But instead, nothing has changed except for visibly fewer tourists and tons of sand bags. My flights there and back were largely unoccupied and the streets seem quieter.

Many shop fronts were lined with sandbags in a better-safe-than-sorry bid against potential flooding.

I had wanted to plan some self-exploratory sightseeing tours but faced with the uncertainty in weather and flood situation, I decided to stay put in central Bangkok and explore the streets instead.

So armed with the Casio Exilim ZR100, I ventured into backlanes and roads unfamiliar to feel a pulse of Bangkok off the usual touristy track. This post is a conglomerate of Bangkok streetscapes and musings captured during the explorations from the day I touched down to the night before I left.

I hope you'll enjoy this series of images and travel anecdotes.

Bangkok Through the Lens of EX-ZR100

The photos are not arranged in any particular manner but I try to group them according to location, themes (eg. architecture, street photography) or subject matter (eg. animals, plants, food) to string together a story of my encounters.

Most of the shots were taken at and around Bang Rak distirct where I stayed during the trip, and some new perspectives of old places I'm seeing for the first time.

Exterior of Suvarnabhumi Airport. I've not seen this perspective although I've passed through the airport several times. I think it is one of the world's most beautiful modern airports.

Cheapest, and perhaps the fastest way to get from Suvarnabhumi Airport to the city center is by the Airport Rail Link (Express). It costs 90bht one way and takes about 15 minutes.

Frozen in flight is an assembly of white birds within a small park outside the airport. This photo of the 2 shadows symbolises the freedom to fly and explore the world with EX-ZR100. The arches formed by my arms represent wings of a bird.

One the worst hit during the flood was the auto manufacturing industry with hundreds of new cars submerged and factories damaged.

Central Bangkok gets the tourism green light. In the middle is the majestic Bangkok State Tower. The streetscape of Bangkok is an odd mix of tired vacant buildings juxtaposed with up-class complexes.

Came across the Bangkok Post Office building situated at Charoen Krung Road. The sky was heavily pregnant with clouds but there was a break just above the post office with sun rays pouring down. It seemed like heaven had a delivery :) 

Very interestingly patterned building visages found along Surasak Road. The yellow one with the disc-shaped windows belonged to Holiday Inn Bangkok. So groovy and retro!

The ultra chic CentralWorld Shopping Mall which was previously the World Trade Center. It was set on fire last year by the Red Shirts during an anti-government protest. Good to see that it has been reinstated.

Thai Red Cross charter in Bangkok. Came to do a HIV blood test after reading about it online. Test result : Negative. Will post more about it in a dedicated blog entry about the experience.

Thailand is famous for her many extravagantly decorated wats that shout of architectural flambouyance. So it was quite a break to come across the understated, old-school Sathorn Church.

Wandered into a backstreet market near Bangkok's Shangri-La Hotel. The girls were missing 1 more player. I would've joined in, but I didn't want to come back to Singapore horizontally.

[Bridge Roof]. This man turned a corner under a bridge into his home. I wonder what was he thinking about lying there, oblivious to me taking his photos.

[Bridge Woof]. On the pedestrian bridge where the photo of the vagrant was taken was this dog  taking a nap.

Angry birds! The red-eyed pigeons look so fierce. Shot with the one-touch High Speed (HS) function as the pigeons were very fidgety and it was hard to get them in focus with normal mode. 

Don't know the name of this wat near Saphan Taksin BTS Station but it leads to a floating platform on Chao Phraya River. A pretty good spot for sunset over the river shots.

Wat you sweeping? Sweeping nothing is clearing something, and sweeping something is clearing nothing. Okay, that's a weak attempt at exemplifying the 色即是空，空即是色 Buddhist mantra. This temple, again don't know its name, is near Siam BTS Station.



Catching shadow and light with HDR mode.



Spotted these roses left by devotees for the four-faced Buddha statue in front of CentralWorld Shopping Mall and loved how the water was trailing from one of them. Shot in HDR mode as the roses were very dark when contrasted with the sky at this low angle.

Attempt at creating an abstract shot with water flowing over 2 leaves stuck on the wall. Shot in High Speed (HS) mode to achieve sharpness of the rapid current.

Goofying it up with a pair of vanity frames at the famous Jatuchak Weekend Market.

Relaxing over a cuppa at the destination for wholesale bargains, Platinum Mall. I was having this white tea at Black Canyon Coffee. White-black, tea-coffee... it's an afternoon of polarity.

Tom yum kung... My fave Thai soup. I have a bowl on a daily basis whenever I visit Thailand. A-roy khrup!

Another of my favourite while in Thailand. I'll hunt down roadside stalls that sell these delicious snacks. Unfortunately, they aren't readily available and usually it's a matter of luck to chance upon an insect street seller. I've yet to come across one that sells scorpions.

Let's play a game of Where's Wally. But try and spot the cam whore in this photo instead. Saw that person? Shot in Premium Auto mode with -1EV (exposure value) to underexpose the sky so that the mild sunset colours can appear richer. However, the evening hues still looked rather distreet. I should've tried -2EV.

Walking on water is no longer a miracle with these floatation spheres at the Sam Yan Fun Fair!

Used to love thrill rides but as I got older, they kinda frighten me. From the ground, the City Hopper ride looked rather mild, but oh, how wrong I was! This amusement contraption is the kind that makes you change your underwear after riding it. 

Time always seem to zoom pass so quickly when in Bangkok. So many things to do, so much to shoot. The impression of each visit always leave a memory longer and larger than the actual encounters themselves. Shot in Manual mode (f/3.0, 0.3 sec, ISO 800). I was surprised the photo turned out pretty sharp enough though the exposure time was long and it's a handheld shot.

There's always a tinge of sadness when it comes time to depart from Bangkok but these images will remind me of the delightful discoveries I made during this trip.

All photos in this post have been shot with Casio Exilim ZR100 with basic Photoshop post processing done. The photos show how the camera performs in a variety of situations and imaging needs with wonderful results. Can't wait to shoot my next destination with it!

For more photos taken with the camera, please visit my album A Month with Casio Exilim ZR100.

Singapore - Merlion Park at Marina Bay

, Surrounded by iconic buildings and structures on all sides, the Marina Bay basin is perhaps the most Singapore of Singapore. Some of the definitive architecture found within this waterfront neighbourhood include the Singapore Flyer, Art Science Museum, Marina Bay Sands, URA City Gallery, Merlion Park, Esplanade Bridge and Esplanade Theatre.

Shot with EX-ZR100 Panoramic mode.

The marina is beautiful when viewed or photographed from any angle day or night. But when it comes to getting a photographic perspective that is unmistakably Singapore, then a visit to the Merlion Park is a must.

Home to our nation's tourism Mascot, the Merlion, the coastal park includes a viewing deck that offers a great vantage point to take in all of Marina Bay.

Sunrise at Marina Bay. Shot with EX-ZR100 HDR-Art mode.

But more than just an ideal spot to snap evidence of having been to Singapore, I recently discovered that the Merlion Park can be quite a nice location to shoot an urban sunrise.

Simulating the golden hues of a sunset at 7:06am with EX-ZR100 Best Shot (Sunset) mode. 

To shoot sunrise, I arrived at the park at around 6.45am. A few photogs were prowling the area for shots too while early risers sweated in and out of my shots during their morning jogs and workouts.

Can't fight the yellow railings so decided to make use of their shadows to compose this shot. Taken in HDR mode of the EX-ZR100.

The moment I arrived at the park, a major "Aaaaarrrrgggghhhh!!!" escaped my breath. There's nothing more agonising than making that extra effort to wake up before dawn, taking the first bus, enduring hunger, only to find an ugly argh-gly yellow barricade marring the shots.

I wonder when will the railings be removed.

Framed against the towering skyscrapers of the Central Business District (CBD), this is the quinessential angle to take a "I was here in Singapore" shot.

The 8.6m Merlion statue at the park is the original. There are 4 other replicas of varying sizes found in around Singapore. This signature Singaporean symbol was designed by Fraser Brunner in 1964, a curator with the now defunct Van Cleef Aquarium.

The statue was made and installed at the mouth of Singapore River in 1972.

Another view of the Merlion with the Esplanade Theatre's beloved durian roof and Marina Square in the background.

The current location of the Merlion is not the original. After the Esplanade Bridge was built in 1997, view of the statue was blocked. So it was shifted to the Merlion Park in 2002.

As its name suggests, the Merlion is half fish (to represent Singapore's origin as a fishing village) and half lion (an allusion to Singapore's early name, Singapura, which means Lion City).

Met a couple who was walking and taking photos of their dog. And the owner is using the same camera as me! The Casio Exilim ZR100.

Such a fine looking dog with a good nature. I would never dream of Joy and Rainbow, my Min Pin and Jack Russell, to sit still for me to photograph. I think this is a puppy Golden Retriever.

A cub statue sitting behind the larger one welcomes visitors to the park.

The Merlion has sort of become a figure of speech for us locals. When someone is puking a lot, we say that person is doing the Merlion.

Here's an example of how to use it in speech : "I was so drunk, I was Merlioning the whole night." It was once my frequently used sentence.

Esplanade Bridge with City Hall in the distanced marked by the very tall Swissotel The Stamford.

Underneath the Esplanade Bridge. Shot with EX-ZR100 HDR-Art mode.

The bridge offers a spectacular vanishing point for perspective shots. I shot this with the HDR-Art mode and no Photoshop enhancements have been done to it.

Apart from the Merlion Park, don't forget to get under the Esplanade Bridge to take some amazing perspective photos. The above image was taken at 8:05am. I think that's a good time to shoot because the rising sun rays filtered in under the bridge and hit the water surface causing a textured reflection on the bridge walls.

Can see how shack I looked and my eyes were puffy from lack of sleep. And my hair...

Haven't done sunrise photography in a long time because I'm not the bird-that-catchesthe-worm sort. But this impromptu shootout has rekindled my interest.

By 8.30am, troops of tourists were marching in. I'm always happy to see visitors to my homeland, but it was beginning to get harder to get clean scenic shots without hats and umbrellas blocking my view.

What a glorious day for photography but alas, my EX-ZR100 was running out of juice. It was time to retire the camera like these drained leaves shot in HDR-Art mode.

I hope this post has given you an insight about shooting sunrise at one of Singapore's key tourist attraction.

All photos have been shot with Casio Exilim ZR100 with minimal Photoshop post-processing done. I'm using the camera as part of a blogging challenge to explore its capabilities.