Sea Life & Madame Tussauds: Two of the Best Places to Visit in Bangkok

Sea Life, a fascinating aquarium, and deceptively real, life-sized wax figures await you at Madame Tussauds – two of the best places to visit in Bangkok.

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Philipp Meier
16 March 2023
credit: Sea Life Bangkok

The best places to visit in Bangkok are conveniently located. Think of the city center, and shopping havens like Central World and MBK spring to mind. Your Bangkok itinerary would be incomplete without visiting these gigantic malls, which house over 2,000 stalls, cafes, restaurants, and department stores.

The countless fashion shops aside, the proud flagship of Siam Discovery is Madame Tussauds, an interactive museum with life-sized wax figures of people who have shot to stardom, making for great selfies. And an underwater glass tunnel provides a fascinating aquarium experience at Sea Life Bangkok Ocean World, accommodated in the ritzy shopping mall of Siam Paragon. Both Sea Life and Madame Tussauds are included in the TAGTHAi City Pass.

Read on and get the vicarious thrill of seeing sharks and luminaries up close. 


Sea Life Bangkok Ocean World



Situated on Siam Paragon’s basement floor, Sea Life is one of the top attractions to explore in Thailand’s metropolis brimming with life. Picture a 1,000-pound-weighing sawfish gliding freely above your head as you stand in the 270-degree tunnel made of glass. Also called carpenter sharks, these shark-like rays have entirely flat bottoms and conspicuously spiked snouts, growing ever more teeth as they get older.

Just as mesmerizing as these shy, tropical ray fish are sand tiger sharks. Imagine the hair-raising sight of their pointy teeth. And black tip reef sharks and nurse sharks with their funny mustaches add to the fun experience. Corals as colorful as a bunch of flowers and tentacles of sea anemones swaying in the current provide a backdrop to 8,000 marine species, from clownfish and octopuses to seahorses and crabs. 

One of the best places to visit in Bangkok, Sea Life’s tanks boasts a peaceful atmosphere unrivaled in Thailand’s capital. Sit down and take a moment to observe fish swimming by idly. 

Do you want to get even closer to fish than in the ocean tunnel? Riding a glass-bottom boat, you can watch employees hand-feed sharks and stingrays as they educate travelers on their behavior. You’ll also love the interactive area, where staff members allow visitors to hold starfish and touch the soft, leathery skin of sea cucumbers. Aside from fish, you’ll encounter amphibians, reptiles, otters, and penguins, and there’s a wealth of knowledge available regarding the various species.


Various Zones

Sea Life in Bangkok is divided into 11 aquarium zones like Rainforest Adventure, Rockpools, Tropical Ocean, and more. 

Be warned you’ll have to drag your kids when it’s time to leave the Penguin Ice Playground, a place for little ones as well as adults. You’ll fall in love with Humboldt and King Penguins waddling around awkwardly. And the Gentoos, the speediest and third-largest species of penguins, are as swift as an arrow. Watch these adorable creatures dive down and dart at 22 miles an hour before jumping nearly two meters into the air as they fly out of the water. Surrounded by snow and frosty air nipping at your cheeks, you’ll almost feel as though you were in the Antarctic Complete with coral reefs, beyond-the-surface experiences to learn about the wellbeing of the animals, plus a thrilling 4D Cinema, this is an underwater paradise for families.

Don’t like ticket queues? You can skip the row with your unique QR Code, a benefit that includes both Sea Life Bangkok Ocean World and Madame Tussauds. Bear in mind that you need to make a reservation in the TAGTHAi app.

 


Madame Tussauds

Just 400 meters from the upscale shopping center of Siam Paragon, you’ll find another must-see attraction in Bangkok: Madame Tussauds. Bangkok’s version of Madame Tussauds houses over 90 wax figures of film stars and icons that shaped and influenced Thailand, Asia, and beyond. The historical wax museum chain has been popular for more than 200 years, and rightly so. 

Row upon row of human-sized wax replicas of local and international stars are simply too real; you can almost hear them speak. The icing on the cake? The interactive games and puzzles that live up to Madame Tussaud’s reputation as a museum like no other. Thanks to these features, you can hug and kiss famous people. Whether you touch, caress, or even play with celebs like Leonardo di Caprio, you’re guaranteed to come away with memorable pictures.

Imagine challenging Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney on penalty shoot-outs. Thanks to hands-on stations for playing tennis and dancing, you can do pretty much what you want. Chat on the phone in the Oval Office with Obama, or perform on stage with Justin Bieber. You can help save lives with Wolverine, the fabled character with his gruff disposition. His violent claws are an eye-catcher and perfect for a close-up photo. 

Dive into this wax world, and you’ll immerse yourself in the realm of the rich and celebrated. Strolling along the themed galleries, you’ll experience the moments that brought them fame. Madonna appears to be singing “Like a Prayer,” and Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” comes alive. You’ll find wax figures across the board, including classical celebrities like Beethoven. Music, Film, Bollywood, Sport, TV, and the A-List – these categories make up a great mix of Thai, Asian, and the usual celebrities Madame Tussauds is known for. 

Are you wondering how to get here? Jump on the rumbling BTS sky train and get off at Siam Station. Head to the sixth floor of the Siam Discovery Center and tick one of the best places to visit in Bangkok off your bucket list. 




Are you looking for more trip ideas? Our blog posts, Exploring Bangkok – 5 Fun and Wacky Things to DoThe 9 Most Exciting Piers in Bangkok, and How to Spend 3 Days with TAGTHAi’s Bangkok City Pass, will provide the inspiration.