The long weekend is attracting even larger crowds than usual to see the celebrity pygmy hippo Moo Deng with traffic to Khao Kheow Open Zoo backed up over five kilometres on Saturday.
Road jams were reported across Chon Buri province on Saturday, with the epicentre traced to the zoo, which is located 40 kilometres northeast of Pattaya city.
The extended weekend from Saturday to Monday is bringing a surge in visitors to the zoo, which has been handling large crowds of local and international tourists since Moo Deng’s birth on July 10. Monday is the substitution holiday for His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej Memorial Day, which falls on Oct 13.
The end-of-term school holidays also mean more families are heading to the zoo. There have been some complaints that the five-minute time limit on viewings of Moo Deng is too restrictive, as most visitors now have to wait for hours to see her.
Some families present at the zoo …