Bangkok’s Beloved Suan Siam Theme Park Closes for Good After Flood Damage
For many Bangkok residents, their first real look at the ocean came not from a beach but from Suan Siam, the sprawling amusement park also known as Siam Amazing Park. News that the 46-year-old attraction will close permanently after severe flood damage has left many people in the capital heartbroken.
One resident told ThaiPBS World: “I went as a kindergartener, then as a teenager, and again as a young adult. It gave me so many memories that still bring a smile. I hope it reopens so I can visit once more.”
A Park Known as the “Sea of Bangkok”
Covering more than 300 rai (48 hectares) in the Khan Na Yao district, Suan Siam earned the nickname “Sea of Bangkok” from its well-known advertising, which showcased its enormous pool. That pool, which spans over 13,600 square metres, was recognised by Guinness World Records in 2009 as the largest wave pool in the world.
Another highlight was the Rainbow Slide. Standing 21 metres tall, it was once considered the tallest water slide of its kind anywhere on Earth.
Fun That Ordinary Families Could Afford
Self-made real estate tycoon Chaiwat Luang-amornlert founded the park, which offered a wide range of attractions. Among them was a double-decker carousel that appeared in the music video for “Click” by Blackpink star Jisoo.
Rides were plentiful and prices were low. Before the floods overwhelmed the grounds, an adult could get in for as little as 300 baht, down from 1,000 baht, simply by handing over three bottle labels from Coca-Cola, Sprite, or Fanta at the gate.
The venue was rebranded as Siam Amazing Park in 2019, but it kept Chaiwat’s original goal of giving Thai families affordable fun.
Over the decades, the park collected many honours, including the Thailand Tourism Award and a place among Forbes magazine’s top theme parks in Asia, alongside its Guinness recognition.
A Difficult Financial Road
Despite its popularity, Suan Siam never made much money, since its tickets were so cheap. Chaiwat said he had sold off other pieces of land over the years just to keep the gates open.
“What I received in return was happiness,” he said. “Every time I walked through the park, people greeted me with smiles.”
The park also faced two serious safety incidents in quick succession. In October 2007, a sudden power cut shut down the water pumps on the Indiana Log Ride, and two log carriages plunged down the dry channel. A 35-year-old woman died, and five others were injured, four of them children. The ride was permanently closed.
Less than four months later, on Children’s Day (12 January 2008), a support collapsed on the three-storey Super Spiral water slide. Twenty-eight children were hurt, and four of them were hospitalised with severe injuries.
The Final Chapter
Through every setback, Chaiwat’s family kept pushing forward. The park turned a profit of 1 million baht in 2018, but financial shortfalls returned in 2019 and grew worse over time. Losses reached 164.5 million baht in 2023, 139 million baht in 2024, and 145.7 million baht in 2025.
Even as the finances deteriorated, management stayed hopeful. Only weeks before the September floods, the team launched a campaign inviting K-pop fans to visit locations featured in Jisoo’s music video.
After the park was submerged late last month, Chaiwat still hoped that emergency funding or a bank loan would allow his family to rebuild. When no financial lifeline appeared, he let go of the dream he had nurtured for nearly half a century.
He has now put a 10-billion-baht price tag on the property, hoping a new buyer will step forward to refurbish and restore the landmark that so many Thais remember fondly.