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[rooster59]

Dolphin Bay Phuket dolphinarium opens

PHUKET: More than 200 people arrived this morning to witness the opening first show of the new marine park.

The show started at 10:30am, with many parents bringing their children to view the spectacle of Earth’s most intelligent sea creatures, guided by trainers, performing tricks and aerial stunts with balls and hoops.

Many of the visitors at the morning show, which was reserved exclusively for Thais, gave glowing reviews of the performance to The Phuket News reporter at the scene.

Supreecha Suthamanondh, General Manager of Phuket Aqua Project Co Ltd, told The Phuket News that the venue was to present only a one-off premiere today, but demand saw a second show performed at 2pm.

The venue will present two shows tomorrow (Nov 1), with the afternoon show reserved for foreigners only.

Read more...http://www.thephuketnews.com/dolphin-bay-phuket-dolphinarium-opens-54769.php

-- Phuket News 2015-11-01

[FBlue72]

Shows reserved for Thais only, then foreigners? Aside from dual pricing to patrons, are the dolphins giving different performances ?

[steelepulse]

Shows reserved for Thais only, then foreigners? Aside from dual pricing to patrons, are the dolphins giving different performances ?

>> are the dolphins giving different performances

What do you think?

[LivinginKata]

So I guess Hans was not allowed in for this soft opening performance

[Pinot]

I'm really surprised the Thai government allowed this abortion to open (I'm kidding, I'm not surprised)

[sendintheclowns]

Wonderful, very smart and gentle mammals. Wicked humans, who operate these buninesses, can't have much respect for those who support this and other shows (example Patong Tiger show) by attending, with their children. Im a reasonable guy; I'm all for beaches full of virgins, former virgins and those verging on trans-virginhood.

[hansgruber]

So I guess Hans was not allowed in for this soft opening performance

Went there today. Its packed with thais.

Dual pricing is very bad. 200 baht for thais and kids free. I got in for the 200 baht after showing my thai licence.

Farang is 1200 baht and farang kids 700 baht.

They even have private swimming with dolphins. 3000 baht all the way up to 6000 baht.

Over all the show and tricks are good but the act needs polishing.

Never knew dolphins were so strong and could throw a man 3 or 4 metres into the air.

Its nothing more than a tourist trap but was worth the 200 baht.

[LivinginKata]

So I guess Hans was not allowed in for this soft opening performance

Went there today. Its packed with thais.

Dual pricing is very bad. 200 baht for thais and kids free. I got in for the 200 baht after showing my thai licence.

Farang is 1200 baht and farang kids 700 baht.

They even have private swimming with dolphins. 3000 baht all the way up to 6000 baht.

Over all the show and tricks are good but the act needs polishing.

Never knew dolphins were so strong and could throw a man 3 or 4 metres into the air.

Its nothing more than a tourist trap but was worth the 200 baht.

Thank you for responding. To be honest I had thought/assumed the soft opening limited to Thais would have been free of charge.

They won't be getting my 200 baht. And 1,200 baht is a total rip off. Up to 6,000 baht to swim with a caged dolpin - jeez ...

[hansgruber]

So I guess Hans was not allowed in for this soft opening performance

Went there today. Its packed with thais.

Dual pricing is very bad. 200 baht for thais and kids free. I got in for the 200 baht after showing my thai licence.

Farang is 1200 baht and farang kids 700 baht.

They even have private swimming with dolphins. 3000 baht all the way up to 6000 baht.

Over all the show and tricks are good but the act needs polishing.

Never knew dolphins were so strong and could throw a man 3 or 4 metres into the air.

Its nothing more than a tourist trap but was worth the 200 baht.

Thank you for responding. To be honest I had thought/assumed the soft opening limited to Thais would have been free of charge.

They won't be getting my 200 baht. And 1,200 baht is a total rip off. Up to 6,000 baht to swim with a caged dolpin - jeez ...

I think there are more cruel things happening with animals on the island. Look at the shocking conditions in the zoo next door and the Aquarium at Cape Panwa and dont forget the chained elephants at the camps all over the island.

Not sure why the Dolphin show is being singled out as the facilities are quite good for keeping them. Its clean and the handlers are professional. They even have a in house vet.

Go take a look. Dont jump on the outrage train without seeing it first hand.

[sawadee1947]

It's a shame and a crime to hold the dolphins in prison.....

[NamKangMan]

So I guess Hans was not allowed in for this soft opening performance

Went there today. Its packed with thais.

Dual pricing is very bad. 200 baht for thais and kids free. I got in for the 200 baht after showing my thai licence.

Farang is 1200 baht and farang kids 700 baht.

They even have private swimming with dolphins. 3000 baht all the way up to 6000 baht.

Over all the show and tricks are good but the act needs polishing.

Never knew dolphins were so strong and could throw a man 3 or 4 metres into the air.

Its nothing more than a tourist trap but was worth the 200 baht.

How long did the show go for?

[hansgruber]

So I guess Hans was not allowed in for this soft opening performance

Went there today. Its packed with thais.

Dual pricing is very bad. 200 baht for thais and kids free. I got in for the 200 baht after showing my thai licence.

Farang is 1200 baht and farang kids 700 baht.

They even have private swimming with dolphins. 3000 baht all the way up to 6000 baht.

Over all the show and tricks are good but the act needs polishing.

Never knew dolphins were so strong and could throw a man 3 or 4 metres into the air.

Its nothing more than a tourist trap but was worth the 200 baht.

How long did the show go for?

3 shows a day. 10.30, 2pm and 5pm. Last about 1 hour.

Then they have the private swim with dolphins outside the main arena.

I dont claim to like it but i dont see what the opposition is all about. They seem well cared for and interact well with their trainers. Better than a mahoot clubbing his disobedient elephant with a metal hook/sickle or a tigers chained to a cold concrete floor.

All the activists were just full of hot air. Unemployed dive masters with too much time on their hands. If they really cared they would be at the venue protesting.

It was just the trendy thing to click like about on facebook at that time.

[CharlieH]

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[CharlieH]

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[NamKangMan]

So I guess Hans was not allowed in for this soft opening performance

Went there today. Its packed with thais.

Dual pricing is very bad. 200 baht for thais and kids free. I got in for the 200 baht after showing my thai licence.

Farang is 1200 baht and farang kids 700 baht.

They even have private swimming with dolphins. 3000 baht all the way up to 6000 baht.

Over all the show and tricks are good but the act needs polishing.

Never knew dolphins were so strong and could throw a man 3 or 4 metres into the air.

Its nothing more than a tourist trap but was worth the 200 baht.

How long did the show go for?

3 shows a day. 10.30, 2pm and 5pm. Last about 1 hour.

Then they have the private swim with dolphins outside the main arena.

I dont claim to like it but i dont see what the opposition is all about. They seem well cared for and interact well with their trainers. Better than a mahoot clubbing his disobedient elephant with a metal hook/sickle or a tigers chained to a cold concrete floor.

All the activists were just full of hot air. Unemployed dive masters with too much time on their hands. If they really cared they would be at the venue protesting.

It was just the trendy thing to click like about on facebook at that time.

So, let's say a foreign family of 4 (2 adults - 2 kids) want to go.

They're probably looking at an average of 1000 baht there, and 1000 baht back, possibly more on the return, for transport. Then, 3800 baht for entry.

So, approximately 5800 baht for a 1 hour dolphin show. More for swims, photos, souvenirs etc.

Was there any food and / or beverage there? Any idea on prices?

I'm wondering if it will be a viable tourism business, based on price, not personal objection.

Edited November 1, 2015 by NamKangMan

[merijn]

So I guess Hans was not allowed in for this soft opening performance

Went there today. Its packed with thais.

Dual pricing is very bad. 200 baht for thais and kids free. I got in for the 200 baht after showing my thai licence.

Farang is 1200 baht and farang kids 700 baht.

They even have private swimming with dolphins. 3000 baht all the way up to 6000 baht.

Over all the show and tricks are good but the act needs polishing.

Never knew dolphins were so strong and could throw a man 3 or 4 metres into the air.

Its nothing more than a tourist trap but was worth the 200 baht.

How long did the show go for?

3 shows a day. 10.30, 2pm and 5pm. Last about 1 hour.

Then they have the private swim with dolphins outside the main arena.

I dont claim to like it but i dont see what the opposition is all about. They seem well cared for and interact well with their trainers. Better than a mahoot clubbing his disobedient elephant with a metal hook/sickle or a tigers chained to a cold concrete floor.

All the activists were just full of hot air. Unemployed dive masters with too much time on their hands. If they really cared they would be at the venue protesting.

It was just the trendy thing to click like about on facebook at that time.

Hans i have a lot of respect for you but on this occasion i totally disagree with you.

It is very well documented and accepted that high intellect animals like dolphins should not be kept in captivity.

A lot of people and companies on Phuket and outside of Phuket are against keeping animals for personal gain and pleasure.

This also counts for other places as mentioned by you.

One look will tell you that Phuket zoo for example is a terrible place for the animals.

We will see how the Dolphin Bay looks like in a year or so.

It is very simple to say that all people who are against this are full of hot air, i expected more from you.

[hansgruber]

So I guess Hans was not allowed in for this soft opening performance

Went there today. Its packed with thais.

Dual pricing is very bad. 200 baht for thais and kids free. I got in for the 200 baht after showing my thai licence.

Farang is 1200 baht and farang kids 700 baht.

They even have private swimming with dolphins. 3000 baht all the way up to 6000 baht.

Over all the show and tricks are good but the act needs polishing.

Never knew dolphins were so strong and could throw a man 3 or 4 metres into the air.

Its nothing more than a tourist trap but was worth the 200 baht.

How long did the show go for?

3 shows a day. 10.30, 2pm and 5pm. Last about 1 hour.

Then they have the private swim with dolphins outside the main arena.

I dont claim to like it but i dont see what the opposition is all about. They seem well cared for and interact well with their trainers. Better than a mahoot clubbing his disobedient elephant with a metal hook/sickle or a tigers chained to a cold concrete floor.

All the activists were just full of hot air. Unemployed dive masters with too much time on their hands. If they really cared they would be at the venue protesting.

It was just the trendy thing to click like about on facebook at that time.

So, let's say a foreign family of 4 (2 adults - 2 kids) want to go.

They're probably looking at an average of 1000 baht there, and 1000 baht back, possibly more on the return, for transport. Then, 3800 baht for entry.

So, approximately 5800 baht for a 1 hour dolphin show. More for swims, photos, souvenirs etc.

Was there any food and / or beverage there? Any idea on prices?

I'm wondering if it will be a viable tourism business, based on price, not personal objection.

Its 1200 baht for adults (farang) and 700 baht for kids(farang) for entry.

200 baht for adult thais and free for thai kids.

Dolphin swimming starts at 3200 up to 6000 baht.

Food and drinks are basic. Its not designed to dine. Like a kiosk.

Im sure it will do well based on the numbers there today but who knows and i dont care.

[hansgruber]

So I guess Hans was not allowed in for this soft opening performance

Went there today. Its packed with thais.
Dual pricing is very bad. 200 baht for thais and kids free. I got in for the 200 baht after showing my thai licence.
Farang is 1200 baht and farang kids 700 baht.
They even have private swimming with dolphins. 3000 baht all the way up to 6000 baht.
Over all the show and tricks are good but the act needs polishing.
Never knew dolphins were so strong and could throw a man 3 or 4 metres into the air.

Its nothing more than a tourist trap but was worth the 200 baht.

How long did the show go for?

3 shows a day. 10.30, 2pm and 5pm. Last about 1 hour.
Then they have the private swim with dolphins outside the main arena.
I dont claim to like it but i dont see what the opposition is all about. They seem well cared for and interact well with their trainers. Better than a mahoot clubbing his disobedient elephant with a metal hook/sickle or a tigers chained to a cold concrete floor.

All the activists were just full of hot air. Unemployed dive masters with too much time on their hands. If they really cared they would be at the venue protesting.
It was just the trendy thing to click like about on facebook at that time.

Hans i have a lot of respect for you but on this occasion i totally disagree with you.
It is very well documented and accepted that high intellect animals like dolphins should not be kept in captivity.
A lot of people and companies on Phuket and outside of Phuket are against keeping animals for personal gain and pleasure.
This also counts for other places as mentioned by you.
One look will tell you that Phuket zoo for example is a terrible place for the animals.
We will see how the Dolphin Bay looks like in a year or so.

It is very simple to say that all people who are against this are full of hot air, i expected more from you.

Monkeys are intelligent animals and are kept everywhere in Phuket. For tourism and work purposes.
Why is that not causing a stir?

The dolphins are well cared for and the russian trainers are devoted to them as the show indicates.
Why not take look and make judgements for yourself instead of jumping on the bandwagon like a sheep following the flock.

If it was cruel conditions and terrible i would be honest and post that but it isnt.

[NamKangMan]

@ hg

As far as food / beverage, I meant, can you buy an ice cream, soft drink, beer etc there - not dine there.

Like I said, with a drink and / or ice cream included, over 6000 baht for a a foreign family of 4, for a 1 hour show, might see it fail anyway.

I agree with merijin in that, what you saw there today, may very well not be the nice conditions there a year from now, if the business lasts that long.

Edited November 1, 2015 by NamKangMan

[merijn]

Good or bad facilities doesn't really matter,

Dolphins don't belong IMHO in a bathtub.

[BestBitterPhuket]

My wife and kids went there and it was brilliant! They were very happy. Ok, it is not as good as what you find in Florida or Hong Kong, but much better than expected.

The hypocrites opposing this, with almost religious fanatism, should be ashamed. There will now be hundreds of thousands of Thai children who will have a newfound interest and love for Dolphins and sea lions. The awareness created about these animals are worth a lot more than the tourist dollars. And there are many other "highly intelligent animals" in cages as well, such as pigs, which are more intelligent than Dolphins, but the dolphin and whale fanatics will still eat their pork chops without hesitation. If I were a dolphin, I would much rather stay in a safe and well managed facility like this, instead of swimming around in a polluted and overfished ocean where the risk of becoming a victim to propellers and drift nets is all to real.

[madmitch]

It'll soon be on the tour bus trail and this income alone will be sufficient to keep this attraction going.

And the taxi drivers and tour operators have another lucrative commission-earning opportunity.

[FBlue72]

So will Chinese be charged as farang I wonder? Who knows, the dolphinarium could finally put to rest the great farang debate.

[NamKangMan]

It'll soon be on the tour bus trail and this income alone will be sufficient to keep this attraction going.

And the taxi drivers and tour operators have another lucrative commission-earning opportunity.

The Chinese will either beat them down to a rock bottom price per customer, or, wait for them to go broke, then buy it at a fire sale, and run the show themselves.