In Bangkok’s busy restaurant scene, there is always a need to find something to stand out from the competition. At the Alpaca View Farm & Cuisine restaurant, the “something” just so happens to be alpacas.
Alpacas are domesticated South American animals that resemble small llamas. Adorably fitted with a woolly fleece, they are classified in the same family as camels and normally found in Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador.
Alpaca View in Bangkok has a few of these woolly animals. They are kept in a pen inside the restaurant’s compound.
Visitors can purchase some cut carrots and feed these to the hungry-look alpacas. We approached the alpacas with a little apprehension because, just like their larger cousins the llamas, they can spit if provoked.
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Thankfully, the alpacas did not seem interested at spitting at us. Instead, they were more interested in munching down the kibble we had in our hand.
Next to the alpacas is a sole pony. While you may be tempted to focus on feeding the alpacas, do spare a thought, and some food, for the lonely pony.
Sadly, the animals did not appear very well kept.
Beside the alpacas, the pony, and a few ducks, there are also sheep at pasture at Alpaca View’s entrance. It is a truly odd sight to see woolly sheep grazing on the grass while traffic drives past on the road a stone’s throw away.
That scene is almost as surreal as the gigantic windmill and Eiffel Tower that marks Alpaca View Farm & Cuisine’s entrance.
Beyond the menagerie of animals, Alpaca View is a restaurant that serves local Thai food. It has outdoor and indoor seating areas and is also known for its karaoke and bar.
Alpaca View is a long way out from central Bangkok and in the city’s notorious traffic, an epic journey. The closest BTS station is Chatuchak but you will still need to take a car journey to get to the kitsch establishment.
If you are a die-hard animal fan, Bangkok has many other places where you can view animals. These include numerous cat cafes (there is one across the street from Alpaca View), a husky cafe and an exotic pets cafe.
Would we make the journey out again to the north of Bangkok view the alpacas? Probably not.
Alpaca View Farm & Cuisine
Address: Alpaca View Farm and Cuisine, 11 Soi Ladprao-Wanghin 71, Ladprao Rd, Bangkok 10320
Tel: +66 81 406 6400
Opening Hours: 5 pm to 1 am, daily