The Story & Design of Siam Park

Origins & Royal Opening

Siam Park was officially inaugurated on 15 September 2008 in Costa Adeje, Tenerife, after nearly four years and over €52 million of specialized construction. The park was conceived by German-Canarian entrepreneur Wolfgang Kiessling, founder of the famous Loro Parque animal sanctuary in Puerto de la Cruz.

The grand opening ceremony was presided over by Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand, emphasizing the deep relationship and mutual respect established between the park's founders and the Thai royal family.

Thai Architectural Heritage

Prior to breaking ground, the park's designers obtained formal authorization from the Thai monarchy to use the ancient name "Siam" and incorporate Thai artistic traditions. Out of respect for Thai cultural and religious sensibilities, the creators deliberately avoided copying actual Buddhist temples or royal palaces.

Instead, architect and designer Christoph Kiessling crafted an original interpretation of classic Thai village and pavilion architecture across more than 25 authentic structures. Hand-carved teak woodwork, gilded roof ridges, ornamental dragons, and traditional floating village markets over water create one of the largest assemblies of Thai architectural motifs found outside Asia.

Hillside Terrain Engineering

Most commercial water parks worldwide are built on flat agricultural land, using exposed steel scaffolding and stair towers to support elevated slide platforms. In contrast, Siam Park was engineered directly into a 35-degree natural volcanic hillside.

By molding the slides and raft tracks directly into the contours of the terrain, riders experience a lush, garden-immersed journey surrounded by imported tropical trees, palms, and natural volcanic rock formations rather than industrial metal girders. This natural elevation gradient also enabled the construction of the 1-kilometer Mai Thai River with its unique elevated rapids section.

Desalination & Environmental Eco-Systems

Due to Tenerife's volcanic island geography and limited natural fresh groundwater, Siam Park was engineered with a state-of-the-art closed-loop eco-water management system:

• Seawater Desalination: The park pumps seawater directly from the Atlantic Ocean into its on-site reverse osmosis desalination plant, producing up to 1,800 cubic meters of fresh water daily.
• Thermal Heat Recovery: The water is heated to a consistent 24°C–25°C using natural gas and heat recovery systems, making year-round swimming comfortable.
• Botanical Recycling: After water completes its circulation and filtration in the rides, it is recycled through an on-site treatment plant to irrigate the thousands of tropical palms and botanical plants throughout the park grounds, ensuring zero water waste.

The Loro Parque Group

Siam Park is part of the Loro Parque Group (comprising Loro Parque zoo, Siam Park, the Poema del Mar aquarium in Gran Canaria, and the Hotel Botanico in Puerto de la Cruz). The company has received numerous international certifications for animal welfare, biodiversity conservation, and environmental sustainability.