Khok Kham is an area of salt farms
close to Samut Sakorn (often written as Samut Sakhon, although
Samut Sakorn gives a better indication to pronunciation) in
the province of the same name and at first glance seems a
fairly unlikely place to go birdwatching. However, large numbers
of shorebirds, egrets and terns congregate here in the winter
months with many exciting species seen regularly and this
is an ideal place to go as a half day trip from Bangkok; a
good option for those birders who have limited time.
This site is quite barren with very little vegetation and
certainly no shade to speak of so it is a good idea to go
armed with sunscreen and a hat; some people even bring along
their own sunshades! At Khok Kham the birds can be quite distant
at times and this is a location where a telescope is almost
essential.
A number of roads and dirt tracks allow birders to get access
to various parts of the site but this is really a site for
keen birders, non-birders will find little of interest here,
although there is a watch point from which dolphins can sometimes
be spotted and several seafood restaurants make a nice afternoon
break from the birding.
Shorebirds are the main attraction here, indeed, they are
almost the only birds one is likely to see here due to a severe
lack of vegetation but a plentiful supply of shallow water
and mud. The most exciting species to look for at Khok Kham
is of course Spoon-billed Sandpiper which is seen every year
from about late October to the first few days of April, but
which numbers no more than two or three birds at this site.
This critically endangered species is by no means the only
attraction however, as every year there are species such as
Great Knot, Nordmann's Greenshank, Asian Dowitcher and Long-toed
Stint to search for. Other rarer species that can show up
include Sharp-tailed Sandpiper and Red-necked Phalarope. A
good number of Terns frequent this site too with CaspianTern
and Gull-billed Tern are both commonly seen here. Although
the number of salt pans here has decreased over recent years
this is still a good place to see a large number and good
variety of Thailand's wading birds.
Bird
Watching Trips:
If you need help organizing a bird watching trip to Thailand,
take a look at the suggested itineraries for ideas on
creating a tailor-made trip and contact me for advice:
Thailand
bird tours.
Travel Information
Use the interactive map below to plan your route to
Khok Kham. The blue line shows the route from Sathorn Road
(A) in downtown Bangkok to Khok Kham (B).
By Car/Motorcycle
Khok Kham is a very convenient place to go birdwatching if
you are staying in Bangkok and you do not time to go further
afield. If driving, simply get on Rama 2 Road which is the
main road towards the south and head for Samut Sakorn. In
the early morning this is quite a quick journey, taking around
an hour from Bangkok. However, later in the day the traffic
can get quite bad and the journey to Samut Sakorn can take
much longer. If you miss the turn off indicated on the map
then you can just continue along Rama 2 Road and take an alternative
route from the town of Samut Sakorn itself. Using Google maps
or suchlike is the best way to navigate here as the road systems
can be a bit confusing, not least because there seems to be
constant roadworks at some point along the journey.
Having
found your way there birders need to be on the south side
of the large canal along which the road runs, once you have
located a bridge, drive across and bird along the parallel
road. The dirt tracks here are pretty solid and a hire car
can be driven along some of them with no concern, although
locals may not appreciate you driving along tracks if you
block access. On a good day some of the side tracks can be
negotiated too, but after rain these side tracks turn into
mud glue.
By Bus
It is possible to get to Samut Sakorn by public transport;
there are plenty of buses from the Southern bus terminal but
the distance from Bangkok city centre to the bus terminal
is such that it turns a short journey into a long one. If
you do find yourself at Samut Sakorn bus station then some
sort of transport will be needed from there. You might be
able to get a motorcycle taxi or some other form of transport
to get you to the salt farms. If you do decide to travel by
bus it would be better to find a way of contacting Mr Tii
in advance and ask him to collect you.
By Taxi
Hiring a taxi for the duration of your visit, from your hotel
in Bangkok, would be the best option for birders without their
own vehicles. Alternatively it would also work to take a taxi
to the salt pans and pay the driver, allowing them to leave,
and then use the Grab
App to summon a ride back into town.
By Tuk Tuk or Motorcycle Taxi
It is far too far from Bangkok to Khok Kham using these modes
of transport, you are more likely to end up having an accident
than ever reaching your destination.
By Train
Mahachai (Samut Sakorn) has a station that can be reached
from Thonburi station (Take the BTS to Wong Wian Yai) in Bangkok,
the time table and details can be seen here: Travel
from Thonburi to Mahachai. From here you would have to
hire some local transport to get to the mangrove centre.
By Plane
The nearest airports are Don Muang and Suvarnabhumi in Bangkok.
From both of these locations there is self-drive car hire
and taxis.
Finding Birds
For those looking for shorebirds the best plan is just
to locate the areas of salt farms and start scanning through
the flocks. The area of salt pans here is not that large any
more so there are often good numbers of birds within them.
Salt
Farms: Finding the salt farms is the key to
locating Spoon-billed Sandpiper and many other species of
shorebirds. Salt farms consist of a series of small, square,
shallow pools and they are easy enough to spot even if you
have never seen one before. Sometimes, on arrival at Khok
Kham, it can appear disappointing, with very few birds obvious.
The birds here move around the site, following the water levels
that suit them most. Typically they seek out ponds that are
in the process of being drained and have a shallow layer of
water still in them and/or ponds that have small puddles with
soft mud.
Once the congregations of shorebirds has been located species
such as Spotted Redshank, Broad-billed Sandpiper, Curlew Sandpiper,
Marsh Sandpiper and Kentish Plover are usually common.
Spoon-billed Sandpiper is a tiny bird and usually likes to
feed on the edge of very shallow water or muddy patches alongside
Red-necked Stint. Its bill shape is not always obvious until
it is seen face on so close scrutiny of all the stint-sized
birds is advised. Commoner birds likely to be seen while searching
include Whiskered Tern, Greater Sand Plover, Lesser Sand Plover,
Temminck's Stint and Long-toed Stint. Some of the rarer birds
that also show up here are Great Knot and Nordmann's Greenshank.
These birds are usually present but in smaller numbers than
some other sites.
Mangrove
Centre: A small mangrove research centre gives
access to some of the commonest mangrove species such as Collared
Kingfisher, Pied Fantail and Golden-bellied Gerygone. This
latter species can usually be heard before it is seen and
is common even in mangrove fragments.During migratory periods
these mangrove fragments can be interesting in turning up
species like Yellow-rumped Flycatcher or Eastern Crowned Warbler.
Seafood
Restaurants: From these seafood restaurants
birders can view the Gulf of Thailand. Don't expect to see
much in the way of seabirds although Brown-headed Gulls and
various terns are fairly common, but as the tide goes out
this can be a good spot for viewing shorebirds feeding in
large flocks. When mud is exposed this can be a good spot
to see Asian Dowitcher, particularly in March and April. From
the easternmost of these two restaurants a boardwalk extends
over the water/mud giving a different perspective and sometimes
dolphins can be spotted here.
Khok Kham has very few facilities right on site to speak
of so it is a good idea to bring plenty of water to deal with
the heat in this exposed location. As one travels to the site
plenty of convenience stores will be passed where birders
can buy supplies for the morning. There is, of course, the
Khok Kham birder's restaurant which serves food and drinks
and it is even possible to stay here, although I see little
reason to do so given this site's close proximity to Bangkok
and all the comfortable hotels there. Mr Tii is a friendly
chap though, and considering his readiness to impart free
advice it is worth stopping in his restaurant for something
to eat to lend some support. He can also help you find Spoon-billed
Sandpiper for a fee. For those who are particularly averse
to setting foot in Bangkok and do not fancy Mr Tii's
for the night, there are several decent hotels in the town
of Samut Sakorn. Samut Sakorn has all the facilities of a
large town, supermarkets, hospitals, banks etc. should they
be required.
Along the road back to Samut Sakorn are some very nice seafood
restaurants where lots of delicious dishes are available at
a very reasonable cost..
This location is not a National Park and you will not be charged
to go birding here.
Some Useful Books
Shorebirds:
An Identification Guide to the Waders of the World This is still the most complete guide to shorebirds
with a wide variety of plumages of all species illustrated
both standing and in flight. Packed full of information
this is the book if you want to learn more about this
group of birds.
Waders
of Europe, Asia & North America With beautiful and bright illustrations this is
a true field guide to this group of species that easily
is easily carried while traveling. Not as much information
on the ecology of the birds covered in this book but
much more portable than any other while covering all
aspects of identification.
Bird
Watching Trips:
Khok Kham is a good site for a half-day
of birding and makes a convenient location for a quick
"twitch" for Spoon-billed Sandpiper and there
is always the chance of a Thai rarity here.
I
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Shorebirds:
An Identification Guide to the Waders of the World
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a full 
