Laem
Pak Bia - Pak Thale
is a large area of salt pans with some mangrove remnants and a sand
spit, in Petchaburi province. This is probably the premier birdwatching
site for shorebirds in Thailand with many rare species putting in
regular appearances.
This
region is very open and exposed which allows for good views
of the birds but, as with any shorebird watching, a telescope
is highly desirable. In addition to the coastal areas there
are large expanses of freshwater wetlands further inland,
consisting of rice paddies and fishponds which are inhabited
by Crakes, Rails, Egrets and, in the winter, large raptors.
The location
of this birdwatching site means that it is suitable for day
trips from Bangkok or as a place to stay for a day or two
before moving on to, or coming from, Kaeng Krachan National
Park, making Petchaburi province probably the best location
for birdwatching in the whole country.
The
Laem Pak Bia - Pak Thale area is an excellent place to see a
large variety of waterbirds. In the dry season, between late
September and May large numbers of Waders, Gulls and Terns escape
the northern winter by coming here. Spoon-billed Sandpiper is
probably the most sought-after bird here which is regularly
seen on the salt farms. Nordmann's Greenshank can be seen here
regularly and for the last few years Black-faced Spoonbill has
been seen.
These
globally threatened species are just three of the exciting
birds to be found here. Other noteworthy species are Indian
Skimmer in 2004, Painted Stork, Spot-billed Pelican, Asian
Dowitcher, Pallas's Gull and Great Knot which can all usually
be found in this region.
A visit
to Laem Pak Bia - Pak Thale won't leave you disappointed and
the possibility of finding a rarity, or even a new bird for
the Thai list, is high here, with Lesser Black-backed Gull
and Red Phalarope added recently.
Birdwatching
Trips to Thailand : Take a look at the suggested
itineraries for ideas on creating a tailor-made birdwatching
trip to Thailand: Thailand
birdwatching trips.
Travel
Information
To
get to Laem Pak Bia one must first travel to the town of Petchaburi. If
coming by car, this will take just under two hours from Bangkok
in the early morning. This is a simple journey, just follow
signs towards Samut Sakorn and continue along the highway
until Petchaburi is reached; it is signposted for most of
the way. If coming by bus, head to the Southern bus terminal
where there are lots of buses which will stop at Petchaburi.
Once in
Petchaburi follow signs for Ban Laem, navigating through the
small roads towards the coast; this is easier than it sounds.
One will arrive near the village of Pak Thale where the birding
starts. One can drive north or south scanning the salt ponds
for birds and there are usually plenty to see. Following the
coast road south towards Had Chao Samran will take one towards
the Environmental Research Project and the sand spit of Laem
Pak Bia, but birding is good all the way along this route,
it is just a question of finding the ponds with the right
water levels to attract birds.
Alternatively,
this route can be traced in reverse by following signs to
Had Chao Samran from Petchaburi and taking the left hand turn
at the crossroads about 200 metres before the seafront at
Had Chao Samran.
For
those arriving in Petchaburi by public transport it would
be necessary to find somewhere to hire a motorcycle to follow
this route in order to enjoy the birdwatching here.
For those
wishing to get onto the sand spit it is essential to take
a boat, thankfully the road which was constructed upon it
was dismantled after the construction of 7 boulder dams parallel
with the shore and two breakwaters perpendicular to the sand
spit. Boats can be chartered for 500 baht from a small boatyard.
This is located about 2 to 3 kilometres north of Had Chao
Samran and it is obvious as a lot of boats are visible as
the large canal is crossed. It is possible to park here and
negotiate for a boatman to take you out to the sand spit.
The boat guys are used to birdwatchers so even if no Thai
is spoken it is easy to negotiate this trip or, alternatively,
show them Laem Pak Bia printed in Thai: Laem
Pak Bia Thai Script - just showing them your
binoculars is usually enough though.
Boat at Laem
Pak Bia Sand Spit
(Photo by Douglas Bolt)
Roosts
of Heuglin's Gull, Pallas's Gull, Greater and Lesser Crested
Terns and other similar species are often found at the sand
bar close to the end of the Laem Pak Bia sand spit. The spit
itself is home to breeding Malaysian Plovers and in winter
this is the place to look for "White-faced"
Plover (tides
can be found here: My
Forecast, Marine Reports).
Spoon-billed
Sandpiper is usually found in the salt farms around the village
of Pak Thale but it is worth searching for this species amongst
any flocks of Stints.
A number
of passerine species can usually be found in the Environmental
Research Project and in the mangroves, including Golden-bellied
Gerygone, a number of Acrocephalus warblers and Blue-throated
Bee-eater amongst others.
Shorebirds
are likely to be found all over this area, it is simply a
matter of driving around and stopping when birds are seen
feeding or roosting on the numerous ponds that are on both
sides of the coast road. But there are a few places that certain
species have traditionally favoured and always seem to be
worth stopping at.
Abandoned
Building : A
dirt track opposite a concrete slab road leads a little inland to
a large, partially constructed abandoned building which can easily
be seen from the road (photo in the galleries
below). The salt pans in this area are as good as any in the
area with Red-necked Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, Marsh Sandpiper, Kentish
Plover and other shorebirds plentiful. Look for Little Stint amongst
the Red-necked and a group of resting Grey Herons are often joined
by Painted Storks and in 2008 this was a reliable spot for 2 Black-faced
Spoonbills. This area seems to have become a regular spot for a
small number of wintering Pied Avocets and Red-necked Phalaropes.
Waterbirds apart, the scrubby dry vegetation in this area is good
for finding Oriental Skylark, Indochinese Bushlark, Plain-backed
Sparrow, Dusky Warbler and Oriental Reed Warbler.
Boat
Hire : This
is the place to get on a boat for the sandspit, but this is also
the starting point of a boardwalk which runs along the river through
the mangroves and terminates on the beach a few kilometres south
of the sand spit's northernmost point. A few interesting species
can be seen along the boardwalk such as Blue-throated Bee-eater
and Golden-bellied Gerygone but I have never walked along here early
enough in the morning to maximise the potential of this area.
Environmental
Research and Development Project initiated by H.M King Bhumibol
: This is an area of mangroves and settling pools where
quite a number of interesting birds can be found. One of the advantages
here is that most birds can be viewed at close range from the car
and the sheer number of birds that are flushed out whilst driving
slowly around can be quite amazing at times. This seems to be a
reliable spot for Ruff and small numbers of other waders are always
present, including Wood, Marsh and Common Sandpipers, Rufous-necked
and Long-toed Stints, Lesser and Greater Sand Plovers and 3 species
of Snipe (Common, Pintail and Painted). Whiskered and White-winged
Terns can often be viewed at close quarters here and small areas
of open land and reeds mean that many migrant passerines also turn
up during migration, Yellow-rumped Flycatcher, Black-browed Reed
Warbler and Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler and most ntaobly this is
where Large-billed Reed Warbler
was rediscovered. The
reedy areas are also a good place to look for crakes and rails as
well as Pintail Snipe. At dusk large numbers of fruit bats can be
seen overhead, going to their feeding grounds and I have regularly
seen Indian Nightjar sitting on the dirt tracks here at night and
White-shouldered Starling always comes in to roost in the winter
months. One thing you are bound to see here is at least one large
monitor lizard. Entry to this project area is not allowed after
6pm.
Laem Pak Bia Sand Spit :
This lonely spot has been the most reliable place to find
large Gulls and Terns at roost. Heuglin's Gull can number
as many as 30 with Pallas's and Black-tailed Gulls also often
present. Both Lesser and Greater Crested Terns can usually
be found here along with quite large numbers of Little and
Common Terns and occasionally Roseate Terns. Malaysian Plovers
nest in small numbers on the beach at Laem Pak Bia and are
usually easily seen; they are quite handsome little characters!
Chinese Egret is also regular here and of course look out
for "White-faced
Plover".
600
baht is a fair price to pay for this trip and a tip of 100
baht is appropriate for good service.
Good
Birding Ponds : Although birds
can be found wherever water levels are suitable, the ponds in this
area always seem to be productive. Gulls and Terns often roost in
this area and Great Knot seem to regularly flock in these pools
and these are frequently joined by Nordmann's Greenshank. Flocks
of Lesser Sand Plover, Pacific Golden PLover, Black-tailed Godwit,
Kentish Plover and Curlew Sandpiper are nearly always present and
this area has also seen Black-faced Spoonbill and Pied Avocet in
the past; there always seem to be flocks of shorebirds to scan in
order to find something unusual!
Wader
Hotspot at
Pak Thale: Around the village of Pak Thale
there are salt farms and other pools where Spoon-billed Sandpiper
has regularly been seen over the years. Some dirt tracks allow
one to drive into the middle of these pools and also towards
the sea. Between the months of October and May there are always
wading birds in this location with some of the most common
being Broad-billed Sandpiper, Red-necked Stint and Long-toed
Stint. There is always the chance of something rarer here
with Nordmann's Greenshank, Asian Dowitcher, Dunlin and Red-necked
Phalarope also being seen in the past.
There
is now a sign which directs birdwatchers to the right area
for the Spoon-billed Sandpiper (see below) which makes finding
the site much easier than before. Also use John
Raven's map to get to the site (right).
Facilities at Laem Pak Bia - Pak Thale are mostly restricted
to Hat Chao Samran. Here there are a few places with bungalows
which can be rented for about 600-1000 baht per night and
a number of shops and restaurants selling anything from ice
creams (it is the seaside you've got to have an ice cream!)
to excellent seafood dishes. I would recommend any of the
restaurants that are situated on the beach a little north
of the main car parking area at Had Chao Samran, the food
is great and very cheap. The 7/11 store on the corner at the
beachfront is where visitors can buy all manner of snacks
and drinks as well as cool off for a few minutes in the air
conditioning.
For those
staying in Petchaburi or passing through there are all the
facilities typical of a Thai provincial capital. In fact Petchaburi
has a large supermarket with takeaway restaurants and a cinema
showing Hollywood movies attached. There are several hotels
in town too, ranging from luxurious to scabby. I once stayed
in the PetKasem hotel on PetKasem Road; it is on the right
just after passing under a flyover as one enters Petchaburi
from Bangkok. It was pleasantly clean and reasonably cheap
at 400 baht per night, although it was simple in decor. Behind
this hotel are a couple of bars and a restaurant serving steaks
for those who are tired of eating rice and noodles. The night
market near the bus station in Petchaburi is a good place
to get cheap and excellent Thai food.
The best
advice is to come for a day trip from Bangkok and bring your
own packed lunch and plenty to drink.
This location
is not a National Park and you will not be charged to go birding
here.
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