Visitors since 01/09/06

Suan Rot Fai, in Bangkok, used to be a golf course until about 2000 and this former land use is obvious when taking a walk around it with clear fairways and, in some cases, greens and bunkers surviving. This welcome greenspace in what is a very polluted city is well-used by local people and can give one the impression of being somewhere far more suburban if not rural. Birds make use of this area too and quite a good number can be seen in a 2-3 hour morning visit. Indeed, this park has been the location of a birdwatching fair held every year for the last few years by the Bird Conservation Society of Thailand.

For birders trapped in Bangkok or with only a morning or late afternoon to spare Suan Rot Fai offers the chance to see around 40 species just a short taxi ride from the city centre and at the same time provides an opportunity to escape the smog, traffic and noise that can prove very stressful throughout the city.

Suan Rot Fai provides a good place to see birds in the centre of Bangkok. A few hours here, especially in the migratory period, can turn up some surprising birds. Coppersmith Barbet is especially common here and provides great opportunities for photography. Other colourful birds such as Hoopoe, Black-naped Oriole and Yellow-rumped Flycatcher are often spotted in Suan Rot Fai and the large size of the park, and number of unkempt corners, mean that anything can turn up; incredibly, a Short-eared Owl was seen, flushed by a cyclist, in December 2004.

There is a high probability of seeing escaped cage birds here as Chatuchak market at is a stone's throw away, meaning that any birds escaping from captivity on market days will almost inevitably find their way to Suan Rot Fai. I have seen Straw-headed Bulbul in the park and a whole host of other dubious birds have been seen here, and no doubt will continue to be seen.

The most convenient way to get to Suan Rot Fai is by taxi; most taxi drivers know the park, if there is any communication trouble show them the park's name in Thai script: Suan Rot Fai Thai Script. Most taxi drivers will go to the main entrance at the ornamental gardens which is more convenient for them to stop on a stretch of road which is not too busy.

A comfortable and cool alternative is to arrive by skytrain. There are many stations in the city centre and the line terminates near Suan Rot Fai at Chatuchak on Phayon Yothin Road. The station is right in front of Chatuchak market and it is only a short walk through the small Chatuchak park to the much larger Suan Rot Fai.

Lots of buses from all over town stop at Chatuchak so that arriving by this method is easy enough too, although rather slow and dusty.

If visiting Suan Rot Fai before catching a flight from Don Muang beware that the traffic can be really awful in Bangkok and even though the distance is short allow an hour for the journey to prevent missing your plane.

The distance from the city centre to Suan Rot Fai is too far to make the journey by Tuk-tuk a sensible option; the near-death incidents and pollution would put off all but the most masochistic traveler and taking a motorcycle taxi along the busy roads that lead to Suan Rot Fai is an option only for those that do not care whether they live or die!

Main Lake : Although quite manicured this lake attracts a small number of waterbirds such as Little Egret, Chinese Pond Heron, Little Heron and Common Sandpiper. The small area of mature trees bordering the eastern side of this lake is rather a pleasant and cool place to sit and the trees here can reveal some interesting species. I have seen Arctic Warblers on migration here and it seems a favourite spot for Flycatchers with Asian Brown, Yellow-rumped and Ferruginous Flycatchers having been seen.

Secluded Lakes : These pools are somewhat more overgrown and less disturbed than most of the park and is a good place to find birds. Coppersmith Barbets are very obvious here and it is easy to observe them hacking into trees and to listen to their distinctive calls. Other birds that freqent these pools are Black-capped Kingfisher, the handsome Indian Roller and the aerobatic Blue-tailed Bee-eater.

Ornamental Gardens : This unlikely place to see birds is indeed unlikely to reveal many species, however, it is a reliable place to see House Sparrow; the least common of Thailand's three resident Sparrows. This part of the park also backs onto Chatuchak market which has an extensive bird section and is a likely place to spot an escapee, so be careful what you tick here as many native forest species are sold there.