Ao Phang Nga National Park, in Phang
Nga province, covers an area of 400 square kilometres of mangrove
forest, limestone karst, islands and open sea; it has been
a national park since 1981. The huge limestone formations
rising out of the sea and mangroves create some stunning scenery
which attracts tourists who typically view the area in locally
hired boats. However, it is the mangrove forest which is home
to a good number of habitat specific bird species and the
national park protects the largest remaining area of mangrove
forest in Thailand. Unfortunately, not all the mangroves in
this area fall within the national park and there is wide-scale
convertion of back-mangoves into shrimp farms, threatening
the wildlife and water quality.
Park Headquarters is easily visited but gives limited access
to the national park, although bird abundance is such that
most of the key mangrove species can be found by walking around
the HQ and nearby roads, although to really enjoy the national
park it would be necessary to take a boat trip from the nearby
pier.
Ao Phang Nga is a great spot to spend a morning birding or
if you are with non-birders hiring a boat an exploring the
beautiful scenery would be a nice option too which would no
doubt result in plenty of bird sightings.
As one may expect, all the highlight species to be found
at Ao Phang Nga are those associated with mangrove forest.
Mangrove Pitta is a bird which can be found here at most times
of the year with some patience but during the breeding season
it becomes really vocal and easy to locate; this is definitely
one of the easier Pittas to get to grips with and no boat
trip is needed to find it here.
Kingfishers are well-represented at this location and it is
in the heartland of the world range of Brown-winged Kingfisher,
a species restricted to the Andaman coast. This impressive
Kingfisher likes to hang around the larger creeks and rivers
within the mangroves and can usually be heard before it is
seen; its large size and bright colour can make it fairly
easy to spot as it sits on a branch overhanging a channel.
Ruddy Kingfisher is another highlight here although it is
not particularly abundant and quite shy. Collared, Banded,
Common and Black-capped Kingfishers are other colourful treats
for birders to look for.
Other scarce lowland species can be found at this site too
including Chestnut-bellied Malkoha, White-chested Babbler
and perhaps even Mangrove Blue Flycatcher await patient birders.
This area of mangroves is quite rich in birds and surprises
could turn up particularly when birds are on migration; I
was lucky enough to find Von Schrenck's Bittern here in April
2018.
A checklist of the birds for this location can be found here
- Ao
Phang Nga
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
Ao Phang Nga National Park HQ. The blue line shows the route
from nearby Phang Nga (B), Krabi (C) and Phuket Airport (D)
to Ao Phang Nga (A).
By Car/Motorcycle
Ao Phang Nga National Park headquarters is easy to find and
to get to for anyone with their own transport. Simply drive
along the main Phang Nga-Phuket Highway (Highway 4) and there
are signposts to the park at a set of traffic lights about
3 kilometres west of the town of Phang Nga. If coming from
the direction of Phuket this turn off will be before reaching
Phang Nga whereas if driving from the direction of Krabi the
turn off is a few kilometres after Phang Nga. Either way the
turning is clearly signposted in English. The national park
is just a few kilometres down the minor road with the entrance
clearly signposted on the left. Travel time is around 1.5
hours from Krabi and just under 1 hour from Phuket town; less
than 15 minutes from the town of Phang Nga.
By Bus
For those without their own transport there are plenty of
buses from nearby provincial capitals to Phang Nga and there
are regular long-distance buses from Bangkok's southern bus
terminal. The bus station in Phang Nga is right in the middle
of the town and from there it is possible to get a songthaew
to Tha Don which is a few hundred metres past the entrance
to the HQ. Alternatively any bus going along highway 4 can
stop at the traffic lights at the turning for the national
park and the walk is about 2-3kms.
By Train
If travelling from Bangkok to the South by rail then the nearest
station with good travel connections is Phunpin at Surat Thani.
From here it will be possible to get either a bus or minivan
to Phang Nga bus station, the journey time will be the best
part of 2 hours. It is also probably possible to arrange private
transport to Phang Nga from Surat Thani in the form of a taxi.
There is also a station at Trang but this is too far away
to be useful; basically there is no railway line down the
West coast of the Thai peninsula.
By Plane
Phang Nga does not have an airport nor does it need one due
to the close proximity of Phuket airport which is less than
an hour's drive away. As a major tourist destination Phuket
airport has lots of cheap flights to and from lots of destinations
all over Thailand with airlines Air Asia, Nok Air, Thai Smile,
Thai Airways, Orient Thai, Bangkok Airways, Thai Lion Air
& Vietjet Air. From Phuket airport car rental is available
as are private taxi, minivans and bus transfers.
By Taxi
Any hotel in Phang Nga town or Phuket should be able to arrange
a taxi to Ao Phang Nga National Park headquarters. From Phang
Nga town this will be very cheap as it is close but from anywhere
on Phuket expect to pay top dollar as taxi fares on the island
are out of control.
Finding Birds
Birds are more abundant at Ao Phang Nga than most other
mangrove sites in Thailand. Access is the big problem but
there are a few spots which birders can get into that regularly
turn up some exciting birds.
Park
HQ: A short stretch of road serving national
park staff accommodation finishes at a car park and a restaurant
next to the river, giving access to a small area of mangroves
where a surprising number of birds can be found. In the early
morning and late afternoon the bank of the river is a good
place to listen for and spot Brown-winged Kingfisher which
will sit on exposed branches as it hunts for fish. In the
open area next to the restaurant both Pacific and Rufous-bellied
Swallows can usually be seen either overhead or hawking along
the river and Blue Rockthrush of the resident madoci
subspecies can often be seen perched on a roof of one of the
buildings here.
At the riverside there is a sign for a nature trail which
proceeds through the mangroves in the form of a concrete walkway.
Unfortunately this has not been maintained and after only
around 100 metres a bridge over a creek has collapsed and
birders can go no further (At end March 2019 this
boardwalk was under reconstruction and will presumably reopen
sometime later in the year). However, it is still
worth going along here as species like Ashy Tailorbird, Black-and-red
Broadbill, Brown-winged Kingfisher and Streak-breasted Woodpecker
can turn up anywhere in the HQ area.
Walking around the HQ area in the early morning can reveal
a good amount of bird activity and in the dry season migrant
species such as Black-naped Oriole, Arctic Warbler and Pale-legged
Leaf Warbler are likely while resident species include Olive-winged
Bulbul, Common Flameback, Mangrove Pitta and all the afore-mentioned
species; I have even seen Little Bronze Cuckoo in this area.
This would be a good place to look for migrants such as Yellow-rumped
Flycatcher in March-May.
Mangrove
Road: This stretch of road runs parallel to
the much busier riverside road and gives birders access to
almost 1 kilometre of mature mangroves. Visibility through
the forest here is good making this an excellent place to
look for calling Mangrove Pittas. It is best to walk up and
down this stretch of road slowly which might also reveal Ruddy
Kingfisher; it is regular here but shy and difficult to see
well.
Another species which is rare in Thailand and inhabits this
patch of mangroves is White-chested Babbler which I have seen
feeding young here and heard calling on every visit I have
made. Other interesting birds along here include Chestnut-bellied
Malkoha (in bad light the chestnut belly is not always obvious),
Ashy Tailorbird, Brown-winged Kingfisher, Mangrove Whistler
and Black-and-red Broadbill.
SiamIS
Hotel Phang Nga Bay: Just before dusk a group
of around 60-70 Asian Glossy Starlings come to roost on the
radio mast on top of the hotel, feeding and bathing in puddles
before they sleep, making this an easy place to get close
to this bird. In the early mornings and late afternoons Rufous-bellied
Swallows can also be seen perched on wires along the road
here and the casuarina trees hold other common birds
such as Olive-backed Sunbird, Olive-winged Bulbul, Common
Tailorbird and others. A few trees along the mangrove edges,
opposite the hotel sometimes produce fruit and when they do
they attract Pink-necked Green Pigeon, Coppersmith Barbet,
Oriental Pied Hornbill, Blue-eared Barbet, Vernal Hanging
Parrot and other species.
From the riverside piers here it is also possible to spot
a few shorebird and egrets at low tide; Common Sandpiper,
Pacific Reef Egret, Little Egret, Chinese and Javan Pond Herons
are regular - the latter two species come into breeding plumage
around the end of March. Pacific Swallow can be seen perched
on boats and the pier while this is a nice spot to look for
raptors of which Brahminy Kite is by far the commonest. Those
wishing to take a boat trip into the mangroves and to view
the scenery can negotiate for one here.
Facilities
At the national park HQ there is a restaurant
selling cooked meals from simple dishes to more elaborate
seafood creations; drinks are also sold here.
A few hundred metres away at Tha Don accommodation consists
of the SiamIS
Hotel Phang Nga Bay. This hotel is adequate for a
night and puts birders right in the mangroves for the morning
and is priced around 1000-1500 baht per night. The hotel is
a little "tired" but the rooms are kept clean, if
a little narrow, but the view over the mangroves and limestone
karst is fantastic. The hotel has a restaurant and privides
breakfast from 6.30am. In this area there are a number of
other restaurants and tourists shops selling all sorts of
things.
At the traffic lights on highway 4 there is another hotel
which although I haven't stayed there, looks ok for a night.
Recently, though, a number of small, new hotels have popped
up in the provincial capital of Phang Nga, which is only a
few minutes drive away. Although I have not stayed at them
all of the following look nice from the outside and have good
reviews: White
House, T.P.
Place Hotel, Pranee
Home, The
Sleep Phang Nga.
On highway 4, a few kilometres east there are a couple of
7/11 stores selling most of the supplies that travelers could
need including toasted sandwiches and coffee for an early
breakfast if you stay in a hotel that supplies it too late
for birders. For medical supplies there are clinics, hospitals
and pharmacies in the town of Phang Nga itself and there is
a supermarket, cinema, food markets, various restaurants and
all manner of shops in town too.
Some Useful Books
Kingfishers,
Bee-eaters & Rollers This book details all of the kingfishers, bee-eaters
and rollers of the world in a series of well-illustrated
plates. With a wealth of kingfisher species in southern
Thailand this is a really nice work of reference to
have.
Birds
of Thailand This field guide has set new standards in identifying
birds in the wild in Thailand. With the most up-to-date
taxonomy of any publication this is the book you need
if you are birdwatching in Thailand. Forget all of the
older guides and buy this one.
Birdwatching
Trips:
Ao Phang Nga is one of the best mangrove sites in Thailand
and finding many of the specialist birds is easier here
than most other sites. This location is definitely worth
adding to both long and short Southern Thailand birding
itineraries and is productive at most times of the year.
Download
a full 
