Bird Watching in Laem Phak Bia Mangrove Forests, Phetchaburi Province

Oct 1, 2025

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Bird Watching in Laem Phak Bia Mangrove Forests, Phetchaburi Province

The Natural History Section of The Siam Society is starting a series of birding programmes to provide opportunities for members and non-members to learn about and see the exceptional richness of birdlife in Thailand. These programmes will range from half-day walks in urban parks, where participants can observe and learn about the bird species commonly found in Bangkok, to longer excursions to renowned birding “hotspots” in the provinces. We launch the series with a weekend exploration of the birds of the Inner Gulf of Thailand in nearby Phetchaburi Province.

The trips will be led by Philip Round and Jim Stent. Philip Round, one of Thailand’s foremost ornithologists, serves on the Editorial Board of the Natural History Bulletin of The Siam Society and is the author of A Guide to the Birds of Thailand, The Birds of the Bangkok Area, and numerous scientific publications. Philip Round has over 40 years of experience studying the birds of Thailand and is a former Associate Professor from Mahidol University. He has been involved over the years in the establishment of the bird conservation projects on the Phetchaburi seashore that we shall visit on this study trip. Jim Stent is a Council Member and a member of the Natural History Committee of The Siam Society.

The inner Gulf of Thailand is a major wintering area from October through April for migratory birds from north and central Asia, and one of Southeast Asia’s most important coastal wetlands. Laem Phak Bia and Pak Thale in Phetchaburi Province, together, constitute a Shorebird Network Site under the East Asia-Australasia Flyway Partnership, and are particularly good areas for observing these birds. We will observe the birds from both boats in the Gulf and on the sandspits, salt pans, and pools that line the coast, including at His Majesty the King’s Environmental Research and Development Project, where one of the Project leaders will arrange for us to tour the project and explain its development. On Saturday evening, after dinner, Philip Round will lead an informal discussion about the birds we have seen and the conservation successes and challenges in the area.

In Laem Phak Bia, you will have the opportunity to see a variety of birds, including Painted Storks, Oriental Darters, Brahminy Kites, and around 15–20 species of shorebirds such as Malaysian Plovers, Black-winged Stilts, Black-tailed Godwits, and the globally threatened Great Knot. If we are extremely lucky, we may even encounter the impossibly cute, diminutive, and sadly critically endangered Spoon-billed Sandpiper, as well as Caspian and Great Crested Terns. Among landbirds, you might spot the tiny Golden-bellied Gerygone and, with some luck, the Mangrove Whistler.

This trip will be of interest to both experienced birders and those who may never have been birding before. Philip Round and a local assistant will lead us to the best vantage points for viewing the birds, identifying them by both their English and Thai names.

When

Saturday, 24 to Sunday, 25 January 2026

Leader

with Dr Philip Round

Adjunct Associate Professor at Mahidol University Faculty of Science

and Mr Jim Stent

Council Member of The Siam Society

Booking

See information below

Or contact Khun Thun

studytrips@thesiamsociety.org

 

The tentative programme will be as follows:

Saturday, 24 January 2026: Bangkok – Phetchaburi
– Meet at The Siam Society, 131 Asoke Montri Road, Sukhumvit 21, Bangkok.
08:00 Depart Bangkok for Laem Phak Bia Mangrove Forests, Phetchaburi province by van.
En route: Roadside stops in Bang Tabun, Ban Laem District, for concentrations of the waterbirds.
Noon: Lunch at a local restaurant.
Afternoon: Continue to Mr Daeng Bird Watching pier in Laem Phak Bia, Ban Laem District.
– Embark on boat(s) to travel out to the Laem Luang sandspit. We will spend 1-2 hours on the sandspit looking at terns and gulls (if present) and shorebirds, especially the scarce and nationally endangered, resident, beach-nesting Malaysian Plovers (Charadrius peronii).  Our visit takes place before the breeding season, so it will not cause excessive disturbance to the birds.
– Depart for LERD Royal Project, and take a briefing about the history of the project and demonstrate its wastewater and solid waste treatment. Exploring around the area vicinity to look at waterbirds and observe flights of landbirds and waterbirds, flying to roost. Stay until dusk so as to observe the exodus of Flying Foxes (Pteropus lylei).
Evening: Dinner at the hotel and followed by an informal assessment of the day’s activity.
  Overnight at iTara Resort & Spa. (on the beach)
Sunday, 25 January 2026: Phetchaburi – Bangkok
– Breakfast at the hotel.
Morning: Check out of the hotel and proceed to the Bird Conservation Society of Thailand Nature Reserve at Pak Thale to look at roosting shorebirds (more or less coinciding with high-tide, around 09:00h. The primary “target” at Pak Thale will be to look for, and hopefully see the Spoon-billed Sandpiper (Calidris pygmaeus), a globally critically endangered (World population <c.500 individuals) which breeds in extreme Northeast Siberia and which migrates to overwinter in Southeast Asia.  From 2-6 birds overwinter at Pak Thale.
Noon: Lunch at a local restaurant.
Afternoon: Depart Phetchaburi for Bangkok.
16:00 Arrive at The Siam Society.
   
The Siam Society reserves the right to change the programme as necessary.

 

Important notes:

– The Siam Society may utilise photos taken from study trips, lectures, performances, and other activities as part of its public relations and marketing campaign. These photos, which may sometimes contain image(s) of activity participants, can also be featured on The Society’s website and other online social media channels.

– As part of our effort to address the issue of global warming, The Siam Society strongly supports the reduction of plastic waste. We kindly recommend bringing your own water flask during the trip, if possible.

– Participants should bring their own binoculars.

Booking:

Contribution of THB 9,500 (THB 11,500 for non-members). Single room surcharge of THB 1,100. The contribution will cover transportation, meals as mentioned in the programme, accommodation, gratuities, insurance and other costs incurred to make this trip possible. There is a 4% surcharge for credit/debit card payments to cover bank charges. Please pay by cash or cheque payable to “The Siam Society Under Royal Patronage”. Transfer can also be made to The Siam Society travel account at TMBThanachart Bank (ttb), saving account no. 053-2-18000-7, swift code: TMBKTHBK or by scanning the QR code on your right. Once payment has been made, please email the deposit or transfer the docket to us.

Inclusions:

  • The contribution includes accommodation (sharing basis), air ticket, meals as mentioned in the programme, transfer and sightseeing cars, entrance fees, gratuities and other costs incurred to make this trip possible.
  • Basic travel insurance, which will only cover participants travelling from and back to Thailand.

Exclusions:                                                                                                                                          

  • Visa fees (if any), personal expenses, personal food and beverage consumption, etc.

 

 

Tourist Visa Policy

ASEAN, Switzerland, Japan, and Singapore passport holders are allowed to enter the Lao PDR without a visa requirement for a maximum stay of 14 to 30 days, depending on nationality.

Nationals of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, France, New Zealand, and Australia are required to obtain a visa to enter Laos. For a smooth and convenient crossing Thai–Lao border, we kindly request that you obtain an eVisa before the departure date. Please note that applying for a Visa On Arrival may take additional time and could delay the group. An eVisa can be easily completed online from the comfort of your home, with the visa fee approximately USD 50, depending on nationality.

For more details and to apply eVisa, please visit: https://laoevisa.gov.la/apply

Cancellation charges:

76 days before the start of the trip (before Fri, 31 Oct): Deposit forfeited
75 – 61 days before the start of the trip (Sat, 1 to Sat, 15 Nov): 50% of the tour cost
Less than 60 days or cancellation without notice (Sun, 16 Nov onwards): No refund

 

*The cancellation charges will also depend on the date we pay the deposit to our travel agent. If we have to pay the deposit to the travel agent before the 60-day period prior to the start of the trip, our officer will send an email to inform every participant before we make the payment, as only a partial amount of the deposit can be refunded after that point.

For further information and bookings, please contact Khun Thun at 02-661-6470-3 ext 205, or studytrips@thesiamsociety.org.The Society’s office is open from 09:00 to 17:00, Tuesday to Saturday.

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