Pak Thale Shorebird Site

Pak Thale is one of Thailand's best-known sites for migratory shorebirds and is familiar to birders from abroad. From November to March many migrants pass through, including spotted greenshank, great knot, Eurasian curlew, black-faced spoonbill and the critically endangered spoon-billed sandpiper.

In 2019 the Bird Conservation Society of Thailand raised funds to buy 49 rai of salt pans as a reserve, run together with the community and the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources. Earth mounds were built for birds to roost on, water was channelled in to create feeding areas, and a hide was put up for birdwatchers. Villagers still work the salt pans in the traditional way, and locals are being trained as bird guides. In 2021, 67 shorebird species were recorded.

The salt pans are a key food source for migrating birds, but spoon-billed sandpipers are fewer every year: in 2026 villagers counted only four. The village has a learning centre on birds and the Pak Thale ecosystem, set up to keep activities that harm birds and the environment out of the area. For information contact the Pak Thale Subdistrict Administrative Organisation on 0 3278 3591.