Pattaya isn’t just home to some of the world’s seediest nightlife, but also some of Thailand’s rarest wildlife.
The Smith family recently had the pleasure of sightseeing 15 kilometers east of Pattaya Nua, where the Wat Tham Prathun forest complex hosts a refuge for numerous species of birds, mammals, and other fauna. It maintains a waterhole that attracts dozens of rare birds, some of which we found during the winter migratory season.
We took a gander at the White-throated Rock Thrush, the Blyth’s Paradise Flycatcher, and the Cambodian Striped Squirrel, the latter of which is usually found further east.
Further south, in Sattahip, lies Sai Kaew Beach, a scenic and clean sandy shore home to unique ecological life and protected by the naval base situated there.
Four primate species, all living in close proximity to each other, can be found here. These include Pigtailed and Crab-eating Macaques, as well as one the country’s rarest and most critically endangered species – Germain’s Langur. Usually inhabiting the central lowland forests, Germain’s Langur are now limited to a few very remote and isolated green patches of forest in the southeastern region. Sai Kaew is perhaps the best place to attempt a view of this awesome primate.
Coke Smith is the Environmental Science Leader at Bangkok Patana School and is an avid nature photographer. Coke has published his wildlife images in many books and magazines over the years and has been included in publications such as BBC Planet Earth and Nat Geo Science and many other internationally renowned publications. For more information on any of the above local wildlife hotspots, please contact Coke (cosm@patana.ac.th)
