One day layover in December (1 Viewer)

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angrysunbird

Sabine's Sunbird

• Oct 27, 2012

• #1

Hi guys! I'm going to have exactly one day's layover in Bangkok on December 12th. I've been doing some reading around the possibilities and am thinking of doing something stupid and going for a day trip to Khao Yai. It's been a decade since I was last in Thailand and have great memories of that park, and I have a hankering for forest species like hornbills, babblers and trogons.

So I guess my questions are -

Are there any closer forests that you can take a tour to that would fill my need for forest species?

Who's a good guide for a crazy day of birding?

Feel free to tell me I'm being stupid and that instead I should be doing (xyz)!

 

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portnoy58

Well-known member

• Oct 27, 2012

• #2

I don't think it is that crazy really - you can reach the southern entrance to the park from the airport in about 90 minutes by car. In terms of a guide I would suggest your best bets would be with the usual suspects if they are available.....I can give you contact details if you wish. I can't assist as I shall be in a classroom all day. There is also plenty of birding in and around the airport extending down to the seaside at Bang Bu, as some of the posts here show. An alternative might be Ban Phra to the east.

 

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angrysunbird

Sabine's Sunbird

• Oct 28, 2012

• #3

The usual suspects would be good to know!

 

GraemeS

Sporadic user

• Oct 28, 2012

• #4

I meet day-trippers from the airport in Khao Yai occasionally. If you want a forest, it's the only place worth considering I think.

 

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angrysunbird

Sabine's Sunbird

• Oct 29, 2012

• #5

What's it like to drive in Thailand? Presumably if I go from the airport to Khao Yai and back it would avoid the worst of city driving. I'm reasonably experienced at driving, even done some in Africa.

 

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portnoy58

Well-known member

• Oct 29, 2012

• #6

The drive from the airport to KY is easy and shouldn't present any major problems. Good fast road. There's a thread here about driving in Thailand which I suggest you read. Signs generally are in Thai and English.

 

GraemeS

Sporadic user

• Oct 29, 2012

• #7

If you have a phone with GPS, download maps before you get here to make it dead simple to drive.

 

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angrysunbird

Sabine's Sunbird

• Dec 25, 2012

• #8

Just an update, I took a tour with Peter Ericsson, and had a fine old time at Bang Pra, Bang Poo and the fishponds, and saw 111 birds in a day. Some pretty sweet birds too, including Oriental Darter and Black-headed Ibis.