Central Thailand - 8th-17th December 2013 (1 Viewer)

This trip was originally planned in April with 2 others. We flew with Turkish Airlines via Istanbul (cheapest at time of booking) and hired a car with Hertz.

Total cost of trip - £820
Totals day birding = 7
Species list = 227
Sites visited = Pak Thale/Laem Pak Bia, Kaeng Krachan, Petchaburi Rice Fields, Khoa Yai NP, Wat Puttabaht Noi.

A very straightforward trip with easy access to all sites, good info as always on thaibirding.com and mostly done without a road atlas, though lots of google earth images were taken. Though birding was difficult in the forests, there was still plenty to see if the effort is put in.

Most nights in cheap accommo. and camping in the national parks.

Day 1 - Monday 9th December
Ariived mid-morning and headed straight for Pak Thale (2 hour journey). Met our guide for the afternoon (Tom Buckland) who showed us around Pak Thale, Wat Komnaram, Laem Pak Bia and the Abandoned Building.

Birds seen - Spoon-billed Sandpiper (LPB), Golden-bellied Gerygone (PT), Black-headed Ibis, 10+ sp. of Waders, Grey-headed Lapwings, Freckled-breasted Wood, White-shouldered Starlings, Long-toed Stints, Indochinese Bushlarks, Grey-eyed Bulbul. 76 species seen by the end of the afternoon.

Stayed at Byrde's Beach Resort near Laem Pak Bia for 1 night.

Will update more in next few days. In the mean time see pics on my blog following the link below.

Day 2 - Tuesday 10th December
Birded Laem Pak Bia at first light where it was quiet, so went to Pak Thale where a Spoony was located straight away near the pumping outlet. Laem Pak Bia was birded late morning at high tide where it was very busy with Waders.
Went to Mr Daeng's boat and hired to go out to the sandspit just after high tide.
1.5hr-2hr drive to Baan Maka, Kaeng Krachan where we had booked some hides nearby and stayed there til dusk. Apparently the hides are best in the afternoon!!
Night spent in chalet at Baan Maka.

Birds seen - Spoon-billed Sandpiper, Asian Dowitcher, BB Sand (all PT)
Nordmann's Greenshank, LB Dowitcher + thousands of Waders (all LPB)
Malaysian Plover, Pacific Reef Egret (Sandspit with Mr Daeng)
Slaty-legged Crake, Abbott's & Puff-throated Babblers, Sibe Blue Robins, Bar-backed & Scaly-breasted Partridges etc. (Baan Maka hide)

The use of the hide at Baan Maka will have to be booked in advance, contact details on Baan Maka website. KK is signed very well when off the main highway, but Baan Maka is poorly signed, so research the area before visiting.

Day 3 - Wednesday 11th December

First light to 9.15 was spent at Ban San Nok (Auntie Ek's place) where again we spent some time from the hide.
Afterwards several stops near Baan Maka and then from Kaeng Krachan NP entrance all the way up to Paneon Tong Campsite at 30km.
Time restrictions are in force for going up the track to 30km......info on thaibirding.

A 4x4 with good ground clearance is essential for going up to the top, if not then a guide can be hired.

Birds seen - Kalij Pheasant, Scaly-breasted Partridge, Red Junglefowl, Greater & Lesser Necklaced Laughing Thrushes. (Ban San Nok)

Watercock, Blk-browed Reed Wblr, Mountain Hawk Eagle (Nr Baan Maka)

Greater Coucal, Great & Pied Hornbills, Blue-eared Barbet, Yellow-vented Flowerpeckers, Bar-winged Flycatcher Shrike (KK entrance - Ban Krang Camp)

Greater Flameback, Vernal-hanging Parrot, Streaked Spiderhunter, White-throated Fantail, Swinhoe's & Rosy Minivet, Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker, Great Barbet. (Paneon Tong Campsite)

The journey from Ban Krang Campsite to 30km takes a bit of time with regular stops. No need to book the tents, they were already set up on our arrival, and an ok restaurant is also here, though the views are better.

We stocked up on food a day before at Petchaburi which was a good plan, especially stocking up on water. Food is basic in the park, though substantial enough.

Day 4 - Thursday 12th December

The first half of the day was spent walking the track between 30km-27km at a very slow pace. The afternoon was spent around the Royal Lodge and slightly further beyond.
At 4pm, we drove back down the track and camped at Ban Krang campsite.
A night drive was done seeing a Common Palm Civet and an East Asian Porcupine.

Birds seen - White-hooded Babbler, Yellow-bellied Warbler, Orchraceous Bulbuls, Blk-throated Sunbird, Golden Babblers, Rufous-fronted Babblers, Hill Blue Flycatcher, Blue-throated Barbets plus lots more. No Ratchet-tailed Treepies, though 5 were seen the day before by another group. (KM 30-27)

Black-thighed Falconet, Himalayan Swiftlet, Oriental Honey Buzzard, Verditer Fly. (Paneon Tung Campsite and Royal Lodge)

Kalij Pheasant, White-browed Scimitar Babbler. (4pm-5pm to Ban Krang)

Mammals seen during the day included White-headed Gibbons and Dusky Langurs.

Times for going back down the track is 4pm-6pm in the afternoon session, which gives plenty of time to explore the top section.

Hi Matt, thanks for sharing the info, I am enjoying the read.
Can you provide me contact details of Tom Buckland (send them to yoemy at hotmail dot com).
Thanks!

Day 5 - Friday 13th December

The first three hours was spent walking the track between Ban Krang Campsite and Stream 3. Although the area was generally quiet, we still saw some good highlights.

We made our way out of the camp to head north to Khao Yai NP, but stopped off at Petchaburi Rice Fields which provided a welcome break, but also some quality birds, and a whole host of trip ticks.

We arrived just before dark at the entrance of Khao Yai and stayed in a nice b&b. There was plenty of accommodation heading down to the park, so if you are running late it won't be a problem.

Birds seen - Orange-breasted Trogon, Crested Goshawk, Ochraceous Bulbuls, Ruby-cheeked Sunbird, Two-barred Warbler, Greater Flameback. (Kaeng Krachan)

Pied Harrier (male), Yellow+Cinnamon Bitterns, both Jacanas, Pink-necked Green Pigeon, Cotton Pygmy Geese, Lesser Coucal, Plaintive Cuckoo, Asian Golden Weaver. (Petchaburi Rice Fields)

The journey up to Khao Yai took a little longer than anticipated due to getting lost, but a simple road map would resolve this....in fact its very simple.

Day 6 - Saturday 14th December

We went straight to Pa Gluay Mai Campsite in Khao Yai where we quickly got ourselves a tent each. Good birding around the campsite and on the adjacent road.
We then walked trail C and around the TAT pond.
About 3 hours was also spent walking up the stream from Haew Suwat Restaurant where there was a good array of species, on top of some lovely woodland trails.

Birds seen - Little Spiderhunters, Fire-breasted Flowerpeckers, White-crested Laughing Thrushs, Puff-throated Bulbuls & Rosy Minivets. (Pa Gluay Mai Campsite)

Siamese Fireback, Green-billed Malkoha, Green Magpies, Brown-backed Needletails. (Trail C & TAT pond)

Moustached Barbet, Blue-eared Kingfisher, Hill Mynas, Banded Bay Cuckoo, Abbott's Babbler, Wreathed Hornbills. (Haew Suwat upstream)

As it was a Saturday we arrived in the park, makesure you get there early to secure a place in one of the camps. By late pm the number of people in the camps was crazy. Food was served at the campsite on the Saturday, but not on a Sunday!!

Although the park is very busy at the weekends, the trails were empty so don't let weekends put you off.

Day 7 - Sunday 15th December

Walked trail B/6 all morning and although again it was generally quiet, we did hear 2 Blue Pittas.
After lunch we checked the Gound-Cuckoo stakeout, more for the Orange-headed Thrush that was present, as the Cuckoos hadn't been seen for a while.
Trail A was walked for the rest of the day and again it was relatively quiet.
By the evening, the park was pretty empty as there had been a mass evacuation of tourists, guess all going home ready for Monday work.

Birds seen/heard - Blue Pitta (2h), White-browed Scimitar Babblers, W-c Laughing Thrushes, Eastern Crowned, Pale Legged & Two-barred Warblers, Orange-breasted Trogon, Great Hornbill, Abbott's Babbler. (Trail B/6)

Orange-headed Thrush, Heart-spotted Woodpecker (Pa Gluay Mai Campsite)

Red-headed & Orange-breasted Trogon, Laced Woodpecker, Sulphur-breasted Warblers, Blue-bearded Bee-Eaters, Scarlet Minivet. (Trail A)

Day 8 - Monday 16th December

We drove the Khao Khieo road early morning and then spent a lot of time in the open area before the ascent.
Left the park around 9.30am where we headed back down motorway 2 and then up the 1 heading for Wat Prah Puttabaht Noi.
After a successful visit here, we called it a day and drove down to Bangkok and stayed at the Casa Narinya hotel ready for our flight the next morning.

Birds seen - Mountain Imperial Pigeon, Thick-billed Green Pigeon, Rufescent Prinia, Siamese Fireback. (Khao Khieo rd)

Limestone Wren Babbler (2), Peregrine, Plain-backed Sparrow. (Wat Prah Puttabaht Noi)

The journey from Khao Yai to the Babblers is no more than 2 hrs, and back down to Bangkok less than 2 hrs.

A very good trip, and despite some gaps in our trip list i.e. Broadbills, at the same time other groups had success with these, so it is a matter of luck, and maybe cheating and asking for a guide , it was none the less my first trip to Asia so plenty of goodies and a great introduction for me, and no doubt I shall return to Thailand.......in March next time!!