Thailand Thale Ban National Park

Level: very easy hiking
Season: all year
Best Season: middle of December through March
Feature: lovely trails and unique bungalows

Thale Ban National Park is very close to the Malaysian border. It was declared a national park in October of 1980 and covers 102 square kilometers. The terrain is rugged mountains, forested limestone karst formations, marshland and a lush valley.

Tropical evergreen forests cover both the park’s lowland areas and higher elevations. Towering forested limestone crags add to the dramatic scenery.

Thale Ban is a fruitful place to go birding. Over 200 species have been confirmed there. This diversity in foliage provides different habitat for a large variety of birds including the rare Rhinoceros Hornbill, Masked Finfoot, Bat Hawk, Booted Eagle, Crested Fireback Pheasant, Ferruginous Wood Partridge, Great Argus and the illusive Narcissus Flycatcher are occasionally seen in the park area.

By merely walking around the bungalow area on the paths and roads you'll likely see the following:

Other park highlights

In addition to great birding, there are easy trails leading to several refreshing waterfalls. The Sakai people, primitive hunter-gatherers, are also sometimes encountered. These people used to wander the forests of northern Malaysia and southern Thailand. Now, some have resorted to a more sedentary lifestyle away from their traditional hunting grounds.

Accommodations in Thale Ban

The bungalows in Thale Ban are very tasteful. They are all different. Some are right on the small pond while others are set back in the jungle a bit. The rooms are impeccably clean, as are the restrooms.

Wooden walkways cross the marsh, adding to you possibility of seeing more wildlife. There is a rare barking frog that resides in the marsh.

Our trips are all-inclusive. This price includes: all transfers (airfare not included), all equipment, accommodations once on the trip, all meals, all snacks, all non-alcoholic drinks, a complimentary PaddleAsia shirt and insurance.