Thalee Noi RAMSAR Protected Wetlands
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TwitterTalee Noi and Phru Khuan Khi Sian Non-Hunting Area in Phattalung Province is truly the number one destination in Thailand for those of you interested in birds, particularly waders and migrants. 
Talee Noi is one of the most important wetland areas of southern Thailand. Home to some 150 species of domestic and migrating birds throughout the year and on occasions host to over 100,000 birds at any one time; it is an important stop on any birders journey to south East Asia. Please note however that the best times to visit Talee Noi and the times when there will be the most birds in residence are between the months of January and April, before they migrate onwards.
Found in Phattalung province and part of the Songkhla lake complex, it is easily accessible from the Had Yai, Trang and Krabi. You can also get the overnight train to Phattalung from Bangkok (which has rather comfortable sleeping carriages). It will take all night and if you leave in the early evening from Bangkok you should be in Phattalung for 07:00 – 08:00 the next day. From the train station in Phattalung a taxi or songtaew is easily found and can take you directly to the main entrance of tale Noi for a very reasonable price. Once at Talee Noi the services of local long tail boat captains can be secured, again, very reasonably and there is an abundance of small local restaurants and cafes for any snacks you may need!
If driving yourself from Hat Yai town, head out of town and north on route 43 (dual carriageway). This road will then turn into route 4 and then route 41, passing through the towns of Pa Bon and Tha Khae. Turn right on to provincial highway 4187, from here again head straight until you reach Talee Noi Marine Bird Sanctuary, an official RAMSAR (The Convention on Wetlands) protected site.
Talee Noi is actually part of 3 main lakes forming the Songkhla Lake complex, the largest natural lake in Thailand covering an area of 1,040 km2. The lake has four main sections and the southern most lake opens out onto the open sea and contains brackish water (Saline). The next is Thale Luang (782.80 km²) and the further north you head the less saline the water becomes, due to various bottlenecks of sediment build up and mangrove areas until you reach Talee Noi, the northern most lake. Talee Noi covers 28 km2 and being the northern most lake in the complex it contains fresh water. Before the build up of sediment and the encroachment of mangrove habitats, Talee Noi itself would have been brackish water but thankfully now it is home to numerous species of fresh water waders and ducks.
Talee Noi is also part of the Phru Khuan Khi Sian Non-Hunting Area and together they form one of the last surviving intact freshwater wetland ecosystems in Thailand. Typically there are lake, marsh, melaleuca, swamp forest, paddy fields and swamp grassland habitats and these offer a vital refuge to waders, ducks and migratory birds. The swamp hen, heron, tern, egret, black-winged stilt and painted stork, plus many more can all be found here, all hard or impossible to find in other areas of Thailand.
Surrounding all this birdlife at Talee Noi is an idyllic scene of pink, mauve and purple Lotus flowers. They flower for most of the year and create a Shangri – La like image. When you think of South East Asia often the scenes in your mind will have come straight from Talee Noi. It really is a special place and one that will leave you with memories for a lifetime.
Don’t Forget! If you are into photography, your zoom lens will come in very hand here. A good pair of binoculars are also not a bad idea if you wish to maximize the number of birds you will see.
