Thale Noi

Though being declared a non-hunting area on 18 February 1975, it is commonly called ‘Thale Noi Waterfowl Park.’ This is the first nonhunting area ever founded in Thailand, under Thale Noi Non-hunting Area 16 Phatthalung the Department of National Park, Wildlife and Flora, Ministry of National Resources and Environment. The Khuan Khi Sian Peat Swamp in the area around Thale Noi or Noi Lake is the first Ramsar site of Thailand. This non-hunting area covers an area of around 285,625 rai. It has been selected as a significant wetland area of the country, including areas in three provinces; namely, Phatthalung, Songkhla, and Nakhon Si Thammarat. Its water area (Thale Noi Lake) accounts for 17,500 rai. Most parts of the Thale Noi Non-hunting Area are lakeside plains consisting of rice fields, peat swamp forest, and grasslands. Thale Noi Lake is around 5 kilometres wide and 6 kilometres long, having aquatic plants growing on the lake surface, such as hyacinth, Kong tree (Hanguana malayana), pale yellow-spiked rush, lotus, and floating plants. Its average depth is 1.25 metres. Fauna inhabiting here comprises 287 species of waterfowls, 26 species of reptiles, and 6 species of mammals. The waterfowls are both resident and migratory, such as painted stork, black-headed ibis, grey heron, purple heron, little cormorant, black-crowned night-heron, etc. Interesting things at the Thale Noi Waterfowl Park are the Thale Noi Palace, sea of blooming lotus in the morning, flocks of waterfowls, the nesting and egg-laying grounds of waterfowls at Ao Mo and those at Khuan Thale Mong, Khuan Khi Sian Ranger Station, and the Sala Nang Riam viewpoint