Bird watching event coming up at Thai forest park

Bird watchers in Thailand have an exciting upcoming event to look forward to. The Khao Nang Phanthurat Forest Park is holding the ‘Bird Walk @KhaoNangPhanthurat’ on Saturday, December 17. The park is located in the Cha-am district of Thailand’s central Petchaburi province.

Attendance is free, but space is limited to 30 people. A guide will lead participants on an adventure through the park to learn about the basics of bird watching, and the important role of birds in the environment.

The event aims to raise awareness about forestry and environmental protection. It will educate people on birds’ roles in getting rid of insects, and helping plants survive.

Binoculars will be provided for free, as well as a bird watching guidebook.

Those who would like to attend the event must register with park officials before December 10. If you’re interested, you can call 092-9518022 or 098-6860989.

Khao Nang Phanthurat Forest Park is home to over 100 bird species. These include the green bee eater, black-winged stilt, ashy wood swallow, and paddy field pipit.

The park is named after a character from a Thai legend. The story goes that the giantess Nang Phanthurat disguises herself as a human and adopts a son named Phra-Sang.

One day, Phra-sang wanders into Nang Phanthurat’s secret chamber and finds dead animals and human bones. From this, he realises that his mother is a monster. Phra-sang then disguises himself from his mother by dipping himself in gold, in order to appear as a gold-coated dead body. He then flees the chamber with a magical cane and special glass shoe.

Phra Sang then refuses to return to his mother, despite her pleas. Phanthurat then grieves until she dies, and Phra-Sang cremates her. According to the legend, Phanthurat’s body turns into a mountain. People now call the mountain Khao Nang Phanthurat.