Following is a brief compilation of bird-related tours I have come across in my years in Phuket which I can recommend. There unboubtedly are plenty more and I will include them as I come across them. All tours can be custom-tailored to the needs and demands of the birders.
- Phuket Designer Tours offers local birding guides who specialize in sites throughout the west coast as well as other places througout the country. The itinerary is flexible according to the desires of the birder. (Note: Since the company does not own a vehicle, the birder must provide transportation for the trip.)
- Thailand Birdwatching: A company of local nature lovers and birders, set up with the intention of supporting conservation and true eco-tourism in their native province of Phang Nga. They also offer birding tours in other parts of the country, such as the northeast and central plains.
- Paddle Asia: The company offers tours to bird-rich sites in the south from Khao Sok National Park in Surat to the Tarutao islands near Malaysia. Visitors can see large mammals and other fascinating creatures on these trips as well. From day tours of Phang Nga and Phuket to specialized overnight trips, all can be arranged. For more details, please refer to Dave’s website, or drop him an e-mail here.
- Mr. Yothin Meekaeo: The one-stop, professional guide for those who desperately want to tick Gurney’s Pitta off their Thai list. Based in Krabi, Mr. Yothin has been guiding birders into Kao Nor Chuchi for many years and his reputation as a keen birder is well deserving.
- Birding2asia: is a company which offers birding tours all over Thailand and specialize in southern birding. Their tour leaders are professional birdwatchers with hundreds of hours of on-site experience. They also offer free birding information on their website.
- For those taking birding trips to the north or Central Plans of Thailand who need input on birding sites, I would suggest you contact Mr. Peter Ericsson, a birder with almost two decades worth of experince in Thai birding. Mr. Peter is a personal friend of mine who introduced me to birding many years ago. He runs the Central Thailand Misson, a charity affiliated with the U.S based Family Care Foundation. Mr. Peter has seen over 700 of Thailands 900+ species and has a keen knowledge of many of Thailand’s prime birding sites.
- While they are not based in the south, Nature Focus Thailand offers tours throughout Thailand, including the south. If I am correct, they are also the only company which still arranges tours to Hala Bala.
If you would like more information, please contact me by e-mail and I’d be happy to discuss any topics related to birding with you.
