Hidden Wonders - Enchanting Coastal Chantaburi

A rare retreat for nature lovers lies tucked away on a sleepy stretch of the Gulf of Thailand. The protected forests of Kung Krabaen in Chanthaburi Province form a green blanket spanning land and sea. Here, evergreen forests typical of inland hills and mountains give rise to coastal woodlands, beach forests and moist tidal mangroves. This is one of few places in the Kingdom where visitors can see the various types of Thai forests within the course of a single day. While each forest type is special in its own right, the mangroves are the true jewel of this rare landscape.

Geography and Natural History of Mangroves
Naturally restricted in their distribution, all of Thailand’s pristine mangrove forests are estimated to cover an area only a third the size of the Bangkok metropolitan area (7,761 square kilometres) and less than half a percent of the country’s total land area.
The only forest type rarer in Thailand than mangrove is freshwater swamp forest. At Kung Krabaen Bay, named because its shape resembles a ray or krabaen, pristine mangrove forest with its tall (15 to 20-metre) canopy, covers one hundred glorious hectares. There, Rhizophora trees with branching taproots stand like forest goblins. A further 82 hectares are being reafforested as part of the Kung Krabaen Bay Royal Development Centre, one of more than 3,000 royal projects initiated by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Rama IX. In this zone, Rhizophora tree saplings, one of the pioneer plant species, are planted in neat rows. When they are mature, the replanted mangrove forests will help buffer the coastline against erosion.

Conservation Significance
Mangroves are feeding grounds for marine life. At low tide, egrets, long-tailed macaques and civets feed on aquatic animals exposed in the mud. Above the water’s surface, mangroves provide nesting and roosting trees for various large waterbirds. Brahminy kites, striking rust-red and white feathered birds of prey with metre long wingspans, wheel above the mangrove canopy and shallow water in search of fish. Casual visitors to Kung Krabaen have the chance to see all of these animals. For enthusiasts prepared to spend half a day or less looking, mangrove forests at Kung Krabaen offer smaller avian inhabitants: Mangrove Whistlers, Copper-throated Sunbirds, as well as a fair diversity of shore birds, though not in big numbers. A remote possibility is the Masked Finfoot, an uncommon and secretive migrant waterbird occasionally spotted at Kung Krabaen, usually during its non-breeding season (February to June).

Economic Significance
Mangroves provide natural shelter and food in the early life stages of fish, crabs, and shrimps, which locals harvest for their livelihoods. According to the World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC), tens of millions of people in Thailand and worldwide are dependent upon mangroves as sources of fuelwood, timber and non-timber products. Similar numbers are dependent on the coastal fisheries that mangroves support. At Kung Krabaen, mangroves provide an additional source of revenue for locals offering visitors nature tours, homestays and other accommodation.

Nature-based Tourism and Educational Travel
There are two choices for exploring the Kung Krabaen Bay mangroves. The self-guided Mangrove Forest Study Walkway stretches 1.6 kilometres, starting and ending in the reafforestation zone, and looping through dense pristine forest and past where mangrove and woodland meets. This is the best way to get a general feel for the forest, to understand how the forest changes as it develops through the life-stages from seedlings to mature forest, to see birds by day, and appreciate fireflies that decorate the forest in delicate flashing pinpoints of light by night. For the more adventurous, a ranger-guided kayak route runs along the seaward edge of the mangroves, and winds through the shadowy depths of the forest along natural water gaps and access channels. The route also takes in areas where locals set small cage traps for fish and crabs, so you can see the simple ways people gain subsistence from the mangroves. Opportunities for photographing birds and other forest life exist along both walkway and water routes. The best time to visit is during the cooler months from November to February but the warmer months of March and April are also suitable.