Nong Han Center of Excellence Organizes a Study Visit to Thale Noi Wetland, Thailand’s First Ramsar Site

The Nong Han Center of Excellence, in collaboration with the Better Delta Sustainable Promotion Association (BDSPA) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Thailand Office, under the support of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), organized a study visit to the Thale Noi Wetland, Khuan Khanun District, Phatthalung Province, during 9–13 December 2024, under the project “Leading the Change (LtC2)”.
Thale Noi is the first internationally recognized wetland in Thailand, registered as Ramsar Site No. 948, covering approximately 285,625 rai across three provinces: Phatthalung, Songkhla, and Nakhon Si Thammarat. It comprises diverse ecosystems such as rice paddies, peat swamp forests, grasslands, and aquatic vegetation zones. The wetland is home to 287 species of water birds, 26 species of reptiles, and 6 species of mammals. Thale Noi has also been recognized by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) under the name “Thale Noi Wetland Pastoral Buffalo Agro-ecosystem.”
The study visit welcomed 18 participants from various agencies in Sakon Nakhon Province, including the Provincial Fisheries Office, Provincial Irrigation Office, Office of Natural Resources and Environment, and Sakon Nakhon Municipality. The objective was to exchange knowledge on natural resource management systems in the Thale Noi wetland.
The outcome of the visit has contributed to the formulation of key goals for applying the Thale Noi wetland management model to the sustainable development of the Nong Han area in all dimensions—aiming to enhance the area’s potential and provide long-term public benefits for both communities and the environment.

ศูนย์ความเป็นเลิศด้านหนองหารจัดกิจกรรมศึกษาดูงานพื้นที่ชุ่มน้ำทะเลน้อย Ramsar Site แห่งแรกของประเทศไทย