My first Thailand nature photography workshops in January 2024 was a success beyond my wildest dream!
Looking back, I can’t believe how many great photo opportunities we had during 10-day workshops.
The highlights of this workshop were so many including super rare spoon-billed sandpiper in Gulf of Thailand (currently there are only 400 left in the wild), Malay plover, iconic hornbills, Siamese fireback, kingfishers, trogon, barbet, bee-eater, broadbill, gibbon, langur, Malayan sun bear, samba deer, mousedeer, elephant, and especially endangered Sarus Cranes in the eastern province of Thailand.
I am also very proud of how hard my participants worked during the workshop. We photographed and spent time in a field from dawn till dust (literally).
Wildlife especially birds were active in early morning and late evening. On one morning, we had a male great hornbill flew in and perched above our table where we were having a breakfast! The bird hopped around tree branches for almost an hour and gave us a plenty time to capture many incredible images.
We were fortunate to photograph a mating pair of Sarus cranes feeding in a rice field. According to a crane center in Thailand, 156 Sarus cranes have been released to the wetlands in Buri Ram province since 2011.
The organization has recorded about 120 Sarus cranes living in the wild. It is among 15 species listed in the 1992 Wildlife Protection Act in Thailand. So, this was such a special treat for us to be able to see this pair in the wild.
An evening and morning cruise at Bung Boraphet, the largest swamp in central Thailand, was a terrific way to photograph thousands of species of water birds from waterfowls, heron, Asian openbill, cormorant, oriental darter, bee-eater, and pheasant-tailed jacana. We saw endless flock of glossy ibises flew to their rooting place during sunset and sunrise.
Many of us agreed that the best part of this workshop was being in the rain forest, listening to the mesmerizing sounds of wildlife. It was wonderful to observe and photograph wildlife in their natural habitat at both Kaeng Krachan National Park and Khaoyai National Park.
We also had a little excitement with wild bull elephants at Khaoyai National Park.
Try to imagine “bear jam” in Yellowstone National Park. Now imagine “elephant jam” except this large mammal can be unpredictable and demands a great respect for space.
We took quick shots, then got out of its way safely. The next morning, we photographed a whole herd with several baby elephants crossing a field. It was exuberating to witness such an event.
We can’t talk about Thailand without mentioning foods!
Thailand is known for its fine cuisine and we sure weren’t disappointed.
We had many delicious meals from breakfast to dinner and probably gained a few pounds (totally worth it)! Our local coordinator, Risa, made sure that we had a plenty of foods/snacks during the trip.
She even brought an espresso machine and provided us with the best coffee.
All these fantastic encounters couldn’t be possible without our awesome team of coordinators. I personally would like to give a heart fill thank to our local guides, drivers, and skippers who dedicated their time to help us identify bird/wildlife locations and assisted us for many photo opportunities that otherwise would be impossible. Their expertise, dedication, and hospitality made our trip such a memorable and I can’t thank them enough.
People in Thailand also have left a huge impression to my workshop participants, all of whom had never been to Thailand. Besides photo opportunities, it was such a joy to me to see my clients enjoy the generosity and kindness of people they had encountered at restaurants, hotels, and other fellow photographers in Thailand.
Next year I will be hosting another workshop in Thailand. This 13-day nature photography workshop will be from January 5-17, and January 19-31, 2025, at Khaoyai National Park, Bung Boraphet, and Chiang Mai.
I am especially excited about a five-day excursion in Chiang Mai. This beautiful mountainous province in northern Thailand will be filled with many flowers at their peak during this time.
At a higher elevation we will have a great chance to photograph many species of birds (especially sunbirds) that migrate to northern Thailand and other species, including spider hunter, pita, scarlet-faced liocichla, plumbeous redstart, Mrs. Hume’s pheasant and many others.
If you are interested in this nature photography workshop in Thailand, please let me know as soon as possible. I expect this workshop will fill out very quickly. Please email me at [email protected].
Check out other pictures from the workshop!