10-day Thailand Nature Photography Workshop

(January 9-18, 2024 / January 22-31, 2024)

with Award-winning conservationist/nature photographer, Noppadol Paothong

What’s NOT Included in the Workshop

• • Your flights from home to Bangkok, Thailand and back to the USA
  • Alcoholic beverages
  • Any additional tours, activities, etc., not expressly mentioned in the workshop
  • Any additional night’s accommodation
  • Gratuities / tips to guides, drivers, lodging staff (not required/optional)

Day 1

Arriving in Bangkok, Thailand & Workshop Introduction / Meet & Greet

• A driver will meet you at the Bangkok airport (Suvarnabhumi International Airport) and bring you to the hotel (nearby the airport).
• We will have a brief introduction to the workshop and meet & greet with other participants.

Day 2

Photographing shorebirds and marsh birds

• We will depart our hotel after breakfast to go to salt farms near the Gulf of Thailand, where Spoon-billed sandpiper are regularly seen (travel time: 1.5 hour). The salt farms have been a reliable site to find spoon-billed sandpipers in Thailand winter months.
  • Spoon-billed sandpipers is an iconic species for many birders around the world, not only for its unique bill, but also because it is listed as critically endangered.
• In addition to the spoon-billed sandpiper, there are thousands of other shorebirds, including the Malay plover and black-wing stilts. Stork, Asian openbill, and other marsh birds, such as egrets and herons are also abundant in this area.

Day 3

Photographing shorebirds at the Gulf of Thailand & birds / wildlife/ butterflies at Kaeng Krachan National Park

• Head out to Kaeng Krachan National Park (travel time: 1.5 hours) in early morning. The park is one of the best spots for wildlife sightseeing/photography in Thailand.
• We will spend time photographing stump-tailed macaques, birds, and bear. Anything is possible here at the park, where leopard, guar, or elephant can appear at any time.
• Later in the evening we will watch for wildlife that come to drink along the river. Birds such as hornbill and ratchet-tailed treepies can be found during evening hours. We will arrive back at the resort before dark and have a good dinner.

Day 4

Photographing birds / wildlife / butterflies at Kaeng Krachan National Park

• We will head up to a high camp area of Kaeng Krachan National Park to photograph spectacular views of misty mountains. Varieties of highland bird species, such as bulbuls and ratchet-tailed treepies, plus white-handed gibbons and langur monkeys, are regularly seen in this area.
• Large groups of tropical butterflies have also been observed during this time of the year near the café where we will have lunch. In the afternoon, we’ll look for bear, hornbills, and anything else we discover along the way.

Day 5

Photographing birds / wildlife / butterflies at Kaeng Krachan National Park & heading to Khao Yai National Park

• Early in the morning, we will look for black-and-red broadbills, bulbuls, and then head to a photo blind at a bird pool to photograph varieties of partridge, pheasant, and other birds that come to drink.
• Lunch will be served at the resort, and part of the afternoon is set aside for doing a group image discussion, answering questions, and fixing any photography issues that arise.
• Then we will depart to Khao Yai National Park promptly (travel time 3.5 hours). At Khao Yai National Park we will go to a site where millions of wrinkle-lipped bats fly out in the evening.

Day 6

Photographing birds/wildlife at Khao Yai National Park

• We will get up early to check out a spot known for hornbills near a bluff and an area known for white-handed gibbons.
• We will travel to different locations throughout the day, stopping along the way for interesting wildlife. There’s no telling what you’ll see on a given day, but the diversity here is incredible. 
• At noon we will take a lunch break near the visitor center. While there, we will look for otters, monitor lizards, and kingfishers that are regularly seen in the vicinity. During a break, we will also tour the visitor center, which has many impressive images for inspiration.
• In the evening, we will look for good wildlife opportunities including elephant, gaur, and sambar deer that come out to feed in an open grassland area. Dinner will be served at the resort.

Day 7

Photographing birds/wildlife at Khao Yai National Park

• This day’s schedule includes a visit to Haew Narok Waterfall, which is the biggest waterfall at the park, with a height of 270 feet. It requires a little hike (with steep stairs).
• We will also visit Haew Suwat Waterfall that has easy access and is only 100 meters from the parking area. Both waterfalls offer spectacular views, with many opportunities to photograph wildlife and birds.
• We will take a lunch break near a waterfall.
• In the evening we will go to a location where a herd of elephants comes out to feed, and also search for other wildlife opportunities in the open grassland.

Day 8

Photographing birds/wildlife at Khao Yai National Park & Bung Boraphet lake

• We will get up early and check out locations for either elephants or hornbills. Mid-morning, after a short breakfast, we will also look for birds (kingfishers, woodpeckers) near the visitor center, as well as gibbons that hang out in this area.
• We will depart Khao Yai National Park after lunch and head to Bung Boraphet lake (travel time: 3 hours). Bung Boraphet is the largest lake in Thailand also known as the “Northern Sea” or “Great Lake”.
• We will spend the rest of the afternoon cruising on the lake and photographing many species of water birds until sunset.

Day 9

Photographing at Bung Boraphet Marsh / Heading to Mae Wong National Park

• At sunrise we will cruise on the lake looking for photo opportunities, including thousands of wading birds and migrating waterfowl. Almost 200 species of animals and plants have been found in this area.
• After lunch we will depart to Mae Wong National Park (travel time: 2.5 hours) to photograph rufous-necked hornbill and yellow-throated marten.

Day 10­­

Photographing birds/wildlife at Mae Wong National Park

• We will spend the morning photographing mostly rufous–necked hornbill and yellow–throated marten.
• We will depart Mae Wong National Park in mid-afternoon and arrive back to our hotel in Bangkok (travel time: 5 hours).
• On our last evening together, we will conclude the workshop, summarize what we’ve learned, and talk about our experiences.

Day 11

Departure – A driver will drop you off at the airport if that’s your plan.

Workshop Fee: $6,850

• • Due to the difficulty of arranging logistics in an international trip, 40% of the workshop fee ($2,740) is due (by check) when you sign up. The remaining balance must be paid in full by the end of November, 2023.
  • Cancellation: A cancellation notice should be received 90 days prior to the workshop to get a refund minus $200 administration fee.

Registration

• • You can register by emailing your name and contact information at [email protected] and sending a $500 deposit (payable to Noppadol Paothong Photography) to the following address.

Noppadol Paothong Photography, LLC
P.O.Box 7801
Columbia, MO 65205

*To keep myself and participants safe and healthy as well as streamlining the process of acquiring destination venues and accommodations, we are asking that all workshop participants be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

**This workshop has commercial general liability coverage. 

This unique workshop will fill quickly.

Contact us as soon as possible.

Contact [email protected] if you have any questions to ensure this is a suitable workshop for you.