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.

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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.

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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.

Responsible Tourism/Respect for Nature and the Environment
PROTECTING NATURE'S FINEST TREASURES
Tips for Visitors on Nature Study Trails

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Before starting out at the head of the trail, check for information on the route, and a description of the fauna and flora and other highlights that you might reasonably expect to see. Allow sufficient time to explore the route or a predetermined part of the route and discover the things you want to see.     Prepare appropriate equipment for viewing wildlife. A pair of 8 x 30 binoculars is most useful for watching birds in forest habitats, and a spotting scope will help you get up close with waders and other waterbirds on the tidal flats.     A camera and zoom lens, (70 – 300mm) allows you to photograph forest birds but a longer lens is needed for waterbirds. Bring a macro lens for close-up photography of insects and mangrove trees. A flash may help you illuminate an interesting subject in low light.     Wear clothes and footwear appropriate to the terrain and weather conditions.     Trails bring people closer to nature but are also meant to keep them at a safe distance. Don’t reach into the vegetation to touch nesting birds, or venture into the mud to catch crabs or mudskippers. Never take animal or plant life home with you.     Avoid trampling vegetation and damaging habitats that animals depend upon by always sticking to the marked route. Never touch or break off mangrove vegetation hanging across the trail. Even dead or decaying vegetation may be used by animals such as fireflies, moths and butterflies, or nesting birds.     Take your garbage out with you when you leave.     Never venture off the trail on your own. If you need to get closer to nature for a special reason, for example to take a photograph, inform your guide or park ranger first.     Walk slowly and try not to make sudden noises that might disturb wildlife or other visitors

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Nature-Based Tourism: Aquatic/Marine Landscape
Beyond the mangrove treeline, the shallow waters of Kung Krabaen Bay protect extensive sea-grass beds, important nurseries for fish that are commercially harvested outside the bay. According to Nopadon Kakhai, a fisheries’ biologist at the Kung Krabaen Bay Royal Development Centre, local people have agreed to look after the bay and its fish stocks by ensuring that only appropriate fishing methods are used. The sea-grass beds also serve as feeding areas for rays, bottlenose dolphins, and rare dugongs that sometimes enter the bay. The Centre and provincial authorities have been promoting the rehabilitation of the sea-grass beds in the hope of attracting more dugongs, which are classified by the World Conservation Union as a globally threatened species. Waters inside the bay are best explored by long-tail boat.

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Outside the bay, coastal waters off Haat Chao Lao, Laem Sadet, Laem Sing and other locations along the coastline near Chanthaburi town offer opportunities for snorkelling and diving among submerged rocks and corals. In these shallow waters, divers may encounter various soft corals, reef fishes and small sharks, as well as Green and Hawksbill turtles. Although the marine diversity in the Gulf of Thailand is generally lower than the deeper waters of the Andaman Sea, these Chanthaburi sites are currently seldom visited by dive operators and so may offer relatively less disturbed diving conditions. Annual clean-ups are organized by the Kung Krabaen Bay Royal Development Centre and help to maintain the beaches from Haat Chao Lao to Laem Sadet in good condition. The best conditions for diving there exist from November to June.

References
Kung Krabaen Mangrove Forest Study Walkway
http://www.fisheries.go.th/cf%2Dkung%5Fkrabaen/forest.htm

World Conservation Monitoring Centre, World Atlas of Mangroves
http://www.fao.org/forestry/site/mangroveatlas/en/

2007 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
http://www.iucnredlist.org

ACKNOWLDEGEMENTS
We sincerely thank Mr Nopadon Kakhai, Fisheries’ Biologist at Kung Krabaen Bay Royal Development Centre for the enthusiastic support and kind assistance in providing either information and/or images for this feature and Faasai Resort and Spa for proposing the activity programme and organizing the Kung Krabaen Bay fishing boat trip for the News Room team.

For more information
Faasai Resort and Spa
Kung Wiman Beach
26/1 Mho 7, Sanamchai, Nayaiarm, Chanthaburi, 20000
Tel: 086 889 2595 (English)
Tel: 039 417 404 (Thai)
E -mail: info@faasai.com
Web site: www.faasai.com

TAT Central Region office — Region 4
Areas of Responsibility: Chanthaburi,Rayong
153/4 Sukhimvit Rd., TambonTaphong, Rayong 21000
Tel. 038 655 420-1, 038 664 585
Fax. 038 655 422
E-mail: tatryong@tat.or.th