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Krung Ching Waterfall
(Updated 01/11/18)

Introduction
White-crowned Hornbill

White-crowned Hornbill
(Photo by Nick Upton)

Krung Ching Waterfall is part of Khao Luang National Park which rises to a height of 1780 metres and covers an area of more than 570 square kilometres, but it is the lowland forest protected at the Krung Ching substation that remains the haunt of many birds that are extremely scarce in Thailand due to habitat loss. The waterfall appeared on the back of an old thousand baht note, making it famous, and this means that there is access to it through several kilometres of extremely beautiful, moist lowland forest, although the trail is more than a little tricky to negotiate for those with any mobility issues.

Krung Ching waterfall headquarters is one of the easiest to access, high-quality areas of extensive forest to visit in southern Thailand with an access road, campsite and trail leading visitors through several kilometres of wonderful tropical forest. Although the waterfall itself is quite powerful it is a fair hike though the hot, humid forest and this is a location for the determined birder, not a good location for traveling with a non-birder or for casual birding.

There are a large number of really exciting birds to be seen here but few of them give themselves up easily and birding is frequently difficult here but rewarding for those with patience.

Birding Highlights
Scarlet-rumped Trogon

Scarlet-rumped Trogon
(Photo by Nick Upton)

With so many fantastic birds to be found at Krung Ching the list of highlights is considerable. This is probably the best place in Thailand to see a wide range of southern species and it is one of the best places to for Scarlet-rumped Trogon, Rufous-collared Kingfisher and Malaysian Rail Babbler.

Some species which are scarce or difficult to find in other places are common here; Green Broadbill is very common and easy to find as is Black-and-yellow Broadbill while Dark-throated Oriole, Sooty Barbet and Wallace's Hawk Eagle will normally be seen in open areas. Malayan Banded Pitta is frequently seen at Krung Ching, along the trail, and this is a good site for Maroon, Buff-rumped, Grey-and-buff, Rufous and Banded Woodpeckers. Babblers are a group of birds well-represented here too and although they can be extremely skulking, species such as Grey-headed Babbler, Short-tailed Babbler, Fluffy-backed Tit Babbler and Ferruginous Babbler make for good sightings.

The habitat at Krung Ching is really excellent and for those birders who repeatedly visit there is often something new to find. White-crowned Hornbill, Black Hornbill and Plain-pouched Hornbill have been seen and Great Argus is not rare, although seldom spotted. Other very rare birds that have been seen here include Malaysian Honeyguide, Rufous-chested Flycatcher, Chestnut-capped Thrush, Cinnamon-rumped Trogon and Crested Partridge although plenty of luck will be needed to see any of these highly-prized species.

A checklist of the birds for this location can be found here - Krung Ching

Malayan Banded PittaBird Watching Trips:
If you need help organizing a bird watching trip to Thailand, take a look at the suggested itineraries for ideas on creating a tailor-made trip and contact me for advice: Thailand bird tours.
Travel Information

Use the interactive map below to plan your route to Krung Ching. The blue line shows the route from Surat Thani airport (B) and Nakorn Sri Thammarat airport (A) to the headquarters at Krung Ching Waterfall (C).

By Car/Motorcycle
By far the easiest way to reach this site is by private vehicle, indeed, it is the only sensible option given how remote it is. From wherever you are travelling from one needs to get onto route 401 which runs from north to south along the coast between the towns of Surat Thani and Nakorn Sri Thammarat. Although Google Maps will try and direct you through various roads it is best to ignore this and turn off the highway at Tha Sala and then follow the singposts to Noppitham and then to Krung Ching itself. The roads that Google Maps will try and navigate you through are very narrow and rutted in areas and it makes the journey slower and more complicated than is necessary.

By Bus
It would be simple enough to take a bus from any large city in Thailand to either Surat Thani or Nakorn Sri Thammarat bus stations. From either of those there will be regular buses running to Tha Sala and from there it would be possible to get to Noppitham but after that it would be difficult to get much closer and completely impossible to get all the way to Krung Ching.

By Train
Surat Thani has a railway station at Punpin and there is also a station at Nakorn Sri Thammarat. From these locations one then has the problem of onward travel which is not easily solved. It would be possible to charter local transport from either station or with some research it would be possible to hire a motor scooter at Surat Thani.

By Plane
Both Surat Thani and Nakorn Sri Thammarat have airports with a lot of connections with cities around Thailand and are convenient for onward travel to Krung Ching. The airports have the advantage over railway and bus stations in that hiring a car or taxi is easy. Surat Thani airport has the greater number of connections but Nakorn Sri Thammarat gives birders a shorter onward journey to the birding.

Finding Birds

Krung Ching has one of the best bird abundances of any Southern Thailand birding site so anywhere will turn up a nice selection of species but the best birding zones can be summed up in four sections; the approach road, the overgrown trail, the campsite and the waterfall trail. Each one of these has its own attractions and specialities.

Krung Ching Waterfall Map Krung Ching Approach Road campsite Krung Ching Waterfall Trail Overgrown Trail

The Approach Road: Anyone entering Krung Ching will have to pass along this road and with around 1.5-2kms of quiet road passing through nice forest it offers some of the most productive birding and certainly the easiest with a good abundance of birds, particularly in the mornings. While the waterfall trail offers the possibility of some great birds, so does this access road and the walking is far, far easier and suitable for birders of all physical abilities.

Red-bearded Bee-eater
Red-bearded Bee-eater

 

Black-and-yellow Broadbill
Black-and-yellow Broadbill

Red-eyed Bulbul
Asian Red-eyed Bulbul

 

Gold-whiskered Bulbul
Gold-whiskered Barbet

(Photo by Nick Upton)

This approach road is at its best in the mornings although do not expect masses of activity, instead one must be patient and the birds will slowly come along. This is a particularly good area to see most of the Malkohas that occur here as well as Sooty (Brown), Gold-whiskered and Red-throated Barbets and the treetops are worth scanning for Black-thighed Falconet and Crested Serpent Eagle.

This is a good area to see many of the commoner species here including Red-eyed, Spectacled and Cream-vented Bulbuls which are worth getting to grips with early on so you don't have to concern yourself with them for too long. Grey-bellied Spiderhunter, Lesser Cuckooshrike, Yellow-breasted Flowerpecker and Black-and-yellow Broadbill are all fairly abundant along here and it is possible to find Green, Dusky and Banded Broadbills too.

Some of the most sought-after species can take a lot of effort to find but species such as Red-bearded Bee-eater, Banded Woodpecker, Maroon Woodpecker, Crested Jay, Rufous-collared Kingfisher and White-crowned Hornbill are seen here fairly regularly and at night this is a good area to search for Blyth's Frogmouth. With patience and persistence many of the species that are found at Krung Ching can be seen along here and I have even seen malaysian Honeyguide close to the "helicopter pad".

The so-called helicopter pad is a good place to scan across the forest canopy for White-crowned Hornbills and Silver-rumped Spinetail or anything else that might be sitting up on exposed perches to catch the morning sun or to dry out after rain.

Campsite: This small campsite provides a nice clearing in the dense forest which makes seeing many species fairly easy. A number of fruiting and flowering trees in the campsite always seem to attract some birds in particular the attractive Scaly-breasted Bulbul, Gold-whiskered Barbet, Red-throated Barbet and many other fruit-eating birds. This is a great spot to get to grips with both Greater Green and Lesser Green Leafbirds, Green Iora and Crimson-breasted Flowerpecker as they come down into low trees. The very similar and drab Spectacled, Cream-vented and Red-eyed Bulbuls can be found and studied here at close-quarters while Thick-billed Green Pigeon is usually seen here too. These fruiting trees can attract migrants at the right time of year too and over the years I have seen Blue-and-white Flycatcher, Orange-headed Thrush and Yellow-rumped Flycatcher to mention a few.

Krung Ching Waterfall Trail: Lowland moist forest is one of the most endangered habitats in Southeast Asia and this trail gives birders access to around 4km of some of the best remaining lowland habitat in Southern Thailand. However, there is a catch. After around 500 metres the trail becomes very steep and the surface is very difficult to keep upright on, quite frankly it is dangerous for a stretch of a few hundred metres until it levels out to a gently undulating trail. Going up never seems to be the problem but very many people have taken heavy falls on the way down and I would suggest that anyone who is overweight, unfit, has knee or ankle problems or any type of mobility issue will potentially have an accident on the way down unless taking extreme care; a rubber-tipped walking pole is advisable, unless you are young and fit, along here.

Grey-headed Babbler
Grey-headed Babbler

 

Green Broadbill
Green Broadbill

Hairy-backed Bulbul
Hairy-backed Bulbul

 

Rufous-winged Philentoma
Rufous-winged Philentoma

(Photo by Nick Upton)

For those who do make the effort to get along here the trail proceeds through several kilometres of good lowland forest with a great selection of birds to look for. Birding is never easy along here and patience is essential but species such as Green Broadbill, Scarlet-rumped Trogon, Grey-headed Babbler, Fluffy-backed Tit Babbler, Fulvous-chested Jungle-flycatcher and Black-throated Babbler are regularly seen.

This trail takes birders deep into the forest and it is along here that a wide selection of southern birds can be found such as noisy Maroon Woodpecker, skulking Black-capped Babbler, Rufous-winged Philentoma, smart Ferruginous Babbler, Dusky Broadbill, secretive Short-tailed Babbler, Moustached Babbler and many more. Here is the domain of some of the most sought-after species, those birds which are rare and elusive and as such it takes a lot of work and numerous visits to see species including Malayan Banded Pitta, Maroon-breasted Philentoma, (Southern) White-crowned Forktail and a huge amount of luck will be needed to achieve more than just hearing Great Argus. Rail Babbler occurs here too but never gives itself up easily while Crested Partridge, Chestnut-capped Thrush, Cinnamon-rumped Trogon and Diard's Trogon are all possible but very seldom seen; Black Hornbill is also ocassionally encountered too.

The Overgrown Trail: Beginning at the helicopter pad is a trail leading off into the forest which is somewhat overgrown. It can be followed for some distance although I have never followed it to its conclusion so cannot comment on how far it proceeds but it is a good trail for single birders although it would be very hard birding here in a group. Dusky Broadbill, Banded Woodpecker, Rufous-collared Kingfisher and (Southern) White-crowned Forktail can be found here and it is worth exploring for many of the other species characteristic of this location.

Facilities

At the HQ itself there are very few facilities at all. There are a couple of chalets to stay in but they have not been maintained well and are fairly rustic. There is no restaurant at park HQ although food can be arranged with the park staff but they will provide your dinner at about 5pm if you want to arrange this. If you stay in the park itself it is better to take your own food in, buying it from the large supermarket at Tha Sala. There are public toilets and a small car park at the HQ area.

Suk's Homestay

A few hundred metres along the access road to Krung Ching is Suk's homestay which is a simple house converted to have four guest rooms each with their own bathroom/shower and efficient air-conditioning. Suk serves delicious home-cooked meals and can provide an early breakfast and a packed lunch for those spending all day in the forest.

Alternatively there is the Krung Ching Hills Resort which is a little further west than the area covered on the sketch map as well as the Ruean Krung Ching Resort. Both have pleasant rooms with ceiling fan cooling and both provide food within a short drive of the birding site.

Further away there are several places on the beach near the town of Tha Sala which is about 1 hour away from the HQ by car, suitable for those who are traveling with non-birders who like to rest at the beach - Tha Sala Accommodation. Tha Sala is also the nearest place with a supermarket where you can stock up on supplies if you are camping or staying in the national park bungalows. There are banks, pharmacies and a small hospital in Tha Sala too, although if you need medical help then a clinic at Noppitham is closer.

Some Useful Books

The Ecology and Conservation of Asian HornbillsThe Ecology and Conservation of Asian Hornbills
This informative book has everything a birder would want to know about the ecological importance of Asian Hornbills in their forest habitat. A wonderful reference book for birders interested in these iconic birds.

Birds of Thailand Birds of Thailand
This field guide has set new standards in identifying birds in the wild in Thailand. With the most up-to-date taxonomy of any publication this is the book you need if you are birdwatching in Thailand. Forget all of the older guides and buy this one.

Other Related Pages

Krung Ching Waterfall Bird Checklist

Thailand Birdwatching Tours

A comparison of bird communities in mixed fruit orchards and natural forest at Khao Luang, Southern Thailand

Other Southern Thailand Birding Locations

Trip Reports

Southern Thailand, 5-16th April 2016 - By Nick Upton

Southern Thailand, 22-31st August 2008 - by Nick Upton

Krung Ching Waterfall, 26-27th August 2008 - by Peter Ericsson

Malayan Banded Pitta Bird Watching Trips:
Krung Ching is one of Southern Thailand's premier birdwatching locations and is a must visit site on any Thailand birdwatching tour to the south of the country. At its best between January and July this is the most accessible site in Thailand for many rare southern species and is very rewarding with patience.

Look at some itinerary ideas, Thailand bird tours, or contact me for information: nickupton@thaibirding.com.
Related Blog Entries
Photo Galleries

Select the thumbnail photos to see larger images.

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Forest Trail

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Start of the Trail
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Slippery Trail
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Forest Trail
Krung Ching Waterfalls - Noppitham - Nakhon Si Thammarat Province - THAILAND
Waterfall
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