Trip 1: Monitor Lizards and Water Snakes

Who would have the idea to take a trip to an organic waste composting operation? That would be probably a fairly crazy idea, huh? Or even to a waste treatment plant? Well, everyone would rightly turn up their noses! But in Laem Pak Bia this does not apply. On the contrary!

Laem Phak Bia is an unassuming coastal fishing village on a spit of sand in the sea. There are about 2,200 people, living mainly from fishing and salt production. Surrounded by abandoned salt fields and groves destroyed mangrove development project is a remarkable and exemplary emerged, which the king has been as creative inspiration in Thai, the "Laem Phak Bia Environmental Study, Research and Development Project".

The research station is a working project of the Chaipattana Foundation, a foundation run by the royal research and development projects. The foundation, which was founded on 14 June in 1988, acts as the executive arm of royal suggestions and proposals. It is independent of political decision-making and from the red tape of non-governmental organization projects. Everything is implemented in direct ways.

The Laem Phak Bia Environmental project was founded in the early 90's on public land. It is 180 hectares (1,135 rai) in size. Purpose of the project is the biological waste composting, the restoration of coastal mangroves, and above all the natural water purification, with the ultimate objective of the use of treated water in agriculture and fish farming.

The wastewater treatment occurs in four different process areas: One pre in lagoons, where 5 of landscaped ponds daily in up to 20,000 m ³ purified waste water, to seek clarification Grasfilterbad, a mangrove filter cycle and a cleaning lock in artificial plant clarifiers.

The flagship project
Meanwhile, the research project for nation-wide attention has caused. All the pilgrims from all parts of the country teams travel by charter buses. School classes take field trips, and delegations of local communities from the deepest Isaan arrive. Already in 2003, went to a delegation of 100köpfige foreign ambassador, ministerial and senior officials of the city, and on 13 August this year, led the Thai foreign minister Kasit a delegation of the Diplomatic Corps to Laem Phak Bia.

The Thai Tourism Authority (TAT) is environmentally friendly Laem Phak Bia research station of the attention turned on and praise them under their "Green Routes" concept as an ecological pilot project.

Even for the well-known Thai Asia Pacific Brewery , the famous beer brands Heineken, Tiger and Cheers in Thailand, manufactures, Bia, the sample system of Laem Phak model for their own wastewater treatment become. in the production of a liter of beer, 10 liters of waste water generated as is the waste water treatment and water quality protection for the brewery is a virulent concerns.

Project guides
In the central visitor center will be held film screenings, provide information about the activities at the experimental station.
The foreign visitor is a very detailed leaflet in English, in which the individual experimental projects are shown in pictures and vivid graphics. After about half hour film presentation, the visitors take in open, windowless buses a tour of the scenic system, accompanied by a knowledgeable guide who points out the various research stations and development projects.

Majestic and imposing the motionless water ponds are located between the narrow surrounding country lanes, and they look like giant flat mirror, which seems to contradict the peaceful tropical landscape in a panoramic incredible clarity.

The slopes are planted with close-cropped lawn borders, and protect the banks of long bamboo bundles in the water, attached to wooden stakes. Then rest herons and cormorants spread their wings to their feathers in the warm sun to dry.

The resort is a paradise for water birds, for in the fish-rich lakes, they will find a rich food supply.

But many a bird verhebt at the heavy chunks of fish and must drop it again. This is the hour of monitor lizards that live around the lakes.

About a hundred of these ancient reptiles is keen to have counted. They belong to the genus of Water monitor (Varanus salvator) , the Komodo dragons of the largest lizards in Southeast Asia are next.

Many live on the site are fine specimens of the three meters long. They are lurking in the water, the flat head above the water line, and scan with its long tongue odor-sensitive environment from the bidding after a feast.

With their short legs, they push their heavy bulbous body on the river banks and Krauch like prehistoric monsters phlegmatic about the paths. Although they are accustomed to visitors, but they do not like them, because when you get closer they disappear quickly in the pond water.

If you drive your own car through the system, it can be observed very well from the car window because they do not shy away from the vehicles. Sometimes they lie motionless in the grass of the roadside, and are in danger of being run over, because they do not flee before the vehicles!

Where else in Thailand can you find such a large number of these wild primeval Kriechdrachen and get them even to just a few meters near?

The mangrove forest
A portion of the test site consists of reforested mangrove forest on the edge of sea, where the results of the experimental plantings are implemented under natural conditions. The mangrove forest is like a broad belt protection from the open sea, and visitors can walk through it on railings loose plank bridges.

The bridges lead straight into the sea, where they end on a laxative ladder.

Shady pavilions along the way invite to rest in this extraordinary ocean grove.

At low tide the muddy ground is full of life, and visitors can watch jumpers and black mud crabs, and with any luck, he discovers even water snakes browsing the mud holes.

The plant can be visited daily in between 9 am and 15 clock. Saturdays and Sundays will be no lectures and tours. However, it is open. It is admission free.

Bird Watching
Laem Phak Bia, the seaside village located on a sandy strip of beach, which is a known bird rest stop. Anyone who has interest in bird watching can take a boat ride through the mangroves to the coastal sand spit.

In this sign you should turn and drive through the narrow path to the end. Leads directly to the house of Khun Daeng, which is making a covered boat trips across the sea.

They cost 600 baht for 4 people. The trip takes 2 hours. As the sand spit is flooded by the tide at times, it is advisable to call Mr. Daeng day before, to experience the best time for a trip. Here is his phone number is: 080 223 5250 (his wife and daughter to speak English).