Thale Noi: Where Birds Sing and Lotuses Bloom at Dawn

In my broken Thai, I pointed toward the water and looked at the boatman. “Bua?” I asked. “Bua” means lotus in Thai. I tried to mimic the local accent and used a hand gesture, hoping he would understand and take me to see the flowers.

He nodded and smiled, mumbled a string of words that I could not understand, and steered the boat into the open water, still shrouded in morning fog.

The boat slowly pierced through the dissipating mist, eerily silent, like something out of a sci-fi movie. Before us, a sea of pink lotuses started to unfold, bit by bit, like a watercolor painting coming to life with each brushstroke. It was surreal, almost like a dream, yet it was real. My jaw dropped in awe when the scene finally unfolded in its entirety.

A boat is just about to push through waters tangled with floating hyacinths. Photo: Teh Chin Liang

Ecologically Important Wetland

I experienced this wonder in the middle of Thale Noi Lake, in the Phatthalung province of southern Thailand. About 3 miles wide and 3.7 miles long, Thale Noi is an ecologically significant freshwater lake. The Thai government declared it a non-hunting zone in 1975.

Staying in the village by the lake, you wake up each morning to lotus flowers blooming in full glory and birds singing. And at night, the nocturnal chorus of bugs lulls you to sleep.

From the top of the observation tower, the magnitude of the wetland sinks in. The lake spreads out in swaths of green, crisscrossed by water and dotted with carpets of water hyacinth, occasionally sliced through by the fishermen’s boats.

Thale Noi Boasts Over 180 Species of Birds Photo: Teh Chin Leng

A Bird Sanctuary Home to over 180 Species

Thale Noi boasts over 180 species of birds, many of which are migratory waterfowl.  Between October and March, large flocks migrate here from colder climates.

Little cormorants are commonly seen perching on wooden poles and fences. This bird has features that resemble a cross between a duck and a crow. It makes low, throaty croaks and flaps its wings in a poise ready to take off when you get near to it.

Blooming Lotuses at Dawn

February to May is the best month to catch the spectacle of blooming lotuses. Seeing the lotuses requires you to be up early and head out to the lake around 6 am, before sunrise. It costs about $16 for a one-hour boat ride, or $30 for two hours.

As the boat glides past the marshlands, you can see a variety of birds nesting among the vegetation or skimming low over the water. In a quick glimpse through the flurry of flapping wings, I spotted egrets and purple herons.

A family of buffalo lounged on a sandbar in the shallow part of the lake. Some dove into the water in a clumsy splash, partially submerged themselves, and then poked their heads out as they waded through the water.

Buffaloes lounging on the sandbar Photo: Teh Chin Liang

Pastoral Buffalo Farming System

A pastoral buffalo system is practiced in the village. This sustainable farming method, developed over centuries, combines buffalo herding, rice farming, fishing, and water plant cultivation in a way that conserves biodiversity and landscapes. The system was even recognized by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System.

The lake’s abundance of reeds and aquatic plants provides a sustainable resource for buffaloes and freshwater fish.

During the boat ride, I saw the traditional fishing method called Yor Yak. It works like a teeter-totter. A large fishing net is tied to one end of a bamboo pole and lowered into the water. When it is time to bring in the catch, the fisherman steps onto the other end to tip the pole and lift the net.

The highlight of the boat ride, of course, is seeing the sea of pink lotuses. But in between, the boat winds its way through mangroves to a secluded corner of the lake where the brightest white lotuses sprout from a pool of mud.

Back to the shore, a briny smell in the air led me to a market where trays of dried fish were piled under the sun. The market stalls also offered lotus stems and pods for sale. The stems are often used in a Thai salad called Yam Sai Bua, and the seeds from the pods are a key ingredient in a pudding.

Stacks of dried fish at the market Photo: Teh Chin Liang

Weaving Handicrafts Is a Village Livelihood

Everywhere you go in the village, you see locals keeping their hands busy weaving bags, mats, and baskets from a native plant called Krajood.

Fried fish roe is a local snack. Vendors ladle out fish eggs coated in flour and deep-fry them on a griddle until crispy and golden brown. Visitors are handed free samples on toothpicks.

Deep fried fish roe is a must try local snack in Thale Noi Photo: Teh Chin Liang

Moments of Quiet Bring Healing

The lake’s natural allure remains under the radar for most foreign visitors. It is mainly visited by local tourists who come here for a day trip.

At night, the village slipped from the morning hustle into a deserted silence. There was a bar open in the village. The bar owner would drive around hotels and invite tourists to swing by for a drink.

Only a handful of tourists stayed overnight during my visit. One of them was a German man who had recently lost his wife. The day before, when he arrived, there was clearly sadness in his eyes. Later that evening, on my way back to the hotel from dinner, I saw him standing by the lake under a streetlight, a flutter of moths dancing around the glow.

Our eyes met as I walked past. “How’s it going?” I asked, trying to keep it light.

He looked at me, contemplative. “It’s healing, isn’t it?” he said. Then, he paused, realizing his words came out strange.

“Being here, I mean. It feels healing,” he then added.

I dug my hands into my pockets, breathing in the earthy scent of wet mud and the fresh, grassy aroma of reeds, then looked back at him. “It is,” I said.

We both smiled.

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