Thale Noi Non-Hunting Area

Thale Noi Non-Hunting Area
Thale Noi Waterfowl Reserve
Thale Noi
Thale Noi Locator Map
LocationPhatthalung Province, Thailand
Nearest cityPhatthalung
Coordinates7°46′00″N 100°09′11″E / 7.76667°N 100.15306°E / 7.76667; 100.15306
Area460 km2 (180 sq mi)
Established29 April 1975 Ramsar Site 13 May 1998
Governing bodyRoyal Forestry Department
Official nameKuan Ki Sian of the Thale Noi Non-Hunting Area Wetlands
Designated13 May 1998
Reference no.948

Thale Noi Non-Hunting Area is a protected freshwater wetland located in Phatthalung province, southern Thailand, covering an area of 460 km2 (180 sq mi). It is one of the largest natural freshwater lakes in Southeast Asia. It is the smallest, northernmost basin in the chain of lagoons that form Songkhla Lake, spreading across three provincial boundaries into Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung and Songkhla provinces and is home to the critically endangered Irrawaddy dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris).