Tambon Tam Malang has become a popular new attraction in the Thai South, where tourists enjoy the opportunity to feed eagles, the incredible birds of prey up close.
A variety of eagle species–Red, Black-and-Red, and White-bellied Sea-eagles — fly above the Tam Malang Canal, enjoying fresh chicken skin and public attention. Feeding eagles at the canal in the provincial seat of Satun province is now among the region’s most popular eco-tourism activities.
For centuries hundreds of eagles have been observed hunting in the area. Not long ago, some local residents tried to feed the eagles by scattering raw meat over the water. The activity, for some time, has become a regular habit, attracting huge tourist interest.
Being the first to introduce unique eagle feeding to the locals, Atirun Jangwang said the local word “Tam Malang” means “eagle” or nók-in-see in Thai. The area has been an eagle habitat for as long as it has been populated by humans, about 300 years ago.
Situated nine kilometres or just a 15 minute drive southward from Satun’s downtown, Tam Malang subdistrict is a small island surrounded by saltwater, where locals capture and trade seafood for their living. Due to its location, some 20,000 rai of land with natural canals and surrounding mangroves, Tam Malang is proud of serving as Satun’s major supplier of fresh seafood.
Visiting tourists will obtain an authentic insight into the lifestyle of villagers in this fishermen’s island, learn how the locals raise commercial soft-shell crabs, while enjoying a stroll at the local market where seafood is sold at low prices.
Visitors will breathe fresh air and enjoy beautiful scenery at Tambon Tam Malang, said the local tour guides. Different varieties of mussels and clams which live around mangrove tree roots are often collected for sale at the local market.
Eagle feeding has become enjoyable activity, a pleasant stopover for Thai and Malaysian tourists, before taking a ferry to cross to Malaysia’s Langkawi Islands.
