Thailand Wang Chin Butterfly Farm Thailand

[Indiajudd]

Just to plug Robert Dodds Butterfly Farm in Wang Chin Northern Thailand. Visited March 2023 and had a great time with plenty to wave the net at - day and night. Robert is a great host and will get the moth lights out, fix you up with a motorbike and a cool beer at the end of the day Punjen Hideaway is permanently closed. Robert has simple but clean and decent accomodation, quiet place about 1km from the collecting zone. Recommend it

[Indiajudd]

Reach out to Adam Cotton also for first rate info on Chiang Mai

[Paul K]

Punjen Hideaway is permanently closed.

Sad to hear that, it was a great spot for butterfly and moth collecting.

[wjm]

For people interested in collecting in Thailand but don’t know where to start: I, and two buddies, visited Thailand in July 2024. Adam Cotton suggested we contact Rob Dodd (thank you Adam), who became our adviser and host. Rob and his wife operate the Siam Butterfly Farm in Wang Chin, Phrae. Collecting in around the Farm was very productive. For day collecting, the local area has vacant land which is good for butterflies. Rob also told us where other local day collecting areas are located. At night there is a 1k MV & UV light setup. The accommodations at the Farm are very nice and the food quite good. As part of our trip, Rob arranged a trip to the Doi Saket area for several days, which also was highly productive. There, a 1k MV & UV light set up was also available and we were taken out to local day collecting sites. As a final point of recommendation, we are in the process of setting up another trip to Rob's place later this year.

[alandmor]

Are collecting and/or export permits needed and if so, does he provide them? I'm also curious if he hosts non-lepidopterists like beetle collectors. Thx!

[adamcotton]

Are collecting and/or export permits needed

Collecting in National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries and Non-Hunting Areas (there are only a few of these) is forbidden. Most places with good forest are inside protected areas, but it is possible to find places outside these areas in many parts of the country.

Note that the species in the list here:
https://www.collector-secret.com/blog/l ... s-thailand
are all fully protected. It is illegal to possess alive or dead, collect, kill, buy or sell these species in Thailand. The law also applies to specimens of these species from other countries, so it is illegal to import them to Thailand.

Permits are not needed to collect outside protected areas in Thailand, and neither are export permits needed to take most insect species out of the country. Apart from protected species which are completely forbidden, CITES listed species should not be collected, as it is very difficult to obtain permits for those.

I'm also curious if he hosts non-lepidopterists like beetle collectors.

I will ask Rob.

Adam.

[adamcotton]

Rob replied that

beetle collectors anyone actually even photographers or just insect people

are welcome.

Adam.

[alandmor]

Thank you Adam for the follow-up. I've been to Vietnam collecting several times but never to Thailand. Wang Chin looks like a nice place. Much appreciated!