BANGKOK: Thailand designates 40 more non-hunting areas to protect red-whiskered bulbuls after updating wildlife conservation rules.
Thailand has strengthened conservation measures for the red-whiskered bulbul, also known as the crested bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus), by adding the species to the list of wildlife prohibited from hunting in 40 existing non-hunting areas.
The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation announced on September 3, 2026, that the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment had published a new regulation in the Royal Gazette adding the bird to the list of wildlife species protected from hunting in designated non-hunting areas.
The announcement follows the ministry’s regulation issued on August 31, 2026, which removed the red-whiskered bulbul from the list of protected wildlife species under the Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act B.E. 2562 (2019).
Department director-general Atthaphon Charoenchansa said the additional protection was introduced after concerns that removing the bird from the protected wildlife list could create a legal gap.
Although the species had been removed from the protected wildlife list on September 1, 40 existing non-hunting areas had not yet included the red-whiskered bulbul in their wildlife protection lists.
Authorities said this could have affected protection measures and increased the risk of hunting in natural areas.
To address the issue, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suchart Chomklin signed the announcement with approval from the Wildlife Conservation and Protection Committee, extending protection for the species across relevant forest areas.
Rachada Dhanadirek, spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office, said the adjustment to wildlife regulations reflected local lifestyles and cultural practices, particularly in Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat provinces.
She said keeping crested bulbuls has long been part of community life in the southern border provinces, where the birds are associated with local identity, cultural activities, and public-participation competitions.
Rachada said the change could also create opportunities to develop breeding, bird-keeping, and related activities as sources of local income, including for breeders, suppliers of feed and equipment, and organisers of competitions and related travel activities.
She added that the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre (SBPAC) had prepared plans to support related occupations and income-generating activities in the southern border provinces.
Authorities urged the public and relevant parties to strictly comply with wildlife protection laws to safeguard wild populations of red-whiskered bulbuls. - The Nation/ANN
