Explore Herpetology | Herping Tours - Expedition Thai Peninsula 2025

Start: 20th July 2025 | End: 2nd August 2024 | Meeting location: Phuket Town | Availability: 8 Spaces

Included in the tour:

- Expert herpetologists.

- Accommodation.

- Private vehicles.

- Food & drink.

- Mangrove boat tour.

- Transport to/from Snake Island.

- National Park fees and permits.

Wagler's pit viper (Tropidolaemus wagleri)

Oldham's bent-toed gecko (Cyrtodactylus oldhami)

Phuket stream toad (Ansonia phuketensis)

Reticulated python (Malayopython reticulatus)

White-lipped frog (Chalcorana eschatia)

Phuket horned dragon (Acanthosaura phuketensis)

Mock viper (Psammodynastes pulverulentus)

Male Wagler's pit viper (Tropidolaemus wagleri)

Black-barred keelback (Rhabdophis nigrocinctus)

Blandford's flying dragon (Draco blandfordi)

Phuket pit viper (Trimeresurus phuketensis)

Spiny turtle (Heosemys spinosa)

Blood python (Python brongersmai)

Dumeril's monitor (Varanus dumerilii)

Phuket:

The expedition begins with 2 days in Phuket, an extremely popular tourist destination with an international airport. While this may not seem conducive to herping, large portions of the island remain covered in tropical rainforest and Phuket’s isolation enabled the evolution of several endemic reptiles and amphibians, while its proximity to the mainland means that much of Southern Thailand’s biodiversity occurs here too. We have several fantastic locations across the island which are absolutely packed full of herpetofauna, especially snakes.

Our primary targets are Wagler’s pit viper (Tropidolaemus wagleri) and the endemic Phuket pit viper (Trimeresurus phuketensis), both of which cannot be seen elsewhere on the expedition. We encounter many beautiful colubrids are commonly encountered here too, including mock viper (Psammodynastes pulverulentus), black-barred keelback (Rhabdophis nigrocinctus) and the speckle-headed vine snake (Ahaetulla fasciolata). Malayan kraits (Bungurus candidus) and reticulated pythons (Malayopython reticulatus) are both regular sights on Phuket, and were lucky to see two blood pythons (Python brongersmai) during our expedition here in 2024. We can also visit mangroves where some rare brackish-water dwelling mud snakes can be found in high numbers.

Other herpetofauna targets include the Phuket horned dragon (Acanthosaura phuketensis), Oldham’s bent-toed gecko (Cyrtodactylus oldhami) and the Thalang bent-toed gecko (Cyrtodactylus thalang), while our key amphibian targets are the delightful Phuket stream toad (Ansonia phuketensis) and the very rare Burmese warty frog (Thelderma phrynoderma).

Our 2 night stay at this location will be spent at a comfortable hotel on the north side of Phuket town, surrounded by a myriad of restaurants, malls and other shops where we can buy last-minute supplies for our travels across the peninsula. We will drive to each of our herping destinations, both during the day and at night, although one can find herpetofauna just walking around the streets beside the hotel.

Keeled rat snake (Ptyas carinata)

Water monitor (Varanus salvator)

Radiated rat snake (Coelognathus radiata)

Mangrove pit viper (Trimeresurus purpureomaculatus)

Zebra-tailed bent-toed gecko (Cyrtodactylus zebraicus)

Slow loris (Nycticebus coucang)

Juvenile green cat snake (Boiga cyanea)

Laotian wolf snake (Lycodon laoensis)

Elongated tortoise (Indotestudo elongata)

Marine file snake (Acrochordus granulatus)

Monocled cobra (Naja kaouthia)

Malayan pit viper (Calloselasma rhodostoma)

Malayan krait (Bungarus candidus)

Beautiful pit viper (Trimeresurus venustus)

Krabi:

The second stop on the tour is 2 nights in Krabi province, one of the all-time most popular destinations for herping in Thailand. The towering limestone karst formations and tidal mangrove forests provide the perfect backdrop to a tropical herping adventure, as well as holding a unique diversity of herpetofauna. We will make the most of our brief stay here, exploring as much of Krabi's extraordinary landscapes as possible.

During the day, we will spend time road cruising for monocled cobra (Naja kaouthia) and radiated ratsnake (Coelognathus radiata) amongst the plantations, and hiking limestone karst valleys for the emblematic beautiful pit viper (Trimeresurus venustus), keeled rat snake (Ptyas carinata) and rare paradise flying snake (Chrysopelea paradisi). We regularly encounter both elongated tortoise (Indotestudo elongated) and South-East Asian box turtle (Cuora amboinensis) during the daytime at one of our favourite karst trails, along with both water monitor (Varanus salvator) and clouded monitor (Varanus nebulosus). At night, we will check out a limestone hill where we can find lots of exciting herpetofauna. We also regularly encounter mammals such as Sunda slow loris, banded palm civets, greater hog badgers, mouse deer, leopard cat, and even glimpsed a Sunda pangolin on our expedition here in 2023.

On our second and final night in the area, we explore a park within the centre of Krabi town which is crawling with Malayan pit viper (Calloselasma rhodostoma), which are amazing to observe so close to shops, houses and people. Later, we will hire a longtail boat to travel through the mangrove estuary with the ambition of encountering resting mangrove pit vipers (Trimeresurus purpureomaculatus), as well as marine file snake (Acrochordus granulatus) and other mangrove-dwelling aquatic species. We will also explore the mangroves on foot in search of other rare mangrove mud snakes, more mangrove pit vipers and even Malayan kraits (Bungarus candidus).

Throughout our time in Krabi, we will be staying at an all-time favourite resort situated far from the city at the base of the limestone karst formations. There will be a restaurant with wifi and diverse food options served morning-to-evening, on top of 24 hour access to high-quality herping. Even within the bungalows, common wolf snakes (Lycodon capucinus) and golden flying snakes (Chrysopelea ornata) are often found, with mangrove cat snake (Boiga melanota) a regular sight along the stream beside the restaurant.

Perak horned toad (Xenophrys aceras)

Sabah pit viper (Trimeresurus sabahi fucatus)

Thai warty frog (Theloderma horridum)

David Bowie's huntsman spider (Heteropoda davidbowie)

Sumatran cobra (Naja sumatrana)

Lekagul's bent-toed gecko (Cyrtodactylus lekaguli)

White-spotted cat snake (Boiga drapiezii)

Dark-headed cat snake (Boiga nigriceps)

White-lipped pit viper (Trimeresurus cf. albolabris)

Blunt-headed slug snake (Aplopeltura boa)

Beautiful pit viper (Trimeresurus venusuts)

Red-headed krait (Bungarus flaviceps)

Hagen's pit viper (Trimeresurus hageni)

Trang:

Trang is our first venture into true tropical rainforest, as we will explore different old-growth dipterocarp forest locations with a truly innumerable number of species. We will search as hard as possible for the incredible red-headed krait (Bungarus flaviceps), which we saw here in on the 2024 expedition, as well as the ultra-rare golden-morph Sumatran spitting cobra (Naja sumatrana). We have even found blue coral snake (Calliophis bivirgata) here in the past, although this species is incredibly rare in this area. One of our biggest targets here will be Hagen's pit viper (Trimeresurus hageni), as this is the only location on the expedition where we have a real opportunity to observe this impressive species.

In addition to these world-class snakes, Trang has isolated populations of the southern clade of white-lipped pit viper (Trimeresurus cf. albolabris) and limestone karst formations with arguably the most colourful clade of the beautiful pit viper (Trimeresurus venustus), both of which we will attempt to find. Colubrids of all shapes and sizes are abundant here and each night will be a non-stop thrill of rainforest exploration. We will be hoping to encounter Thai warty frog (Theloderma horridum), Perak horned frog (Megophrys aceras) and many different lizards while in Trang.

We will stay both nights at a comfortable hotel within Trang city and drive out to our herping locations during both the day and night. Trang has a nice variety of food options and a night market on weekends, which is great for those looking to enjoy authentic local food (or burgers).

Mangrove pit viper (Trimeresurus purpureomaculatus)

Water monitor (Varanus salvator)

Yellow-lipped sea krait (Laticauda colubrina)

Small-spotted coral snake (Calliophis maculiceps)

Mangrove pit viper (Trimeresurus purpureomaculatus)

Snake Island

Our resort with a private beach.

Snake Island:

Situated just a short boat ride off the west coast of southern peninsula Thailand is what we call “snake island”, a small islet predominantly edged in sandy beaches. However, the reef systems surrounding the island provide a thriving population of yellow-lipped sea kraits (Laticauda colubrina), which can be found at night as they come to shore to rest on rocky headlands, and sometimes during the daytime if we are extremely fortunate. This island also gives us another fantastic chance to get up close with mangrove pit vipers (Trimeresurus purpureomaculatus), which can be found in the garden of our resort and along the beach with the sea kraits. We have found rare species such as the small-spotted coral snake (Calliophis maculiceps) on this island too. Our accommodation is a seaside resort situated within its own private beach where you can swim or relax in tropical paradise. The resort rents out snorkels and kayaks, and also has a swimming pool of its own.

Limestone eyelash pit viper (Trimeresurus ciliaris)

Abbott's angle-headed lizard (Gonocephalus abbotti)

Red-tailed pipe snake (Cylindrophis ruffus)

Mangrove cat snake (Boiga melanota)

Rufous-backed kingfisher (Ceyx rufidorsa)

Great angle-headed lizard (Gonocephalus grandis)

"black" tokay gecko (Gekko sp.)

Brown kukri snake (Oligodon purpurascens)

Cinnamon frog (Nictyxalus pictus)

White-bellied rat snake (Ptyas fusca)

Smith's green-eyed gecko (Gekko smithii)

Giant pond turtle (Heosemys grandis)

Triangle keelback (Xenochrophis trianguligerus)

Sunbeam snake (Xenopeltis unicolor)

Malaysian blue coral snake (Calliophis bivirgata flaviceps)

Thale Ban

Our bungalows, situated beside the natural lake.

Satun:

Only 2 kilometres from the Malaysian border, Satun’s primary dipterocarp and swamp forest is the highest-quality rainforest habitat we will visit on this tour. Snakes are sometimes challenging to find in this area, but here is our best to chance to encounter incredibly rare species such as the Malaysian blue coral snake (Calliophis bivirgatus) and orange-lipped keelback (Rhabdophis flaviceps), as well as countless other gems including purple kukri snake (Oliogodon purpurascens), white-bellied rat snake (Ptyas fusca) and much more. We found red-headed krait (Bungarus flaviceps) here on 2 out of 3 of our previous Thai Peninsula expeditions, and a giant (5.6 meter) reticulated python (Malayopython reticulatus) in 2023.

Satun’s ultra-humid lowland forests are packed full of fascinating lizards and amphibians. Keep an eye out for Smith’s giant green-eyed gecko (Gekko smithii) and great angle-headed lizards (Gonocephalus grandis), as well as Kuhl's gliding gecko (Gekko kuhli). We have also seen the elusive yet incredible Abbott's angle-headed lizard (Gonocephalus abbotti) here on previous years' expeditions. Satun is also the best location for testudines, as we have recorded many different species around the lake and adjacent streams, most notably giant pond terrapin (Heosemys grandis) and spiny terrapin (Heosemys spinosa).

Both days, we will drive out during the daylight at limestone karst valleys where we found the very rare and newly described limestone eyelash pit viper (Trimeresurus ciliaris) on our 2023 expedition. This species is extremely elusive and most detectable during the daytime, especially after heavy rain.

We will be staying in bungalows situated beside a magical natural lake for 2 nights, surrounded by freshwater swamp forest which comes alive at night with raucous frog calls. A restaurant which serves great food and delicious fruit shakes is only 5 minutes from the accommodation, and overlooks a limestone stream where we have even observed keelback snakes and soft-shell turtles while eating our food.

Ridley's cave racer (Elaphe taeniura ridleyi)

Giant river toad (Phrynoidis asperum)

Banded krait (Bungarus fasciatus)

Bengkulu cat snake (Boiga bengkuluensis)

Striated bronzeback (Dendrelaphis striatus)

Bocourt's mud snake (Subsessor bocourti)

Jasper cat snake (Boiga jaspidea)

Tentacled snake (Erpeton tentaculatum)

Twin-barred flying snake (Chrysopelea pelias)

Dog-toothed cat snake (Boiga cynodon)

Mangrove cat snake (Boiga melanota)

Blunt-headed slug snake (Aplopeltura boa)

Our bungalows are barely visible amongst tall dipterocarp trees.

The king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) found in August 2023

Lowland forest filled with snakes.

Dumeril's monitor (Varanus dumerilii)

Phatthalung:

For our penultimate destination on the expedition, we will spend 3 nights in Phatthalung. Our guides have spent extensive time in this area and consider it one of the very best locations in all of Thailand for herping. Phatthalung consistently provides the highest density and diversity of snake species of any location we visit on this tour, with some of the most enjoyable trails for exploring in all of Thailand. This location holds our company record for 'most snake species seen in one night', at both 1st, 2nd and 3rd place (15, 14 and tied 13 respectively).

The limestone karst formations which surround our accommodation are bursting full of exciting herpetofauna, but most famous for several cave systems where Ridley’s cave racers (Elaphe taeniura ridleyi) are extremely abundant. While exploring these caves, were even treated to a king cobra (Ophiophagus bungarus) encounter on our expedition in 2023. Rare species such as the striated bronzeback (Dendrelaphis striatus) and twin-barred flying snake (Chrysopelea pelias) have both showed up for us around our bungalows, while mangrove cat snake (Boiga melanota) are very common right at our doorstep. The fact that we caught a juvenile Dumeril's monitor (Varanus dumerilii) outside our accommodation in 2024 underlines how incredible this location is for herping.

If we explore the limestone karst forest enough, a nearby waterfall has trails and streams where we can find all of southern Thailand's cat snakes (Boiga sp.), blunt-headed slug snake (Aplopeltura boa), red-headed krait (Bungarus flaviceps) and so much more. Huge female giant river toads (Phrynoidis asper) are guaranteed at this location, as well as several species of gliding lizard (Draco sp.) and an unprecedented diversity of geckos. We will also drive a short distance to a lake-side swamp forest boardwalk where, if the conditions are favourable, we can see the amazing tentacled snake (Erpeton tentaculatum) and can even encounter the banded krait (Bungarus fasciatus) - a very rarely seen species in Southern Peninsula Thailand. Reticulated pythons and mangrove cat snakes are very abundant here, along with some homalopsid snakes we are unlikely to see anywhere else.

Our accommodation here are national park bungalows shrouded by limestone karst formations and rich lowland rainforest, and a consistent favourite for our guests - hence why we added an additional night here in for both 2024 and 2025. We typically drive around 15 minutes to eat at local restaurants, where there is also a 7-eleven for snacks and additional nutrition.

Thai-peninsula pit viper (Trimeresurus sabahi ssp. fucatus)

Butler's wolf snake (Lycodon butleri)

Mountain slug snake (Pareas cf. macularius)

Larut bug-eyed frog (Theloderma asperum)

Sumatran cobra (Naja sumatrana)

Malayan mountain pit viper (Ovophis convictus)

Thung Song:

The final location on Expedition Thai Peninsula 2025 is a brand new addition to the tour. Thung Song completes the full Southern Thai habitat experience with our first and only venture into high elevation, sub-montane rainforest. The much colder climate at this location provides the opportunity to see some very rare montane endemics, while the luscious rainforest lower on the mountain great for a wide variety of species.

The most abundant target in this area is the highland morph of the Thai-peninsula pit viper (Trimeresurus sabahi fucatus), while the holy grail is undoubtedly the extremely rare Malayan mountain pit viper (Ovophis convictus). Mountain slug snake (Pareas macularius) and Butler's wolf snake (Lycodon butleri) are two further species which can only be found at this location. Showstoppers such as golden-morph Sumatran cobra (Naja sumatrana) are also recorded from this location, along with some scarce frog species such as the Larut bug-eyed frog (Theloderma asperum).

We will spend our solitary night here at national park bungalows at the summit of the mountain, where we can explore fantastic habitat and trails outside our front door. We will eat in the lowlands before ascending to the highlands. Stopping at this location also makes our journey back to Phuket the following day significantly shorter than previous years.

Accommodation:

We will be staying in accommodations ranging from city hotels and nature resorts to national park bungalows. Some of the accommodation situated within the rainforest is basic, but you will always have access to electricity, a fan, mobile data and a bathroom as a minimum. The standard package is a shared room with one other person. One can request a single supplement package if you wish to have a private room for the full duration of the expedition.

Food & drink:

Over the course of this tour you will have the opportunity to try a wide variety of traditional Thai cuisine, as well as western classics when closer to town. We will make stops whenever convenient to 7-eleven to ensure people have enough snacks. We will always be stocked with enough drinking water for the group.

Environmental conditions & fitness:

Southern Thailand’s tropical climate is hot and humid all year round. The temperature rarely drops below 22C at night, and usually climbs to 30C or more during the day. This expedition is planned during the Thailand’s rainy season so prepare to get wet at any time; whether it is by storms, wading rivers or diving into the water to catch your dream snake. During this expedition, we will not be scaling any mountains but a minimum level of fitness must be met, we advise an ability to walk 10km per day. Mosquitoes, leeches and other invertebrates will be abundant throughout the tour.

Travel information:

All guests must arrive at our designated meeting location in Phuket at midday (12:00) on the 20th July 2024 at the latest, but we advise you to arrive in Phuket the day before. We will return to the same hotel in Phuket by 18:00 on the the evening of 2nd August 2024, where we will say our farewells and end the tour.

It is the guest's responsibility to meet all entry requirements needed to enter Thailand, including visa procedures and covid requirements. Explore Herpetology can help advise entry requirements. Guests traveling from most countries do not require a visa to visit Thailand for <30 days. Make sure to check the entry requirements for your country before booking.

If you would like to browse a detailed trip report of our previous Thai Peninsula tour, click here.