Thale Noi Non-Hunting Area
| Thale Noi Non-Hunting Area | |
|---|---|
| Thale Noi Waterfowl Reserve | |
Thale Noi | |
Thale Noi Locator Map | |
| Location | Phatthalung Province, Thailand |
| Nearest city | Phatthalung |
| Coordinates | 7°46′00″N 100°09′11″E / 7.76667°N 100.15306°E |
| Area | 460 km2 (180 sq mi) |
| Established | 29 April 1975 Ramsar Site 13 May 1998 |
| Governing body | Royal Forestry Department |
| Official name | Kuan Ki Sian of the Thale Noi Non-Hunting Area Wetlands |
| Designated | 13 May 1998 |
| Reference no. | 948 |
Thale Noi Non-Hunting Area (alternate spelling: Talae or Talay) is a protected fresh water wetland located in Phatthalung province, southern Thailand. Covering an area of 460 km2, the wetlands are situated approximately 20 km inland from the east coast peninsula of the Gulf of Thailand and 115 km north of the Malaysian border in Satun province. Thale Noi Non-Hunting Area is one of the largest natural freshwater lakes in South East 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).