Sirinath Rajini Centre for Mangrove Forest Studies

The Sirinath Rajini Centre in Pran Buri sits on ground that used to be shrimp farms — abandoned ponds that Thailand’s marine and coastal resources department began replanting with mangroves, making this the country’s first large-scale mangrove restoration project built from reclaimed aquaculture land rather than untouched forest. An elevated wooden boardwalk now runs out through the young mangrove stands, and it’s free to walk, open daily.

Near the entrance, two small buildings orient you before the boardwalk proper: one plays a short video introducing the mangrove ecosystem, the other is a modest museum-style exhibit on the mangroves themselves and the fishing community of nearby Pak Nam Pran. From there the walkway winds through different zones of the restored forest. At low tide, mudskippers flick across the exposed mud and fiddler crabs work the base of the prop roots; herons and kingfishers are the more reliable birds year-round, with migratory species passing through in season. None of it is dramatic in the way a national park waterfall is — it’s a quiet, flat walk through a working restoration site, and that’s the appeal: you’re looking at an ecosystem being rebuilt, not preserved.

Insider Tip: Low tide is when the boardwalk earns its name — mudskippers and crabs disappear under the water at high tide, so check a tide table before driving out if wildlife is the point of your visit.

Watch out: There’s little shade once you’re out on the boardwalk itself, and the exhibition buildings keep to the posted hours strictly — arriving after 16:00 usually means the boardwalk gate is already closed for the day.

The centre works best as a stop on the way between Hua Hin and Pranburi rather than a destination in its own right — an hour is enough to see the exhibits and walk the full boardwalk. It suits families and anyone curious about coastal ecology more than serious birders, who’ll find better variety at Pran Buri Forest Park nearby.