Phang Nga Bay, covering more than 42,000 hectares along the Andaman Sea coast of southern Thailand, is one of the country’s most extensive and ecologically important coastal wetland systems. The bay encompasses large tracts of well preserved mangrove forests, intertidal mudflats, estuaries, seagrass beds, and limestone karst islands, forming a highly diverse and productive seascape. It supports internationally significant populations of migratory waterbirds, including the Tibetan Sandplover and Chinese Egret, as well as a wide range of globally threatened terrestrial and marine species.

The wetlands of Phang Nga Bay provide critical provisioning, regulating, and cultural ecosystem services that underpin local livelihoods and a tourism driven economy. Coastal fisheries, shellfish farming, and ecotourism are major sources of income for communities around the bay, including Moken and Moklen communities. However, growing pressures from unsustainable tourism, overfishing, wastewater pollution, and climate change are affecting ecosystem integrity. Strengthening integrated site management, restoring mangroves, improving wastewater and fisheries management, and promoting sustainable ecotourism present key opportunities to enhance resilience, protect biodiversity, and sustain livelihoods across this nationally and globally significant coastal landscape.

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