Bueng Boraphet | |
---|---|
Fishing on Bueng Boraphet
|
|
Location | Central Thailand |
Coordinates | 15°41′N 100°15′E / 15.683°N 100.250°ECoordinates: 15°41′N 100°15′E / 15.683°N 100.250°E |
Basin countries | Thailand |
Surface area | 224 km2 (86 sq mi) |
Islands | 2 |
Bueng Boraphet (Thai: บึงบอระเพ็ด, pronounced [bɯŋ bɔːra.pʰét]) is the largest freshwater swamp and lake in central Thailand. It covers an area of 224 km2 east of Nakhon Sawan, south of the Nan River close to its confluence with the Ping River.
Originally the area was covered by a large swamp, which was flooded in 1930 with the building of a dam to improve fishing.
This is the only known site for the white-eyed river martin which used to winter there, but has not been seen since 1980, and may be extinct.
106 km2 of lake have been declared as a non-hunting area in 1975. In 2000 it was also declared as a wetland of international importance by the Thai government.