Bueng Si Fai ( th, บึงสีไฟ, ) is a
freshwater lake
A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much larger ...
in
central Thailand
Central Thailand (Central plain) or more specifically Siam (also known as Suvarnabhumi and Dvaravati) is one of the regions of Thailand, covering the broad alluvial plain of the Chao Phraya River. It is separated from northeast Thailand (Isan) by ...
located in Nai Mueang Subdistrict,
Mueang Phichit District
Mueang Phichit (, ) is the capital district (''amphoe mueang'') of Phichit province, central Thailand.
History
In 1917 the district's name was changed from Mueang to Tha Luang (ท่าหลวง). In 1938 it was renamed Mueang Phichit.
Admin ...
,
Phichit Province.
Characteristics
Its name is roughly translated as ''"Fire Mill Marsh''" regarded as an important source of freshwater fish breeding and also habitat for variety of birds. Bueng Si Fai is an
oxbow lake
An oxbow lake is a U-shaped lake or pool that forms when a wide meander of a river is cut off, creating a free-standing body of water. In South Texas, oxbows left by the Rio Grande are called '' resacas''. In Australia, oxbow lakes are call ...
by received water flowing from the
Nan River
The Nan River ( th, แม่น้ำน่าน, , ) is a river in Thailand. It is one of the most important tributaries of the Chao Phraya River.
Geography
The Nan River originates in the Luang Prabang Range, Nan Province. The provinces ...
. It is also considered a shallow lake, due to the depth of about 1.5–2 m (4–6 ft) only. This lake has a border with four ''
tambon
''Tambon'' ( th, ตำบล, ) is a local governmental unit in Thailand. Below district (''amphoe'') and province (''changwat''), they form the third administrative subdivision level. there were 7,255 tambons, not including the 180 ''khwaeng'' ...
s'' (subdistricts) of Mueang Phichit District, namely Tha Luang, Rong Chang, Khlong Khachen and Mueang Kao.
Originally, Bueng Si Fai was more than 10,000 rai (about 3,952 acres). Nowadays, it is reduced to only 5,390
rai (about 2,094 acres) which is affected by the opening of the
Sirikit Dam. It is the fifth-largest freshwater lake in Thailand after
Bueng Boraphet,
Nong Han Lake, Bueng Lahan,
Kwan Phayao, respectively.
Along the banks is beautifully landscaped, suitable for recreation and photography.
[
]
Places of interest
There are many places of interest around the lake:
*Chaloem Prakiat Aquarium (สถานแสดงพันธุ์ปลาเฉลิมพระเกียรติ), is a striking nine-sided building that stands on a path projecting out into the lake, and is operated by Inland Aquaculture Research and Development, Regional Center 3 (Phichit). Inside there are exhibits of a variety of species of both native and exotic fish, such as Java barb
The Java barb (''Barbonymus gonionotus''; th, ตะเพียน ''Ta-phian''; Lao: ''Pa keng''; km, ត្រីឆ្ពិន ''Trey Chpin''; id, Tawes; Vietnamese: ''Mè Vinh''
), more commonly known as silver barb in aquaculture, i ...
s, tinfoil barb
The tinfoil barb (''Barbonymus schwanenfeldii'') is a tropical Southeast Asian freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae. This species was originally described as ''Barbus schwanenfeldii'' by Pieter Bleeker in 1853, and has also been placed in th ...
s, blue sheatfishes, glass catfishes, Asian arowana
The Asian arowana (''Scleropages formosus'') comprises several phenotypic varieties of freshwater fish distributed geographically across Southeast Asia. While most consider the different varieties to belong to a single species, work by Pouyaud ' ...
, crystal-eyed catfish
''Hemibagrus wyckii'' is a species of catfish (order Siluriformes) of the family Bagridae. It is occasionally called the crystal-eyed catfish or black devil catfish.
Distribution
This species originates in Asia from Thailand to Indonesia. It is ...
, silver arowana
The silver arowana (''Osteoglossum bicirrhosum'') is a South American freshwater bony fish of the family Osteoglossidae. Silver arowanas are sometimes kept in aquariums, but they are predatory and require a very large tank.
The generic name ''Os ...
, black ghost knifefish
The black ghost knifefish (''Apteronotus albifrons'') is a tropical fish belonging to the ghost knifefish Family (biology), family (Apteronotidae). They originate in freshwater habitats in South America where they range from Venezuela to the Para ...
es, as well as preserved endangered species which once lived here, such as giant freshwater stingray
The giant freshwater stingray (''Urogymnus polylepis'', also widely known by the junior synonym ''Himantura chaophraya'') is a species of stingray in the family Dasyatidae. It is found in large rivers and estuaries in Southeast Asia and Borneo, ...
s and Siamese crocodile
The Siamese crocodile (''Crocodylus siamensis'') is a medium-sized freshwater crocodile native to Indonesia (Borneo and possibly Java), Brunei, East Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. The species is critically endangered an ...
s.ostrich
Ostriches are large flightless birds of the genus ''Struthio'' in the order Struthioniformes, part of the infra-class Palaeognathae, a diverse group of flightless birds also known as ratites that includes the emus, rheas, and kiwis. There are ...
es.
*Giant Crocodile Statue (รูปปั้นจระเข้ยักษ์), regarded as the landmark of the lake, built according to folklore
Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...
of Phichit, '' Krai Thong and Chalawan''. Inside the statue is a meeting room with 25 to 30 seats.
References
External links
*{{cite web, url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/travel/sightseeing/22153/bueng-si-fai, work=Bangkok Post
The ''Bangkok Post'' is an English-language daily newspaper published in Bangkok, Thailand. It is published in broadsheet and digital formats. The first issue was sold on 1 August 1946. It had four pages and cost one baht, a considerable amount ...
, title=Bueng Si Fai, accessdate=2019-05-09
category:Lakes of Thailand
Tourist attractions in Phichit province