The Discovery
A recent family trip to a forest in Udon Thani led to an unexpected potential paleontological finding. While visiting a local waterfall, a Thai tourist named Pichai Prathetsena noticed unusual impressions embedded in rock near a stream. Because the water level was low at the time, features that were normally submerged were clearly visible.
Curious about the origin of the marks, Pichai shared a photograph of one impression on Saturday, October 18, in a Facebook group named "What Animal Is This?" to ask if it resembled a dinosaur footprint. The post quickly gained widespread attention from internet users and academics who encouraged him to report the finding. Pichai had not alerted park staff initially because his family was rushing home, but the viral response brought the site to official attention.
What Scientists Found
Following the online discussion, Thailand's Department of Mineral Resources stated on social media that it acknowledged the report and would look into the matter. The location was subsequently identified within Phu Hin Chom That–Phu Phrabat National Park in Kut Chap district.
Park rangers surveyed the site on October 19 to collect details and measure the impressions. During their inspection, they found three additional footprints nearby. Their recorded observations include:
- Width of each impression: roughly 34 centimetres
- Length of each impression: roughly 32 centimetres
- Distance between tracks: approximately 80 centimetres
A initial assessment by the rangers suggested that these marks might have been made by a carnivorous dinosaur with a body length ranging between seven and eight metres.
Why It Matters
The potential trackway has created enthusiasm regarding its scientific value. Pichai shared his excitement about the possibility that his family outing could result in a notable fossil find. Addressing suggestions from social media users that a new dinosaur species could be named in his honour, he noted that he would prefer any official name to pay tribute to the national park instead.
Despite these preliminary findings, specialists must still evaluate the physical evidence directly before the identity and true scientific significance of the tracks can be verified.
Source: dinosaur fossil discovery - BingNews · Published October 20, 2026 · Photo by Riya Purohit on Unsplash