What kind of image do you have of forest park rangers? Rustic-looking men in camo outfits? Or should they display a combination of Indiana Jones’ photogenic scruffiness and the lofty, romantic eyes of late forestry official Sueb Nakhasathien? The image of Theerapat Prayurasiddhi, deputy director-general of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment debunks all those stereotypes. Bespectacled, lanky, with rather pale skin and an overly polite demeanor, Theerapat can fool anyone into believing he is a doctor, engineer, state attorney, maybe even a university lecturer — anything but a forest ranger. Theerapat chatted with Life about his reading list.
— Anchalee Kongrut
Which books are on your bedside table now?
I don’t have much free time. But I always have Anusarn Or Sor Tor [a famous travel magazine by the Tourism Authority of Thailand], National Geographic Thailand and Sarakadee Magazine on my bedside table. I love reading travel magazines!
What are your reading habits?
I am a big fan of travel magazines, as I have to keep abreast of new travel destinations or up-and-coming environmental and wildlife issues. I also write columns on conservation for official newsletters and books. So I must be informed and updated.
What books on conservationism would you recommend?
Every book by the late MD Boonsong Lekagul, known as father of the nature conservation movement in Thailand and founder of Wildlife Fund Thailand under the Royal Patronage of HM the Queen. I also highly recommend books by ML Prinyakorn Voravarn, a renowned wildlife photographer. His books on wildlife will instill nature conservation awareness in readers and of course contain stunning photos.
Which books on wildlife have let you down?
Any books and magazines about hunting. There are many magazines that make hunting seem glamorous and sexy. I have read many good books by Wattana Boonyoung and Charlee Eimkrasin. The content and their knowledge about wildlife, as well as their prose, are fascinating, yet I am usually turned off when they veer toward hunting. Did I tell you that my major in university was wildlife protection and conservation?
What is your favourite book?
Tiew Pah by the late MD Boonsong Lekagul. I discovered this book by chance when I was in school, Sathit Pathumwan Demonstration School. I was 10 years old and was Prathom 4. I was an urban kid and my family had never been outdoorsy, so I was awestruck by the story of the jungle and wild animals in the book. Since then, I became obsessed with nature and those beasts. When I was in Prathom 5, I begged my parents to take me to Khao Yai National Park to see the forest and wild animals. This enthusiasm shaped my career. While at university, I chose to study wild animal conservation at the Faculty of Forestry at Kasetsart University, and was accepted. I consider myself an outsider in my family in terms of career choice. My grandfather is a judge, my father is a doctor and my mother is a teacher. So I guess it is MD Boonsong’s book that led me to nature and profoundly changed my life.
