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Six fossilized dinosaur footprints, estimated to be around 120 million years old, have been confirmed at Phu Phrabat National Park in Thailand’s Udon Thani province, the country’s Department of Mineral Resources announced. The discovery began when a tourist photographed the strange marks near a stream and posted the image in a Facebook group on October 18.
A Casual Photo Sparks an Investigation
Pichai Prathetsena, 32, was walking a nature trail with his family inside Phu Hin Chom That–Phu Phrabat National Park when he noticed unusual impressions in exposed rock near a stream. The water level was unusually low, leaving a large section of the rocky bed uncovered and the marks plainly visible, according to reports by The Thaiger.
Rather than reporting the find on the spot — his family was in a hurry to move along — Prathetsena photographed the marks and shared the image in the Facebook group นี่ตัวอะไร (“What Animal Is This?”) on Saturday, October 18, asking members whether the impressions looked like dinosaur footprints. The Hindustan Times reported that the stream’s low level had exposed rocks that would normally have been covered by water.
The post drew quick attention. Other group members agreed that the marks resembled prehistoric tracks and urged officials to take a look. Thailand’s Department of Mineral Resources responded directly in the post’s comments, acknowledging the discovery and saying it would send a team to investigate.
Thailand’s Dinosaur Footprints Confirmed as 120 Million Years Old
Park rangers visited the site on October 19 to examine and measure the impressions. Their initial field assessment suggested the tracks could have been left by a carnivorous dinosaur, with early measurements of individual impressions at roughly 34 centimetres wide and 32 centimetres long and about 80 centimetres between them, according to The Thaiger.
A day later, on October 20, the Department of Mineral Resources announced on its official Facebook page that the marks were genuine dinosaur footprints. The department confirmed six footprints forming a single trackway, preserved in sandstone belonging to the Phu Phan Formation, which dates to the Early Cretaceous period — approximately 120 million years ago.
Each footprint shows three toes with pointed tips and measures about 29 centimetres long and 26 centimetres wide, the department said. Based on those measurements, officials estimated that the dinosaur stood about 1.42 metres tall at the hip and measured roughly 6.3 metres in body length.
Authorities have temporarily closed the site to the public while geologists examine the area and protect the fossils, a standard step when a new trackway is under scientific review.
What the Footprints Reveal About the Dinosaur
The three-toed, pointed-tip shape of the footprints points to a theropod — a bipedal, meat-eating dinosaur. Theropods walked on their two hind legs and were carnivorous, and the size and shape of the Thai trackway fit that group, the department indicated.
The estimated dimensions are similar to those of Siamotyrannus isanensis, a theropod dinosaur previously discovered in Thailand from the same geological period. The comparison gives researchers a working reference as specialists continue examining the evidence before the identification is fully confirmed.
The discovery marks the first confirmed dinosaur tracks recorded in Udon Thani province, making the trackway a notable addition to northeastern Thailand’s fossil record.
A Win for Citizen Science
The episode adds to a growing list of cases in which ordinary social media users have helped surface scientific finds. A dry stream exposed rock that would normally sit underwater, a tourist asked a simple question online, and within three days a national agency had confirmed a 120-million-year-old trackway.
For Thailand’s Department of Mineral Resources, the exchange also showed how quickly official channels can respond when the public brings evidence forward — the department replied in the post’s own comment thread and dispatched rangers to the site the following morning.
Scientists will now study the trackway in detail, and further announcements are expected as the examination of the site continues.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where were the dinosaur footprints found in Thailand?
Inside Phu Hin Chom That–Phu Phrabat National Park in Kut Chap district, Udon Thani province, in northeastern Thailand. The six footprints are preserved in sandstone near a stream.
How old are the Thailand dinosaur footprints?
About 120 million years old, dating to the Early Cretaceous period, based on the Phu Phan Formation rock in which they are preserved.
What kind of dinosaur made the footprints?
Officials believe a theropod — a two-legged, meat-eating dinosaur roughly 6.3 metres long, similar in build to Siamotyrannus isanensis, which was previously discovered in Thailand.
Can visitors see the footprints?
Not for now. The site has been temporarily closed to the public while scientists examine the trackway and protect the fossils.
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