A 32-year-old man in Thailand is set to receive an award from Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suchart Chomklin after discovering dinosaur footprints during a family trip to a waterfall.
Pichai Prathetsena, a local government official from Thung Fon Subdistrict Municipality in Udon Thani province, made the discovery while visiting Tat Noi Waterfall in Ban Phue district with his family.
He spotted unusual footprints on a rock, took photographs and posted them in a Facebook group, asking members what they were and whether they could be dinosaur footprints. His post quickly went viral across Thailand.
Experts from the Department of Mineral Resources, under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, subsequently examined the markings and confirmed that they were dinosaur footprints.
The experts identified them as belonging to a carnivorous theropod that lived approximately 120 million years ago during the Early Cretaceous period. The footprints were also found to be larger than those previously discovered in Phu Wiang district, Khon Kaen province.
Pichai said he was delighted by the confirmation, adding that he never imagined taking photographs during a casual family outing and asking a question online would lead to such widespread attention.
He also expressed hope that the discovery could eventually become a new tourist attraction for Udon Thani.
Pichai is scheduled to travel to Bangkok on the evening of October 21 after ministry officials informed him that Suchart wished to meet him. The minister is expected to present him with a certificate of honour at 11am on October 22.
Pichai described the recognition as a great honour for him and his family.
