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Mention Thailand, and most travellers will probably think of beaches, temples, and night markets. But here’s something you might not know: it also has one of Asia’s most notable dinosaur fossil records. Researchers have now identified a brand-new species there – and it happens to be the largest dinosaur ever discovered in Southeast Asia.
Meet Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis, a colossal long-necked plant-eater estimated to have weighed around 27 tonnes and measured roughly 27 metres from nose to tail. It belonged to the sauropod family, the same broad group as Diplodocus and Brontosaurus, and roamed what is now Thailand during the Early Cretaceous period, around 100 to 120 million years ago.
Its fossils were first found in Chaiyaphum province in northeastern Thailand in 2016, after low water levels exposed bones near a communal pond. Subsequent excavations uncovered parts of its spine, ribs, pelvis and legs, including a 1.78-metre-long front leg bone. Researchers later confirmed that the remains belonged to an entirely new species.
The name is suitably grand. “Naga” refers to the serpent-like beings found across South and Southeast Asian mythology, while “titan” speaks for itself. Scientists have also nicknamed it “the last titan” of Thailand, since it was discovered in the country’s youngest known dinosaur-bearing rock formation. This suggests that it may be among the last giant sauropods still waiting to be found in the region.
For travellers, the good news is that you do not need to join a dig site to meet it. A life-sized reconstruction of Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis is now on display at the Thainosaur Museum in Bangkok, offering a proper sense of just how enormous this creature would have been. Thailand’s northeast is also home to a growing network of fossil sites and dinosaur museums, particularly around Khon Kaen and Kalasin, making it an increasingly fun detour for families, science buffs and anyone whose childhood dinosaur phase never quite ended.
The discovery also adds weight to Thailand’s growing palaeontology credentials. Researchers say the country holds one of Asia’s richest dinosaur fossil records, thanks in part to its extensive Mesozoic-era rock formations.