Articles
Written by Kawin Jiaranaisakul
If you have ever sat on a hotel terrace in Khao Lak and heard a loud, constant buzzing from the trees around you, you have already met the cicada. These insects are not crickets, not bees, and not birds. They are their own unique creature with a very special talent: making an incredibly loud sound using their own body.
Cicadas belong to the order Hemiptera and are related to planthoppers, leafhoppers and aphids. In Thailand, dozens of species can be found, and the lush rainforests of Phang Nga province, including the hills around Khao Lak, are home to some of the richest cicada populations in the country.
Only male cicadas sing. They do not use wings or legs to create sound. Instead, they have two drum-like organs on their abdomen called tymbals. By rapidly flexing these structures hundreds of times per second, they produce a vibration that can reach over 100 decibels, which is louder than a lawnmower.
At Khaolak Merlin Resort, the evening chorus begins just after sunset. What starts as a few distant chirps quickly builds into a full tropical symphony that fills the garden and pool area, one of the most authentic soundscapes of southern Thailand.
The song is all about finding a mate. Each species has its own unique call frequency, so females can identify the right partner even in a forest full of noise. The heat of the Thai afternoon actually encourages more singing. Cicadas are most active when temperatures are high and humidity is thick, which is exactly the climate of Phang Nga province for much of the year.
The noise can seem overwhelming at first, but people often say: when the cicadas go quiet, that is when you pay attention. It usually means rain is coming.
Most of a cicada’s life is spent underground. After hatching from eggs laid in tree bark, the young nymphs drop to the soil and burrow down, where they feed on tree roots for years. Depending on the species, this underground phase can last anywhere from 2 to 17 years. Then, when conditions are right, usually triggered by soil temperature, they emerge all at once, climb the nearest tree trunk, and shed their skin for the last time as adult insects.
In the forests surrounding Khao Lak, you can sometimes spot the empty brown shells of these nymphs clinging to tree trunks and fences, a sign that a new generation has just taken flight.
The song is all about finding a mate. Each species has its own unique call frequency, so females can identify the right partner even in a forest full of noise. The heat of the Thai afternoon actually encourages more singing. Cicadas are most active when temperatures are high and humidity is thick, which is exactly the climate of Phang Nga province for much of the year.
The noise can seem overwhelming at first, but people often say: when the cicadas go quiet, that is when you pay attention. It usually means rain is coming.
Cicadas play an important role in the forest. When they emerge in large numbers, they provide a massive feast for birds, lizards, and small mammals. Their bodies are rich in protein, and many local animals time their own breeding seasons around cicada emergences. After the adults die, their bodies decompose and return nutrients to the soil, feeding the very trees their nymphs once grew beneath.
For guests staying in the Khao Lak area, whether at Khaolak Merlin Resort or elsewhere in Phang Nga, the cicada chorus is one of those small, unforgettable details that makes a tropical holiday feel truly immersive. Rather than noise, think of it as a live performance by the oldest musicians in the forest, playing the same songs they have played for millions of years.
Next time you hear them, close your eyes and listen closely. You might just catch the subtle differences between each species’ call, nature’s own playlist playing on repeat from the treetops.
