Police arrested an alleged poacher hunting and selling protected wild birds in Thailand.

The suspect, Siam, 40, reportedly attracted the wild birds by blasting music and bird calls through a loudspeaker before catching them in nets at a field in Prachuap Khiri Khan province.

Police said they received information that a poacher had been capturing endangered birds and selling them at the local market. They waited for Siam at the field and arrested him early morning on November 10.

Officers seized from him seven dead watercocks, two dead Eurasian bitterns, a 12-volt battery, an MKC 12 amplifier, a pink flash drive with bird calls, a grey speaker, wires, a flashlight, and 14 nets.

Police Major Apichart Prommontri of the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division said: 'The suspect was charged with hunting protected animals and possessing their carcasses without permission.

'During the arrest, the suspect admitted to all charges.'

Both watercocks and Eurasian bitterns are listed as 'Least Concern' on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. They are protected species under Thailand's Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act.

Thailand is a major transit hub for the illegal wildlife trade due to its strategic location and extensive border crossings. Exotic birds, reptiles, and other valuable species on the black market are commonly trafficked to other parts of Asia.

Despite efforts to crack down, Thai authorities struggle due to corruption and the difficulty of monitoring porous borders and illegal online markets.