The Cabinet approved the principle to remove the Helmeted Bulbul, also called the crested bulbul, from the protected wildlife list to promote its breeding as an economic animal while closely monitoring its population in the wild.
On 21 July 2026, Ms. Lalida Pertwiwatthana, Deputy Spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office, announced that the Cabinet resolved to approve the draft ministerial regulation designating certain wildlife as protected (draft version) as proposed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. The key point is to remove the Helmeted Bulbul from the protected wildlife list to support breeding and propagation aligned with current conditions and encourage its development as an economic animal generating income for the public.
The Deputy Spokesperson explained that currently the Helmeted Bulbul is listed as protected terrestrial wildlife under item 576. This requires owners, breeders, and traders to obtain legal permits and meet specified qualifications and conditions, which restricts widespread breeding and propagation.
This status adjustment aims to allow the public easier opportunities to breed and propagate the Helmeted Bulbul, increasing captive populations to replace capture or hunting from the wild. It also aims to develop this activity into an economic enterprise providing income to breeders and support the continuation of community traditions and bird-keeping culture, especially for singing contests in southern regions.
The Wildlife Conservation and Protection Committee approved removing the Helmeted Bulbul from the protected list, assigning the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation to closely monitor wild populations. If a decline or risk of distribution and extinction is detected, the species may be reconsidered for protection status.
The Deputy Spokesperson added that the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment invited public feedback on the draft ministerial regulation via the legal central system and the Department of National Parks website from 11 to 25 February 2026. Most responses supported this approach, and related agencies raised no objections, noting it would add economic value and income for breeders.
“This status adjustment balances promoting community livelihoods and economic activities with natural resource conservation. The government will support responsible breeding alongside continuous monitoring of wild bird populations to prevent ecological impacts and discourage increased wild capture or hunting.”