During the monsoon rains here in Isaan, all kinds of creatures come out their hiding places and many end up getting flattened on the roads here.
On my morning ride this morning, I saw this turtle in the middle of the road.
I picked it up and moved it off the road so that it would safe and not get run over.
This is a snail-eating turtle belonging to the genus Malayemys.
In Thailand, these are known as Tao Na (เต่านา), which translates directly to “rice field turtle”
Note: In Thailand, all native snail-eating turtle species are officially protected under the Wild Animal Reservation and Protection Act (WARPA), meaning it is illegal to hunt, keep, or sell them.