A mysterious circular island to the east of the Chao Phraya River in Pathum Thani province, now dubbed the "Eye of Thailand", has captured the attention of Thai netizens, sparking debate over whether the formation was created by natural forces or human intervention.
To the surprise of many, it was Prinya Thaewanarumitkul, a well-known political commentator, who drew attention to the discovery on Monday by posting information and aerial footage of the island on his Facebook page.
According to Prinya, the circular feature is located about two kilometres southeast of Pathum Thani Bridge 1, on the eastern side of the river. Its near-perfect shape has prompted comparisons with Argentina's famous floating island, El Ojo.
His post sparked widespread discussion online and the story was quickly picked up by media outlets across multiple platforms. Some social media users have even speculated that the formation could be the work of UFOs.
Prinya wrote on Facebook again today that his intention in sharing the phenomenon is to help protect and preserve what he described as one of Pathum Thani's most remarkable natural features, before it is altered by development.
Prinya also posted new footage, which he said was recorded by a GoPro camera mounted on the helmet of a paramotor pilot. Flying at low altitude above a moat-like body of water surrounding the island, the pilot captured detailed images of the vegetation and terrain.
According to Prinya, the footage shows that the island is covered entirely by wetland plants, such as reeds and sedges in a largely undisturbed natural state.
He noted that there were no visible signs of human activity or engineering works, leading him to believe that the formation is unlikely to have been created by people digging a circular canal around the island.
"Nor is it likely to be an alien landing site, as some have jokingly suggested," he wrote.
Prinya proposed that the island may be a naturally occurring floating mass of wetland vegetation.
He speculated that its nearly perfect circular shape developed over time because the floating island slowly rotated in the water, gradually rubbing against the surrounding banks until it became round.
Historical aerial photographs appear to support the theory, he said.
The images show that the area lies along a natural waterway and that the circular shape emerged only within the past decade or so.
Prinya suggested that Thailand's devastating floods in 2011 may have played a key role in the formation of the island.
In support of his theory, he cited El Ojo, or "The Eye", in Argentina, a similarly sized circular island known internationally as a rotating floating island. Researchers have concluded that El Ojo floats and rotates, contributing to its distinctive shape.
Prinya believes that the Pathum Thani formation may have developed through a similar natural process and has informally dubbed it "Thailand's Eye".
He expressed concern that the site, located not far from residential communities and near industrial facilities, could eventually be filled in or altered by development.
"I shared this story in the hope that the island can be conserved in its natural state as a wonder of Pathum Thani and Thailand," he said.
Thailand's Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) have analysed possible explanations for the phenomenon.
GISTDA initially considered both natural and manmade explanations for the mysterious circular island.
The agency noted that the province's location in the lower Chao Phraya basin, where waterways frequently change course, could have allowed natural erosion and sediment deposition to create unusual landforms over time.
At the same time, GISTDA said the formation could be linked to past agricultural, irrigation or water-management activities, as the area has a long history of farming and fish cultivation.
Historical satellite imagery would be crucial in determining whether the site originated as a man-made excavation or evolved naturally.
The agency also suggested comparing satellite images taken over time to determine whether the island moves within the surrounding body of water.
Such movement would be a key indicator that it is a floating island, similar to Argentina's El Ojo.
Following a drone survey on June 8, however, GISTDA concluded that the formation is a naturally occurring rotating floating island made up of aquatic vegetation.
According to the agency, the island slowly rotates around its own axis, helping it maintain its distinctive circular shape and making it one of Mother Nature's rare and remarkable phenomena.
