Much more than just climbing: Thai arborists show off their skills

High above Chatuchak Park, a bell cuts through the post-rain humidity. The final climber shifts most of his weight onto the rope, steadying himself against the trunk while placing his boots on a slender branch, all while keeping his footing light and controlled. In this 35-minute championship round, precision outranks speed.

Fourteen metres up, a standard working height, the fully geared arborist redirects his line, edges along spindly limbs, and rings a bell at each station. Fixed to the tree’s outer branches, the bells mirror the everyday tasks of an arborist.

To reach them, he must hang almost weightless from his rope.

In this craft, mastery lies in restraint: overload the branch and it fails; lose control and so do you. Below, seasoned arborists and first-time spectators crane their necks and cheer. This is the Masters’ Challenge, the final act of the Asia-Pacific Tree Climbing Championship 2026, held recently in Chatuchak Park. Climbers from eight countries have battled through the Speed Climb, Work Climb, Aerial Rescue, Throwline, and Belayed Climb events.

Organised by the Thai Arboriculture Association, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, and the International Society of Arboriculture, the three-day competition, the country’s first at the Asia-Pacific level, aims not only to crown winners, but to elevate Thailand’s arborist profession to international standards. The Masters’ Challenge is its crescendo.

Watching from the ground, Nut Panyain and Kittayachon Nathumploy exchange impressed glances.

Nut reckons the Masters’ Challenge would take him an hour. Setting up his climbing system alone might take 20 minutes; the competitor they had just watched needed five. Within minutes, the man was 14 metres up, moving cleanly and fluidly between stations.

The height, they say, is nothing unusual. It is typical of competitions and job sites alike. The real pressure comes from the clock and from what lies below. In the field, there may be houses, traffic and people. In competition, bells are fixed to the thinnest outer branches, replicating the delicate missions of an arborist. Every move becomes harder.

International climbers arrive from Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Japan. Japan’s trees may soar, but they are often narrower. Thailand’s compact urban trees can look deceptively simple until the heat hits. The humidity drains strength, slows grip and changes everything.

For Thai competitors, though, the steepest hurdle is often language. On the international stage, climbers must present site assessments, explain tree conditions, justify equipment choices and outline work plans in English. Many Thai arborists are technically strong, Nut says, but competing abroad demands more than skill. Events like this expose them to new climbing systems, sharper planning and clearer presentation.

Kittayachon believes the public still misunderstands the craft. Arboriculture, he says, is not yet mainstream in Thailand. Many people do not understand why it is expensive. Equipment costs are high. Practitioners must pass rigorous training and testing. At present, clients are often homeowners who value the care of mature trees. Broader awareness is still growing.

For 24-year-old Ampai Narainthon, competitions have become classrooms in the canopy. Having attended several regional events, she says each one reveals new techniques shaped by different trees and environments.

“In domestic competitions, techniques can feel limited,” she says. “But internationally, you see so much variety.”

One example is the throwline event. Traditionally, setting a line might involve three or four distinct steps, throwing, isolating, adjusting and setting. Ampai has watched foreign competitors combine these into a single fluid sequence, saving precious seconds. Efficiency, she has learned, is innovation under pressure.

Beyond the formal rounds, there is camaraderie. Competitors share techniques freely. They help one another practise before events. At gatherings like this, Ampai has handled equipment she had never seen before, testing tools alongside climbers with far more experience.

In Malaysia, she encountered towering, rare trees that reshaped her sense of scale. In Hong Kong and Taiwan, she found species more familiar, like rain trees, yet approached with different rigging styles. Each encounter expanded her repertoire.

For Oraya Sutabutr, co-founder of Big Trees Project and local liaison for the Asia Pacific Tree Climbing Championship 2026, the language barrier remains a pressing challenge. Thai arborists, she says, are meticulous and deeply passionate, well-suited to the profession. But international certification exams are conducted in English, and too much time is lost deciphering technical text.

A newly translated handbook, International Arborist Guide (ISA Standard) – Thai Edition, seeks to change that. Translated by Pornthep Meunpong, president of the Thai Arboriculture Association, the book - now available in its fourth language after English, French, and Spanish - was launched at the competition by the heads of the Thai Arboriculture Association and the International Society of Arboriculture. It offers Thai practitioners access to core concepts in their own language, lowering a key barrier to international accreditation.

The competition extends beyond medals. A special workshop was held the following day, when members of the international judging committee conducted a full-day session for around 40 local arborists, including several from the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration who had not attended the championship.

Boo Ghim Yew of Arbsolutions Asia reflects on Singapore’s trajectory. Two decades ago, there were virtually no arborists there. With government support, the industry grew quickly. In Thailand, where growth is driven more by private initiative, he sees potential for high standards, provided the sector remains diverse and credible.

International competitions, Boo says, mirror daily routines. Arboriculture is not just about trimming or topping a tree. It is about technique, safety, judgement and care, skills refined 14 metres above ground, with most of one’s weight suspended on a rope and only trust, earned through training and shared knowledge, holding everything together.