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Scientists Identify Massive New Dinosaur Species in Thailand
By Aurax Desk | May 16, 2026 | 2 min read
Researchers in Thailand have identified the largest known dinosaur ever discovered in Southeast Asia after uncovering fossil remains dating back more than 100 million years. The giant plant-eating species, named Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis, is believed to have weighed as much as nine elephants and stretched nearly 90 feet long.
An illustration depicts the newly identified giant dinosaur species that lived in Southeast Asia more than 100 million years ago.
Scientists say the dinosaur lived during the Early Cretaceous period around 113 million years ago in what is now northeastern Thailand. Fossils including vertebrae, ribs, hip bones and limb fragments were uncovered in Chaiyaphum province after unusual rocks were first spotted near a pond by a local resident years earlier.
Researchers identified the animal as a new species of sauropod, a group of long-necked herbivorous dinosaurs known for their enormous size. Based on the fossil evidence, scientists estimate the dinosaur measured about 27 meters long and weighed between 25 and 28 tons.
The newly identified species was named Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis, combining a reference to the naga, a serpent-like figure found in Asian mythology, with the word “titan,” commonly used in the names of giant sauropods. Researchers said the discovery provides new insight into dinosaur evolution and biodiversity in Southeast Asia, a region where fewer large dinosaur fossils have been found compared with China or South America.
Paleontologists believe the dinosaur lived in a warm environment made up of forests, river systems and open landscapes populated by crocodiles, fish, flying reptiles and predatory dinosaurs. Scientists said the animal’s massive size would have protected it from most predators of the time.
The findings were published in the journal Scientific Reports and are expected to increase international attention on fossil discoveries across Southeast Asia. Researchers say additional excavations in the region could reveal more unknown dinosaur species from the Cretaceous era.