Khao Yai National Park is a national park in Thailand.Khao Yai
National Park is in the western part of the Sankamphaeng Mountain Range,
at the southwestern boundary of the Khorat Plateau. The highest
mountain in the area of the park is 1,351 m high Khao Rom.This park lies
largely in Nakhon Ratchasima Province (Khorat), but also includes parts
of Saraburi, Prachinburi, and Nakhon Nayok Provinces.Khao Yai,A UNESCO
World Heritage Site, is Thailand’s third largest and one of the most
visited national parks. It spreads across four provinces, namely
Saraburi (west), Nakhon Nayok (east), Nakhon Ratchasima (north) and
Prachinburi (east).
The
highest peak, at Khao Rom, is 1,351 metres above sea level. Blessed
with a lush, mountainous landscape, with fertile valleys, pounding
waterfalls and rich biodiversity, Khao Yai is a year-round getaway
destination just three hours’ drive from Bangkok. The west side boasts a
range of wild-west theme parks and vineyards of Thailand’s
award-winning labels, such as Pirom Khao Yai Reserve and Sawasdee Chenin
Blanc. The south and east are peppered with a wealth of natural
wonders, from Prachinburi’s jungle-clad waterfalls to Wang Nam Kheo’s
ozone-rich valleys.Established in 1962 as Thailand's first national
park, it is the third largest national park in Thailand. Situated mainly
in Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Khao Yai extends into Prachinburi,
Saraburi and Nakhon Nayok provinces. Khao Yai is just 3 hours away from
Bangkok.The park covers an area of 2,168 square kilometres, including
rain/evergreen forests and grasslands. 1,351 m high Khao Rom is the
highest mountain within the park. The average altitude of the national
park ranges from 400 to 1000 m above the sea level.Khao Yai is part of
Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex, a World Heritage Site declared by
UNESCO, covering 5 protected areas from Khao Yai to Cambodian border.
The other protected areas are; Pang Sida National Park, Thap Lan
National Park, Ta Phraya National Park and Dong Yai Wildlife Sanctuary.
The
park is the third largest in Thailand. It covers an area of 300 square
kilometers, including tropical seasonal forests and grasslands. Its
altitude mostly ranges from 400–1,000 m above sea level. There are 3,000
species of plants, 320 species of birds like red junglefowl and
coral-billed ground cuckoo, and 66 species of mammals, including Asian
black bear, Indian elephant, gaur, gibbon, Indian sambar deer,
pig-tailed macaque,[disambiguation needed] Indian muntjac, Ussuri dhole,
and wild pig. Although evidence of tiger presence has not been recorded
recently, monitoring by Freeland Foundation in collaboration with
Department of National Park rangers has discovered tigers (the
Indochinese tiger subspecies) in other parts of eastern Thailand where
they were previously thought to have been completely extirpated.Its
waterfalls include the 80 metre Heo Narok, and Heo Suwat made famous
from the film The Beach. Namtok Sarika is popular with the Thais.Recent
wildlife studies show that animal ranges, particularly the few resident
tigers, are impacted by human activity near the center of the park. This
study has not deflected the government's call for private lodging
concessions within the park itself.
History:-Around
1922 some people from Ban Tha Dan and Ban Tha Chai villages in Nakhon
Nayok Province built a settlement within the forest in the Sankamphaeng
mountains. Up to 30 households cultivated the land. The area was
formally recognized by the government and classified as Tambon Khao Yai
within Pak Phli District.However, due to its remoteness from the
authorities it became a refuge for criminals and fugitives. After an
attempt to capture the suspects in the area, in 1932 the villagers were
relocated into the plains some 30 km away and the tambon status was
cancelled.In 1959 the prime minister, Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat,
instructed the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of the Interior
to create a process whereby national parks could be established.Khao Yai
National Park was then established on September 18, 1962, declared by
royal proclamation in the Government Gazette (Book 79, Section 89) as
the first national park in Thailand. A major role in its establishment
was played by Boonsong Lekakul, one of the 20th century's most famous
Thai conservationists. It was named after the defunct tambon, Khao Yai.
In
1984 the park was made an ASEAN Heritage Park, and on July 14, 2005 the
park, together with other parks in the same range and in the Dong Phaya
Yen Mountains further north, was proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage
Site under the name "Dong Phaya Yen–Khao Yai Forest Complex". As the
lands adjacent to the national park are becoming increasingly developed
into luxury hotels and golf courses, acquiring land for future wildlife
conservation efforts is becoming problematic. Homes and residential
villas have been built illegally within the limits of the protected area
of the forest. Illegal logging is also a problem in the area of the
park.
Wildlife:-Some common mammals
include elephants, bears, gaurs, barking deer, otters, gibbons and
macaques. There haven't been any sign of tiger activity in the park for a
while, but camera traps has revealed a significant tiger population in
neighbouring Thap Lan and Pang Sida National Park. The park has only one
crocodile in the national park and it can be seen on same location
along the one of trails. According guides operating in the park, the
crocodile was released to the park by the park rangers.
The
national park is home to around 300 resident and migratory birds and
has one of Thailand's largest populations of hornbills. Some of the
interesting birds that can be found in the park are barbets, scarlet
minivets, broadbills, pittas, mountain scops-owls, great slaty
woodpeckers, collared owlets, blue-winged leafbirds, Asian fairy
bluebirds, trogons, drongos and magpies. Many ground dwelling birds such
as silver pheasants, junglefowls, green-legged partridges and Siamese
fireback are common on the roads and trails. Best time to visit Khao Yai
for birdwatching is during the dry months and during March April when
the big bird migration happens.Khao Yai is also a good destination for
watching reptiles. The best time is around March-April but with still
good activity until October, during the cold seasons it takes a bit more
effort to spot them. Reticulated python, Ahaetulla prasina, Chinese
ratsnake, Chinese water dragon, water monitor and crested lizards are
only few of many species that can be found in the park.
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