Khao Yai is Thailand’s oldest National Park

Khao Yai is Thailand’s oldest National Park, September 1962. In 1982 it was enlisted as an ASEAN heritage site due to its variety of flora and fauna, and is now world - famous. Khao Yai has also been nominated as a World Heritage Site. It is Thailand’s third largest Nation Park, covering an area of 2,165.55 sq.km. and its highest peak, Khao Rom, reaches an elevation of 1,351 m. above sea level. Khao Yai is part of the Dongrak Range, which forms a mountainous wall fencing the northeast plateau form the central plain of Thailand. Park headquarters are situated roughly 200 km northeast of Bangkok.





The park extends across four provinces: Saraburi, Nakhon Nayok, Nakhon Ratchasima and Prachinburi.

Topography

Khao Yai National Park consists of complicated mountains such as Khao Rom, the highest about 1,351 meters, Khao Lam about 1,326 meters,

Khao Kampang about 875 meters, Khao Samor Poon about 805 meters and Khao Kaew about 802 meters above sea level. Moreover, the area has vastly grassy field alternating with productive forest. The north and the east part are smoothly sloping down, while the south and the west part are rising up. The area is the source of five main rivers as follows.

1) Prachin Buri River
2) Nakhon Nayok River situated in the south part and important for local agriculture and economy, meet each other in Chachoengsao District to become Bangpakong River go to the Gulf of Thailand.
3) Lam Ta Kong River
4) Praplerng River, in the north part, go to maintain the agriculture of Korat Plateau and meet Moon River, the main river of Southern Isan that goes to Khong River.
5) Muag Lek Stream, located in the northwest part and going to Pasak River in Muag Lek District, is valuable for local agriculture and cattle, and has water all the year round.

Climate

It is often cooler up here with an average temperature of 23 C. Rainy Seson: May - October. Rains most days, the waterfalls are thus stunning. Can get clear cool weather. Cold Seson: November - February. Gets as cold as 10 C at night you will want blankets. Again clear weather with great sunsets is common. Hot Season: March - April. Hot and dry, but still cool compared to the plains, reaching the mid 30's!

Flora and Fauna

Tropical moist evergreen forest covers the central area of the Park. The rich diversity of plants (about 2000 species)astound the new-comer. Towering trees draped in mosses, climbers and epiphytes, tangled trunks of the strangling figs, drooping lianas and spiny rattan palms, delicate ferns, multicoloured lichens and an ever-changing array of fungi. There is aways something new to discover in the forest. Dry evergreen forest and dry deciduous forest covers the lower slopes of the Park and some of the higher sections. Bamboo is often an indicator of this drier forest. Hill evergreen forest covers the highest peak (Khao Kieow and Khao Rom) The trees are smaller here, and ferns, mosses and epiphytes abound. Grassland provides a welcome relief to all the forest . The Park mange (burn annually) the grassland to prevent trees from invading and to provide year round grazing for deer, elephants and guar. Wildlife is plentiful (70 mammal species, at least 74 species of herptile and thousands of invertebrates) but often hard to see. Sambar (large, gray-brown, often in groups) and barking deer (smaller, red-brown, usually in pairs or alone) are frequently seen in the grasslands or on spotlighting tours. Gibbons provide an excellent morning wake-up call with their mournful hoots. Quiet, patient walkers may catch a glimpse of these tree-living apes. Macaques are often seen on the roadsides. Elephants are sometimes spotted at salt-licks or on the road in the evenings and lucky (?) tourists may spot a tiger in the grasslands during the evenings. Civets, squirrels, porcupines, and wild pigs add a bit of variety. Snakes and lizards usually make their presence known by a rustle in the undergrowth as you are walking. If you see a snake, treat it as dangerous unless you know otherwise!! Geckos are frequently seen catching insects on building walls and ceilings. Cicadas never stop their scratchy hum. Look up and down and from side to side to spot the real movers and shakers in the forest - the insects and invertebrates. BIRDS: We've got lots - over 320 species have been recorded. To the non-expert, birds are often just mysterious whistles, trills and calls, or a flutter of wings and a glimpse of colour. Patience is needed,good binoculars and a bird guide help. Roadsides, the old golf course, grasslands and the watching towers are good places to start . Hornbills are quite easy to spot, and hear the "gak gak gak" laugh of the Indian Pied (often seen in big flocks near Nong Pak Chi Tower in the evenings), or the deep resonant "gok…gok" of the Great Hornbill (usually seen in pairs or alone, the biggest of Khao Yai's hornbills) BATS: Nearly 1 million insecteating bats live in a cave on the edge of the Park. Drive about 3 km to the north of the Park Chong entrance gate and take a small track on the left-hand side just past a temple. A few hundred metres up here take a right-hand turn and follow the track to the end. You can climb the hill to the cave. Please do not enter the cave - you will disturb the bats. Allow them to come out for about 3 minutes before taking any flash photography.

Namtok Pha Kluai Mai

This is a medium-sized waterfall in Huay Lam Takhong with two separate bodies of water flowing down rock levels to merge at the bottom. In the area visitors can find the Red Dendrobium orchid that is the symbol of the waterfall. The waterfall is about 7 kilometers from the park office and can be reached by car and on foot. In addition, there is a trail from the waterfall that leads to Heo Suwat Waterfall.

Namtok Heo Suwat

This is a famous waterfall that cascades from a 20-meters high cliff. . The waterfall, which is located at the end of Thanarat Road and is accessible by car, is only 100 meters by foot from the parking lot or a 3-kilometer walk from Pha Kluai Mai Waterfall. Visitors can view the falls from a distant viewpoint that offers a high-angle view of the waterfall through the trees or from the waterfall itself. However, please note that in the rainy season the water flows rapidly and caution should be taken.

Namtok Heo Narok

This is the largest and highest waterfall in the park with 3 levels. The first level is about 60 meters high and water from this level flows straight down to the second and third levels, with a total drop of at least 150 meters. The water has considerable strength in the rainy season and is quite dangerous, but refreshing, when it comes splashing down on rocks at the bottom. The area around the waterfall is the usual feeding grounds of wild elephants. There have been occasional accidents when elephants drop from the cliff and die. For a beautiful view of the waterfall, visitors can walk 1 kilometer from the main road to a viewpoint. The waterfall itself is located to the south of the Park Office on the way to Prachin Buri.
There are also other lesser waterfalls in the park like Namtok Mai Plon, Namtok Heo Sai and Namtok Heo Prathul. For more information, contact the Park’s tourist service centre.

Traveling to the Park

Khao Yai National Park is only about 205 kilometers from Bangkok. There are 2 ways of getting there; from the 56 kilometer marker of Mitraparp Highway, turn onto Thanarat Road and proceed for approximately 23 kilometers or at Hin Kong intersection, turn onto Highway No. 33 (Nakhon Nayok-Prachin Buri) and proceed to the Noen Hom intersection and take Highway No. 3077 to the park. The second route is rather steep and is more suitable for the return trip.
If traveling by bus, get off at Amphoe Pak Chong and continue on a mini-bus up to the gate of Khao Yai National Park. The fare is 15 baht and services are provided between 6 a.m. and 5 p.m. From there, visitors should flag a passing car to the park office or rent a car directly from Pak Chong. The park fee for an adult foreigner is 200 bahts and a foreign child is 100 bahts. The fee for each car is 50 bahts.

Facilities

There is a campsite at Pha Kluai Mai that can accommodate up to 1,000 visitors. The fee is 10 bahts for children and 20 bahts for adults per night. There is a restaurant and tents and sleeping bags for rent. Moreover, there are 2 more service areas at Kong Kaeo and Yaowachon that can accommodate up to 250 tourists. The fee is 30 bahts each, though sleeping gear is not provided. Visitors can obtain permission from the park before 6 p.m. For more information, call the National Parks Division, Royal Forest Department, tel. 0-2579 -7223 and 0-2579-5734, or contact the Park Office at P.O. Box 9, Amphoe Pak Chong, Nakhon Ratchasima 30130.