Nearest city Phetchaburi Area 2,915 km² Established June 12, 1981 | Address 76170, Thailand Phone +66 32 459 293 | |
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Location Phetchaburi and Prachuap Khiri Khan Provinces, Thailand Hours Open today · Open 24 hoursFridayOpen 24 hoursSaturdayOpen 24 hoursSundayOpen 24 hoursMondayOpen 24 hoursTuesdayOpen 24 hoursWednesdayOpen 24 hoursThursdayOpen 24 hours | ||
Kaeng krachan national park
Kaeng Krachan (Thai: แก่งกระจาน) is the largest national park of Thailand. It is on the border with Burma, contiguous with the Tanintharyi Nature Reserve. It is a popular park owing to its location near the tourist town of Hua Hin.
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Cb500x relax trip to kaeng krachan national park
Geography
The park covers parts of the districts Nong Ya Plong, Kaeng Krachan, and Tha Yang of Phetchaburi Province, and of Hua Hin of Prachuap Khiri Khan Province. It consists mainly of rain forest on the eastern slope of the Tenasserim Mountain Range. The highest elevation is 1,200 m. Two main rivers originate within the park area, the Pranburi River and the Phetchaburi River. The Phetchaburi is blocked by the Kaeng Krachan Dam at the eastern border of the park. The dam creates a lake covering an area of 46.5 km2. The dam was built in 1966.
History
The park was created on 12 June 1981 as the 28th national park of Thailand. Originally covering an area of 2,478 km2, it was enlarged in December 1984 to include the boundary area between Phetchaburi and Prachuap Khiri Khan Provinces.
The park has been included in the list of ASEAN Heritage Parks. Since 2011, Thailand has been trying to get Unesco to designate Kaeng Krachan Natural Park as a world heritage site. Myanmar claims that about one-third of the land included in Thailand's claim—almost 1,000 km2—is part of Myanmar's Tanintharyi Region and has opposed Thailand's effort.
The killing of wild elephants is a big problem at the park, with authorities unable to control poachers. Some park officials are allegedly involved in the trade of elephant parts.
Despite national park status, there are private plantations within the confines of Kaeng Krachan National Park. Some of these are surrounded by electric fences which, in June 2013, fatally electrocuted an elephant calf.
Flora and fauna
The forests contain a great biodiversity of tropical vegetation, including tropical and subtropical broad leaf tree species and palms. Fifty-seven species of mammals and more than 400 bird species have been counted in the park.