Samlaut Multiple Use Area

Samlout Protected Area, also referred to as Samlout Multiple Use Area, is part of the Cardamom Mountains in north-western Cambodia. It sits in both Battambang and Pailin provinces. It is the gateway to Thailand.

Samlout was declared a protected area in 1993 by King Norodom Sihanouk along with other forests and preserves. Samlout is the last remaining tropical rainforest in north-western Cambodia, covering 60,000 hectares. It is home to a wide array of rare vegetation and wildlife, including the endangered Asian Elephant.

Samlout’s network of rivers provides the main drinking water, food and health securities for almost 1 million people. Tens of thousands of small farmers rely on its water system to irrigate crops before flowing into the country’s largest permanent body of fresh water, the Tonle Sap Lake. Samlout’s Stung Sangker River plays an essential role supporting the lake’s important fishery and lowland agricultural lands.

Due to the limited resources of the Kingdom, Samlout received little government management or support for wildlife enforcement and nature conservation. In 2003, the Maddox Jolie-Pitt Foundation (MJP) began to support the park. On October 3, 2006, MJP, the Cambodian Ministry of Environment and the National Park Service of the United States signed an agreement making the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks sister parks to Samlout. The agreement facilitates the sharing of experience, skills, technical knowledge, and professional abilities between the two protected areas.

In 2009, MJP entered into discussions with Cambodian and Thai park officials on the need to create a Transboundary Peace Park between Samlout and 2 Thai border parks (Namtok Khlong Kaew National Park and Kahlong Kreua Wai Wildlife Sanctuary). The three protected areas combined cover nearly 110,000 hectares.