Khao Yai National Park

Khao Yai National Park

Established in 1962 as Thailand's first national park, Khao Yai National Park is now the country's third largest national park. The park was designated an ASEAN Heritage Park in 1984 and on 14 July 2005, UNESCO proclaimed the park a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the name "Dong Phaya Yen-Khao Yai Forest Complex", along with other parks in the same mountain range and further north in the Dong Phaya Yen Mountains. Khao Yai is home to many animals. This is one of the few areas in Thailand where Indian Elephants still live, you can see them regularly and they are a major tourist attraction. The area is also home to 3,000 plant species, 320 bird species such as the Red Junglefowl and the Coral-Billed Ground Cuckoo, and 66 mammal species including the Asian Black Bear, Gaur, gibbon, Indian Sambar Deer, Southern Pig-Tailed Macaque, Indian Muntjac, Ussuri Dhole and Wild Pigs. In early 2017, it was reported that 18 tigers, including five males, seven females and six cubs, were filmed by surveillance cameras in the park area. Before that, tigers were seen on surveillance cameras in 2002. Within the park is Khao Rom Mountain, which is the highest mountain in the National Park at 1351 meters above sea level. Another notable mountain in the park is Khao Laem, which is spiral-shaped. It is the 2nd highest mountain in the park. The path to the top of the mountain is also used as a wildlife corridor, so there are many animal tracks here. The most famous waterfalls in the national park are the 80 meter high Heo Narok and Heo Suwat, made famous by the film The Beach.