List of national parks of Thailand

Haeo Suwat waterfall in Khao Yai National Park, Thailand's first national park, designated in 1961.

National parks in Thailand (Thai: อุทยานแห่งชาติ) are defined as an area that contains natural resources of ecological importance or unique beauty, or flora and fauna of special importance. Currently there are 127 national parks (including 22 marine national parks, อุทยานแห่งชาติทางทะเล). Often forest parks (วนอุทยาน) are miscalled as national parks as well.

The parks are administrated by the National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department (DNP), of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE). The department was newly created in 2002, and took over the national parks from the Royal Forest Department of the Ministry of Agriculture.

The first national park was Khao Yai in 1961, when the National Park Act B.E. 2504 was passed. The first marine park was Khao Sam Roi Yot, established in 1966. In 1993 the administration of the national parks was split into two divisions, one for the terrestrial and one for the Marine National Park Division (MNPD).^[1]

Controversies about Thailand's national parks include complaints over excessive development and allotment of private concessions. Ko Samet, and other island-based national parks, are particularly impacted by the activities of private concessions, often in the form of excessive bungalow developments. Many of the northern parks are greatly impacted by illegal swidden farming and poaching.

There are 33 national parks and three marine parks in the process of creation, and are scheduled to be officially gazetted in the future.

National parks of Thailand

A view over Phu Hin Rong Kla National Park in Loei, Phitsanulok and Phetchabun provinces.

Kaeng Sopha Waterfall in Thung Salaeng Luang National Park.

Phra Puttachai National Park, Saraburi Province

Wachirathan (lit. "Diamond Creek") waterfall on Doi Inthanon, the highest mountain in Thailand.

Pa Hin Ngam National Park

Great hornbill flying in Khao Yai National Park

Khao Yai National Park is the second largest in Thailand, covering an area of 2,168 square kilometers.

The waterfall at Erawan National Park in Kanchanaburi Province.

Floating huts in Khao Sok National Park in Surat Thani Province.

Khao Sok National Park

Ang Thong National Park

Sunset at Mu Ko Surin National Marine Park in Phang Nga Province.

Phraya Nakhon Cave in Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park, Thailand's first national marine park.

One of the many beaches of Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park

^a Marine parks

Not yet gazetted

The beach at the under-development Hat Khanom - Mu Ko Thale Tai National Park.

A Siam tulip (Curcuma alismatifolia) in the proposed Pa Hin Ngam National Park in Chaiyaphum Province.

See also

• List of Forest Parks of Thailand
• List of Ramsar wetlands of Thailand

General:

• List of protected areas of Thailand

References

1. ↑ Meprasert, Somrudee; Oregon State University (2006). The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami: Tourism impacts and recovery progress in Thailand's marine national parks. ProQuest. pp. 11–. ISBN 978-0-542-96361-2. Retrieved October 2, 2011. 
2. ↑ http://www.bangkokpost.com/travel/5651_info_mae-wang-national-park.html

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to National parks of Thailand.

• National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department
• Wildlife, attractions and maps
• The former National Park Division of the Forest Department
• The former Marine National Park Division of the Forest Department
• List of Thailand National parks
• Birdwatching sites in Thailand