Thai National Parks

Thailand

Thailand is a country in the center of Southeast Asia, lying on the Indochina peninsula and bordered by Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia and Myanmar. Thailand has an area of nearly 200,000 square miles.

Thailand is well known as a popular beach destination, but there is far more to the country than just the beaches. Thailand offers beautiful national parks, picturesque mountains, amazing cultural experiences, excellent scuba diving and fishing, in addition to unbelievable beaches. Agriculture is the primary means of employment in Thailand, which is one of the world’s largest producers of rice.

Thailand’s climate is tropical, with both high temperature and humidity. April and May are the hottest months of the year, but cools in June with the beginning of the rainy, monsoon season. The monsoon season lasts until the end of October. From November through February the weather is much less humid and cooler, as a result of a cooling North East breeze. This is the best time to visit Thailand and, not surprisingly, is the main tourist season.

Thailand has several distinct geographic regions. Northeast Thailand, also known as Isarn, is an dry region dominated by the Khorat Plateau. The Khao Yai National Park is found in the forested area of this northeast region.

Northern Thailand lies between the Mekong and Salween Rivers, and is mainly a mountainous region with thick temperate forests and breath taking scenery.

Thailand’s central region is mostly a marshy, floodplain draining into the Gulf of Thailand. This central plain is often referred to as the “Rice Bowl of Asia”because of its heavy rice production. Bangkok, the nation’s capital, offers an abundance of attractions for the visitor to Thailand. Ayuthaya, north of Bangkok offers an insight into Thailand’s past with many fine temples and two museums. Kanchanaburi, west of Bangkok, is the site of the infamous Death Railway of World War II. The Erawan National Park is just beyond Kanchanaburi.

The southeast region is one of the wettest areas in Thailand, and has a surprising amount of forested area.

Western Thailand is a mountainous region divided from the Burmese border by the Tenasserim Range. The western region also has one of the largest forested area in Thailand.

Southern Thailand extends into the Malay Peninsula and is almost entirely covered by rainforest. The vast stretch of coastline along this peninsula offers wonderful beaches, exotic mangrove forests and excellent diving.

Scuba diving is Thailand’s most popular water sport with brilliantly colored coral reef fishes, giant barracuda, manta rays, sea cows and sharks all found in Thailand’s marine waters. Diving is available year around in Thailand, although visibility changes according to the season. In the Andaman Sea the best time to dive is from October to April, and in the Gulf of Thailand from May to September.

Thailand has an abundance of natural resources, including a variety of flora and wildlife. Thailand has over 100 national parks. Natural forest covers nearly 25 percent of Thailand, with woodlands consisting primarily of monsoon forest and rainforest. Monsoon forests are primarily composed of deciduous, hardwood trees, which shed their leaves during the dry season in order to conserve water. In contrast, the rainforest zones are covered by evergreen trees.

Wildlife of Thailand

Thailand has been described as a “zoogeographic crossroads’” because the country’s avifauna is composed of Sino-Himalayan, Indo-Burmese, Indo-Chinese and Sundaic species, as well as, a large number of migrant visiting bird species from the Palaearctic Region. As a result, there are over 1,000 species of birds found in Thailand, including over 200 species of birds in Thailand’s mangrove forests alone.

Thailand’s wildlife includes nearly 300 species of mammals, such as the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus), Indochinese tiger (Panthera tigris corbetti), Indochinese leopard (Panthera pardus delacouri), leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis), Dhole (Cuon alpinus), Golden jackal (Canis aureus), Indian civet (Viverra zibetha), common palm civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus), masked palm civet (Paguma larvata), banded linsang (Prionodon linsang), binturong (Arctictis binturong), Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla), Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica), sun bear (Helarctos malayanus), Asian black bear (Ursus thibetanus), Javan rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus), Malayan tapir (Tapirus indicus), Gaur (Bos gaurus), Banteng (Bos javanicus), Sambar (Rusa unicolor), common Muntjac Deer or barking deer, (Muntiacus muntjac), Fea’s Muntjac or Tenasserim muntjac (Muntiacus feae), lesser mouse-deer or kanchil (Tragulus kanchil), Hog Deer (Hyelaphus porcinus) and Eld’s deer (Panolia eldii). There are also numerous primates, such as the northern pig-tailed macaque (Macaca leonina), stump-tailed macaque (Macaca arctoides), long-tailed macaque (Macaca arctoides), Dusky leaf monkey (Trachypithecus obscurus), pileated gibbon (Hylobates pileatus), agile gibbon (Hylobates agilis) and lar gibbon (Hylobates lar). Thailand also has more than 90 species of bats.

There are nearly 300 species of reptiles and amphibians found in Thailand, including the king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah), banded krait (Bungarus fasciatus), reticulated python (Python reticulatus), beauty rat snake (Orthriophis taeniurus), water monitor (Varanus salvator), Tokay gecko (Gekko gecko), common gliding lizard (Draco sumatranus), Chinese water dragon (Physignathus cocincinus), Malayan snail-eating turtle (Malayemys macrocephala), Asian forest tortoise (Manouria emys), Siamese crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis), saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) Malayan flying frog (Rhacophorus prominanus), including over a dozen species of sea snakes, and at least three species of sea turtles.

Thailand also has over 1,900 species of fish, including the largest fish in the world, the whale shark.
However insects make up about 90 percent of the Thailand wildlife species, including over 1,500 species of butterflies, 200 species of hawk moths.

Mammals in Thailand – Checklist

Reptiles of Thailand – Checklist

Amphibians of Thailand – Checklist

Butterflies of Thailand – Checklist

Thailands National Parks

(Park Name – Province)

Ta Phraya – Buriram, Sa Kaeo
Pa Hin Ngam – Chaiyaphum
Phu Lan Ka – Chaiyaphum
Sai Thong – Chaiyaphum
Tat Ton – Chaiyaphum
Khao Khitchakut – Chanthaburi
Namtok Phlio – Chanthaburi
Aob Khan – Chiang Mai
Chiang Dao – Chiang Mai
Doi Inthanon – Chiang Mai
Doi Suthep-Pui – Chiang Mai
Huai Nam Dang – Chiang Mai
Khun Khan – Chiang Mai
Mae Phang – Chiang Mai
Mae Tho – Chiang Mai
Mai Ta Khai – Chiang Mai
Op Luang – Chiang Mai
Sri Lanna – Chiang Mai
Khun Chae – Chiang Rai
Mae Puem – Chiang Rai, Phayao
Pa Mae Paem – Chiang Rai, Phayao
Phu Sang – Chiang Rai, Phayao
Doi Luang – Chiang Rai, Phayao, Lampang
Mu Ko Chumphon – Chumphon
Khlong Lan – Kamphaeng Phet
Mae Wong – Kamphaeng Phet, Nakhon Sawan
Khlong Wang Chao – Kamphaeng Phet, Tak
Chaloem Rattanakosin – Kanchanaburi
Erawan – Kanchanaburi
Khao Laem – Kanchanaburi
Khuean Srinagarindra – Kanchanaburi
Lam Klong Ngu – Kanchanaburi
Sai Yok – Kanchanaburi
Thong Pha Phum – Kanchanaburi
Phu Kao – Phu Phan Kham National Park – Khon Kaen
Phu Wiang – Khon Kaen
Nam Phong – Khon Kaen, Chaiyaphum
Hat Nopparatthara-Mu Ko Phi Phi – Krabi
Khao Phanom Bencha – Krabi
Ko Lanta – Krabi
Than Bokkhorani – Krabi
Chae Son – Lampang
Doi Wiang Pha – Lampang
Tham Phathai – Lampang
Mae Wang – Lampang, Lamphun
Mae Wa – Lampang, Tak
Doi Khun Tan – Lamphun, Lampang
Mae Ping – Lamphun, Tak, Chiang Mai
Na Haew – Loei
Phu Kradung – Loei
Phu Ruea – Loei
Phu Pha Man National Park – Loei, Khon Kaen
Namtok Mae Surin – Mae Hong Son
Phu Langka – Mae Hong Son
Sa La Win – Mae Hong Son
Tham Pla – Pha Suea – Mae Hong Son
Mae Ngao – Mae Hong Son, Tak, Chiang Mai
Mukdahan National Park – Mukdahan
Huai Huat National Park – Nakhon Phanom, Sakon Nakhon, Mukdahan
Thap Lan National Park – Nakhon Ratchasima, Prachinburi
Khao Yai – Nakhon Ratchasima, Saraburi, Prachinburi

Khao Luang – Nakhon Si Thammarat
Khao Nan – Nakhon Si Thammarat
Namtok Yong – Nakhon Si Thammarat
Hat Khanom – Mu Ko Thale Tai – Nakhon Si Thammarat, Surat Thani
Namtok Si Khid – Nakhon Si Thammarat, Surat Thani
Doi Phu Kha – Nan
Khunnan – Nan
Mae Charim – Nan
Nunthaburi – Nan
Sri Nan – Nan
Budo-Sungai Padi – Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala
Namtok Shipo – Pattani, Narathiwat
Namtok Sai Khao – Pattani, Yala, Songkhla
Ao Phang Nga National Park – Phang Nga
Khao Lak-Lam Ru – Phang Nga
Khao Lam Pee-Hat Thai Muang – Phang Nga
Mu Ko Similan – Phang Nga
Mu Ko Surin – Phang Nga
Si Phang-nga – Phang Nga
Khao Pu-Khao Ya – Phattalung
Doi Phu Nang – Phayao
Nam Nao – Phetchabun
Tat Mok – Phetchabun
Kaeng Krachan – Phetchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan
Kaeng Chet Khwae – Phitsanulok
Namtok Chat Trakan – Phitsanulok
Phu Hin Rong Kla – Phitsanulok, Loei
Thung Salaeng Luang – Phitsanulok, Phetchabun
Kaeng Jegquar – Phitsanulok, Uttaradit
Doi Phaklong – Phrae
Mae Yom – Phrae
Wiang Kosai – Phrae, Lampang
Lam Nam Nan – Phrae, Uttaradit
Sirinat – Phuket
Sirinath – Phuket
Hat Vanakorn – Prachuap Khiri Khan
Khao Sam Roi Yot – Prachuap Khiri Khan
Kui Buri – Prachuap Khiri Khan
Laemson – Ranong
Lam Nam Kraburi – Ranong
Namtok Ngao – Ranong, Chumphon
Chaloem Phrakiat Thai Prachan – Ratchaburi
Khao Laem Ya-Mu Ko Samed – Rayong
Khao Chamo-Khao Wong – Rayong, Chanthaburi
Pang Sida – Sa Kaeo, Prachinburi
Ta Phraya National Park – Sakaeo, Buriram
Phu Phan – Sakon Nakhon, Kalasin
Phu Pha Lek – Sakon Nakhon, Ubon Ratchathani
Phra Puttachai – Saraburi
Tarutao – Satun
Thaleban – Satun
Khao Nam Khang – Songkhla
Ramkhamhaeng – Sukhothai
Si Satchanalai – Sukhothai
Phu Toei – Suphanburi
Phu Toei – Suphanburi
Kaeng Krung – Surat Thani
Khao Sok – Surat Thani

Khlong Phanom – Surat Thani
Mu Ko Ang Thong – Surat Thani
Tai Rom Yen – Surat Thani
Than Sadet-Ko Pha-Ngan – Surat Thani
Lan Sang – Tak
Mae Moei – Tak
Mae Phasa – Tak
Namtok Pacharoen – Tak
Taksin Maharat – Tak
Hat Chao Mai – Trang
Mu Ko Phetra – Trang, Satun
Mu Ko Chang – Trat
Namtok Klong Kaew – Trat
Kaeng Tana – Ubon Ratchathani
Pha Taem National Park – Ubon Ratchathani
Phu Chong-Na Yoi – Ubon Ratchathani
Khao Pravihan – Ubon Ratchathani, Sisaket
Phu Sa Dok Bua – Ubon Ratchathani, Yasothon, Mukdahan
Klong Tron – Uttaradit
Pu Soidao – Uttaradit
Bang Lang – Yala
Sun Gala Khiri – Yala, Songkhla