Location: Phitsanulok and Phetchabun Provinces
Area: 1262 km²
Thung Salaeng Luang National Park is situated in Phitsanulok and Phetchabun Provinces of Thailand. The natural park covers an area of 1262 km² on limestone hills that range from 300 to 1028 meters above sea level. Most of Thung Salaeng Luang National Park is covered by deciduous and mixed deciduous forests. Tropical evergreens and meadows are also fairly common in the region. The idea of establishing a park here was first proposed in the 1950's, however from the late 50's to early 70's this area was inhabited by guerrillas of the Communist Party of Thailand. So Thung Salaeng Luang National Park became a nature reserve on in 1972 once government troops re took control of the region. River Wang Thing flows through Thung Salaeng Luang National Park. One of the most beautiful waterfalls is that of Kaeng Song also known as Namtok Kaeng Sopha falls. It is the largest in the province of Phitsanulok and local simply refer to it as "Niagara" as a reference to American- Canadian famous travel destination. The best time to visit the area of Thung Salaeng Luang National Park is from November to December. The whole forest is blooming with flowers. The whole jungle come alive with over 160 species of birds flocking to these lands. Additionally there are Asian elephants, palm civet, yellow pine marten and many other animals that call this park their home.
As early as 1959, Thung Salaeng was proposed as an area for a national park in Thailand, which finally happened in 1972. From the 1960s to the 1980s, the area was dominated by communist insurgents who had established a major base here for their activities in the northeast.
The center of Thung Salaeng Luang National Park is located about 80 kilometers east of Phitsanulok. It is about 1262 km² in size, which corresponds to 789,000 rai.
The landscape of the national park is mostly flat in the south, otherwise with hilly sandstone terrain, and therefore offers good conditions for hiking. The height above sea level varies from 300 m to 1028 m. The Wang Thong River flies through the park. Larger brines are located in the northwest at Pong Sai and in the southwest at Pong Thung Phaya.
The average annual temperature is around 25 °C, with maximum temperatures often reaching 30 °C and more. The average annual rainfall is 1.7 meters.
Plant species
The tree landscape is characterized by deciduous
forest and bushes typical of the lowlands of Southeast Asia. Smaller
areas are covered by evergreen forest. November is the main flowering
time. Here is an excerpt from the plant diversity:
Jambolana plum,
(Syzygium cumini)
Pinus merkusii, (in English: Sumatran Pine)
Baccaurea ramiflora, (in English: Burmese grape)
Toona ciliata
Hydnocarpus ilicifolia
Magnolia champaca
Hopea ferrea
Musa
balbisiana
Artocarpus lakoocha Roxb.
Numerous animal species can be found in Thung Salaeng Luang National
Park: in addition to the endangered tiger, there are, among others, the
elephant and the civet cat. Other animals are:
Cervus unicolor
Thick-billed Green Pigeon, (Treron curvirostra)
Bengal Swift,
(Cypsiurus balasiensis)
Indian roller, (Coracias benghalensis)
Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher, (Culicicapa ceylonensis)
Amboina's
tortoise, (Cuora amboinensis)
Green whip snake, (Ahaetulla prasina)
Namtok Kaeng Sopha (Kaeng Sopha Waterfall) (Thai: น้ำตกแก่งโสภา) –
three-tiered waterfall in the course of Wang Thong
Thung Salaeng
Luang (ทุ่งแสลงหลวง) – grassland
Thung Nang Phaya (ทุ่งนางพญา) –
grassy landscape with a beautiful stand of pine trees
Thung Non Son
(ทุ่งโนนสน) – a meadow landscape that is largely covered with blossom
flowers in autumn (October, November).
Tham Phra Wang Daeng
(ถ้ำพระวังแดง) and Tham Duean, Tham Dao (ถ้ำเดือน, ถ้ำดาว) – caves
(stalagmites, stalactites)