Location: Phitsanulok and Phetchabun Provinces Map
Area: 307 km²
Phu Hin Rong Kla National Park is located in Phitsanulok and Phetchabun Provinces of Thailand. National park covers an area of 307 km² in the forested mountains of Luang Prabang near the border with Laos and is part of the Luang Prabang mountain rainforest ecoregion. It was declared a national park in 1984, as the country's 48th park. The areas surround an area that was previously heavily damaged by human activity. Phu Hin Rong Kla National Park has long been a battlefield that led to a great loss for Thailand. The mountain range served as a stronghold for the communists during the period 1968-1972, before being defeated in 1982. Their settlement and mass graves are still visible around the park area. Since Thailand government establish this national park in 1980 the nature began to recover and wild life started to return to this scarred land.
Phu Hin Rongkla National Park covers an area of about 307 square kilometers in the counties (amphoe) of Nakhon Thai (Phitsanulok Province), Dan Sai (Loei Province). The southern part of the national park passes into Phetchabun Province. The smaller rivers Mueat Don and Luang Yai originate here.
The landscape of the national park is characterized by steep mountains and rocks. Larger peaks include Phu Phangma, Phu Lomlo (height: 1,664 meters), Phu Hin Rongkla and Phu Man Khao, which is the highest point in the park at a height of 1,820 meters.
The mountains are covered with evergreen forest. Dry Dipterocarpus
forests predominate.
Many animal species can be found in the
park. In addition to the rare tiger and leopard, the Asian black bear
and various bird species are also at home here.
Lan Hin Taek (ลานหินแตก, Field of Broken Rocks) is located about 300
meters west of the former Thai Army headquarters and forms a very
beautiful natural rock formation with numerous orchids, ferns, mosses,
lichens and seasonal flowers.
Man Daeng Waterfall (น้ำตกหมันแดง)
is located about 22 kilometers from the park administration headquarters
towards Lom Sak. It has a total of 32 steps and gets its water from the
height of Phu Man Khao.
Three kilometers from the park
administration are the former accommodation of the headquarters of the
communist armed forces. There is a watermill on the river not far away.
Due to its mountainous location, the climate is relatively temperate and not as hot as in the lowlands. Temperatures do not rise much above 25°C and can occasionally even drop below freezing.
Between 1968 and 1972, the area of the national park was the scene of
fighting between communist insurgents who had established a base here
and Thai soldiers. Due to the difficult terrain, no successes were
initially achieved against the communists and tactics had to be changed.
Military police and civilian forces supported the soldiers and were able
to convince the Hmong to cut their ties with the insurgents and work for
the Thai authorities. The communists were then brought to surrender
without bloodshed.
In February 1983, officials from the country's
National Park Service surveyed the area for the first time and found
that there was much natural beauty here that made it suitable for a
national park. In 1984, the national park was opened as the 48th in the
country.