- Source: Phu Phan National Park
Phu Phan National Park (Thai: ภูพานอุทยานแห่งชาติ) is a national park in Sakon Nakhon and Kalasin provinces, Thailand. This isolated park covers a wide jungle area in the Phu Phan Mountains of Isan.
Geography
Phu Phan National Park is located 25 kilometres (16 mi) south west of Sakon Nakhon town and about 25 kilometres (16 mi) north of Kalasin. The park's area is 415,439 rai ~ 665 square kilometres (257 sq mi).
History
In the past, the isolation of the park's location led to its use for cover by some military groups. During World War II, the Seri Thai resistance fighters used the Tham Seri Thai cave for weapons storage. And in the 1970s the People's Liberation Army of Thailand (PLAT) used the area as a hideout.
Attractions
Viewpoints in the park include the west-facing Nang Mern Cliff and the Lan Sao Aee plateau.
The park has numerous waterfalls, including the multi-stage Kam Hom Waterfall, also Kreng Ka-arm and Pree-cha Suk-san waterfalls.
Some of the park's unusual rock formations include the grilled-snake-shaped Khong Ping Ngu and the 8 metres (26 ft) long Tang Pee Parn natural stone bridge.
The park also contains the ruins of a Khmer temple, Phra That Phu Pek, accessed by ascending around 500 steps.
Flora and fauna
The park consists of seasonal tropical forest, with a large dry dipterocarp forest component. Other forest tree types here are dry evergreen and mixed deciduous. Tree species include Dalbergia cochinchinensis, Pterocarpus macrocarpus, Shorea roxburghii, Afzelia xylocarpa, Hopea odorata, Dipterocarpus alatus, Dipterocarpus obtusifolius, Dipterocarpus tuberculatus, Shorea obtusa, Terminalia alata, Irvingia malayana, Shorea siamensis, Lagerstroemia calyculata, Tetrameles nudiflora, Xylia xylocarpa Peltophorum dasyrhachis and Dillenia obovata.
Animal species include tiger, Phayre's leaf monkey, sambar deer, fishing cat, Sunda flying lemur, Malayan porcupine, common palm civet, northern red muntjac and wild boar. Bird species include black drongo, hill myna, Richard's pipit and white-rumped shama.
See also
List of national parks of Thailand
List of Protected Areas Regional Offices of Thailand