Khao Luang
Encyclopedia
Khao Luang is the tallest mountain in southern Thailand
. It is located in Nakhon Sri Thammarat province.
or southern prolongation of the Tenasserim Hills
.
Geologically this mountain formation consists of a granite core under loose soils. On steep slopes, the soil covering the mountains can cause landslide
s when saturated with water.
Some of the forests of the area were felled to give way to rubber plantations.
The park covers an area of 570 square kilometres (220.1 sq mi) with a large variety of wildlife and habitats, including mountains, forests, rivers and waterfalls. The area also provides an important watershed for the surrounding villages and farms.
Park provides a green roof to southern Thailand and its quality earned it an award in 1999 for being a place of outstanding beauty and nature.
The park was officially designated a National Park on 18 December 1974, becoming the ninth National Park in Thailand. The headquarters of the park is 30 kilometres (18.6 mi) from the town of Nakhon Sri Thammarat.
The mountainous Park is a watershed for the Tapee River. It is located within several districts; Lansaka, Chawang
, Phiboon, Plomkiri, Chang Klang and Nop Pi Dam.
s from both the east and the west coasts and means that the park receives a great deal of rain all year and also cold weather. There are two main seasons. Rainy season from May through to January with the heaviest of the rainfall between October and December. Hot season is between February and April. Over the year the park receives approximately 3500 – of rainfall. The highest temperatures range from 28 °C (82.4 °F) to 30 °C (86 °F) and the lowest from 15 °C (59 °F) to 15 °C (59 °F)in January and February.
Hill Evergreen Forest and Lower Montane Forest. Over 300 species of orchids can be seen within the Park. Khao Luang is the only place in the world where some of these can be found.
There are no less than 327 species of animals living in Khao Luang, some of these include; Malayan Tapir
(only seen if you are very lucky), Sumatran Serow
, Pig-tailed Macaque
, Asiatic Brush-tailed Porcupine
, Clouded Leopard
, Barking deer, Sambar deer, Binturong
, Panther
, Tiger
, Wild Pig, Banded Langur and Spectacled Langur.
Bird species include Black Eagle
, Red Junglefowl
, Great Argus Pheasant, Crested Fireback Pheasant, White-crowned Hornbill
, Bushy-crested Hornbill
, Great Pied Hornbill, Helmeted Hornbill
, Red-crowned Barbet
and Sunbird
s.
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. It is located in Nakhon Sri Thammarat province.
Geography
The Khao Luang mountain is the highest summit of a massif of several hills with steep slopes. It is part of the Phuket mountain rangePhuket mountain range
The Phuket mountain range is a mountain range in the Kra Isthmus, Thailand.-Geography:This chain of hills is one of the southern sections of the central cordillera, the mountain chain which runs from Tibet through all of the Malay peninsula....
or southern prolongation of the Tenasserim Hills
Tenasserim Hills
Tenasserim Hills or Tenasserim Range is the geographical name of a mountain chain in Southeast Asia. Despite their relatively scant altitude these mountains form an effective barrier between Thailand and Burma in their northern and central region, extending to the Kra Isthmus into the Malay...
.
Geologically this mountain formation consists of a granite core under loose soils. On steep slopes, the soil covering the mountains can cause landslide
Landslide
A landslide or landslip is a geological phenomenon which includes a wide range of ground movement, such as rockfalls, deep failure of slopes and shallow debris flows, which can occur in offshore, coastal and onshore environments...
s when saturated with water.
Some of the forests of the area were felled to give way to rubber plantations.
Khao Luang National Park
Khao Luang National Park is named after Khao Luang mountain. The park is mountainous with many tall peaks along its range.The park covers an area of 570 square kilometres (220.1 sq mi) with a large variety of wildlife and habitats, including mountains, forests, rivers and waterfalls. The area also provides an important watershed for the surrounding villages and farms.
Park provides a green roof to southern Thailand and its quality earned it an award in 1999 for being a place of outstanding beauty and nature.
The park was officially designated a National Park on 18 December 1974, becoming the ninth National Park in Thailand. The headquarters of the park is 30 kilometres (18.6 mi) from the town of Nakhon Sri Thammarat.
The mountainous Park is a watershed for the Tapee River. It is located within several districts; Lansaka, Chawang
Chawang
Chawang is a village in Mangan subdivision, North Sikkim district, Sikkim, India. The Ministry of Home Affairs has given it a geographical code of 260901....
, Phiboon, Plomkiri, Chang Klang and Nop Pi Dam.
Climate
Due to the park's location on the peninsula, it receives monsoonMonsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
s from both the east and the west coasts and means that the park receives a great deal of rain all year and also cold weather. There are two main seasons. Rainy season from May through to January with the heaviest of the rainfall between October and December. Hot season is between February and April. Over the year the park receives approximately 3500 – of rainfall. The highest temperatures range from 28 °C (82.4 °F) to 30 °C (86 °F) and the lowest from 15 °C (59 °F) to 15 °C (59 °F)in January and February.
Flora and fauna
Moist Evergreen Forest, which can be found in the valleys and in damp gulleys and riversides.Hill Evergreen Forest and Lower Montane Forest. Over 300 species of orchids can be seen within the Park. Khao Luang is the only place in the world where some of these can be found.
There are no less than 327 species of animals living in Khao Luang, some of these include; Malayan Tapir
Malayan Tapir
The Malayan Tapir , also called the Asian Tapir, is the largest of the four species of tapir and the only one native to Asia. The scientific name refers to the East Indies, the species' natural habitat...
(only seen if you are very lucky), Sumatran Serow
Sumatran Serow
The Sumatran Serow , also known as the Southern Serow, is a species of goat-antelope native to mountain forests in the Thai-Malay Peninsula and on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The former name of this species is "mainland serow", as all the mainland species of serow used to be considered...
, Pig-tailed Macaque
Pig-tailed macaque
The pig-tailed macaques are two macaque sister species. They look almost identical and are best distinguished by their parapatric ranges:* Northern Pig-tailed Macaque, Macaca leonina...
, Asiatic Brush-tailed Porcupine
Asiatic Brush-tailed Porcupine
The Asiatic Brush-tailed Porcupine, Atherurus macrourus, is a species of rodent in the Hystricidae family.It is found in China, India, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam....
, Clouded Leopard
Clouded Leopard
The clouded leopard is a felid found from the Himalayan foothills through mainland Southeast Asia into China, and has been classified as vulnerable in 2008 by IUCN...
, Barking deer, Sambar deer, Binturong
Binturong
The Binturong , also known as the Asian Bearcat, the Palawan Bearcat, or simply the Bearcat, is a species of the family Viverridae, which includes the civets and genets. It is the only member of its genus...
, Panther
Panthera
Panthera is a genus of the family Felidae , which contains four well-known living species: the tiger, the lion, the jaguar, and the leopard. The genus comprises about half of the Pantherinae subfamily, the big cats...
, Tiger
Tiger
The tiger is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to and weighing up to . Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts...
, Wild Pig, Banded Langur and Spectacled Langur.
Bird species include Black Eagle
Black Eagle
The Black Eagle is a bird of prey. Like all eagles, it is in the family Accipitridae, and is the only member of the genus Ictinaetus. They soar over forests in the hilly regions of tropical Asia and hunt mammals and birds, particularly at their nests...
, Red Junglefowl
Red Junglefowl
The Red Junglefowl is a tropical member of the Pheasant family. They are thought to be ancestors of the domestic chicken with some hybridisation with the Grey Junglefowl...
, Great Argus Pheasant, Crested Fireback Pheasant, White-crowned Hornbill
White-crowned Hornbill
The White-crowned Hornbill , also known as the White-crested Hornbill , is a species of hornbill found in forests in the Thai-Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo...
, Bushy-crested Hornbill
Bushy-crested Hornbill
The Bushy-crested Hornbill is a species of hornbill in the Bucerotidae family.It is found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Thailand.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests....
, Great Pied Hornbill, Helmeted Hornbill
Helmeted Hornbill
The Helmeted Hornbill is a very large bird in the hornbill family. It is found in the Malay peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo....
, Red-crowned Barbet
Red-crowned Barbet
The Red-crowned Barbet is a species of bird in the Ramphastidae family. It is found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, and Thailand. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and plantations...
and Sunbird
Sunbird
The sunbirds and spiderhunters are a family, Nectariniidae, of very small passerine birds. There are 132 species in 15 genera. The family is distributed throughout Africa, southern Asia and just reaches northern Australia. Most sunbirds feed largely on nectar, but also take insects and spiders,...
s.
Similarly named locations
There are other mountains called "Khao Luang" in other locations in Thailand:- Khao Luang, Hui Yang, Prachuap Khiri Khan ProvincePrachuap Khiri Khan ProvincePrachuap Khiri Khan is one of the central provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Phetchaburi in the north and Chumphon in the south. To the west it borders Tanintharyi Division of Myanmar....
, Hui Yang waterfall National Park. - Khao Luang (92 m) and Khao Luang Cave, Hua HinHua HinHua Hin is a famous beach resort town in Thailand, in the northern part of the Malay Peninsula, some 200 km south of Bangkok. It has a population of 84,883 in an area of 911 km², and is one of eight districts of the Prachuap Khiri Khan province.Hua Hin is closely associated with the...
. - Khao Luang Cave Temple near Phetburi.