Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park
Encyclopedia
Khao Sam Roi Yot is a marine national park in Sam Roi Yot district
, Prachuap Khiri Khan Province
, Thailand
. It covers 98.08 km², of which 20.88 km² are marine areas. The park was established in 1966, and was the first coastal national park of Thailand.
hills rise directly at the shore of the Gulf of Thailand
, with the highest elevation Khao Krachom 605m above sea level. Between the hills are freshwater marshes. However several of these marshes were converted into shrimp farms, as only 36 km² of the total 69 km² of marshes are part of the national park. 18 km² of these marshes are scheduled to be declared a Ramsar
site.
Two white sand beaches are located within the park namely Hat Laem Sala and Hat Sam Phraya. Hat Laem Sala is 17 km away from the park's head quarters and can be reached from the village Ban Pu either by boat or by climbing up and down over a hill for nearly 30 minutes.
Rare animals in the park include the Mainland Serow
(Nemorhaedus sumatraensis), Dusky Langur
s (Trachypithecus obscurus), as well as many bird species. In the ocean occasionally Irrawaddy Dolphin
s (Orcaella brevirostris) show up.
The area of the Khao Sam Roi Yot was probably the site where King Mongkut
convened with European guests on August 18, 1868 to observe a total solar eclipse
. The king was very interested in astronomy and had calculated the date and location of the eclipse himself. However he contracted malaria
during that event, and died shortly later.
Later kings also visited the area, especially the Phraya Nakhon cave. The cave consists of two caverns, illuminated by the collapsed roofs. For the visit of King Chulalongkorn
in 1890 the Kuha Karuhas pavillon was built inside the cave. Later King Vajiravudh
as well as the current king Bhumibol Adulyadej
visited the cave.
The national park was created on June 28 1966. It was enlarged on April 1 1982.
of China. When the daughter became old enough to marry, both future husbands arrived at the same date.
Mong Li then cut his daughter into two halves. Chao Lai turned himself into a hill, while the traditional fruit basket to be presented to a Buddhist monk has turned into the Khao Sam Roi Yot mountains. The islands Ko Chang and Ko Kong on the other side of the gulf were the elephant and the ox-cart with the wedding presents. Nom Sao Island is the part of the daughter's breasts and Ao Sam Roi Yot, Ko Ram Island and Nom Sao Island
's silhouette, seen from certain angles, look like a person resting in the middle of the sea. There is a Goddess shrine on Nom Sao Island that is a popular attraction.
Amphoe Sam Roi Yot
Sam Roi Yot is a district in the northern part of Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, central Thailand.-History:The minor district Sam Roi Yot was created on April 1, 1995 by splitting the tambon Rai Kao, Sila Loi and Sam Roi Yot from Pran Buri district.On September 7 1995 tambon Sala Lai was created...
, Prachuap Khiri Khan Province
Prachuap Khiri Khan Province
Prachuap 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....
, Thailand
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 covers 98.08 km², of which 20.88 km² are marine areas. The park was established in 1966, and was the first coastal national park of Thailand.
Geography
The name Khao Sam Roi Yot means Mountains with 300 peaks, which describes the landscape of the park quite well. The limestoneLimestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
hills rise directly at the shore of the Gulf of Thailand
Gulf of Thailand
The Gulf of Thailand , also known in to Malays as Teluk Siam literally meant Gulf of Siam, is a shallow arm of the South China Sea.-Geography:...
, with the highest elevation Khao Krachom 605m above sea level. Between the hills are freshwater marshes. However several of these marshes were converted into shrimp farms, as only 36 km² of the total 69 km² of marshes are part of the national park. 18 km² of these marshes are scheduled to be declared a Ramsar
Ramsar Convention
The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural,...
site.
Two white sand beaches are located within the park namely Hat Laem Sala and Hat Sam Phraya. Hat Laem Sala is 17 km away from the park's head quarters and can be reached from the village Ban Pu either by boat or by climbing up and down over a hill for nearly 30 minutes.
Rare animals in the park include the Mainland Serow
Mainland Serow
The Mainland Serow is a species of goat antelope native to China and Southeast Asia. The name "mainland serow" was formerly referring to Capricornis sumatraensis, which used to be the scientific name for all serows in the mainland and Sumatra when they were all considered to be the same species...
(Nemorhaedus sumatraensis), Dusky Langur
Dusky Leaf Monkey
thumb|200px|left|adult male spectacled langurThe dusky leaf monkey, spectacled langur, or spectacled leaf monkey is a species of primate in the Cercopithecidae family...
s (Trachypithecus obscurus), as well as many bird species. In the ocean occasionally Irrawaddy Dolphin
Irrawaddy dolphin
The Irrawaddy dolphin is a euryhaline species of oceanic dolphin found in discontinuous subpopulations near sea coasts and in estuaries and rivers in parts of the Bay of Bengal and Southeast Asia.-Etymology and taxonomic history:...
s (Orcaella brevirostris) show up.
History
Mongkut
Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramenthramaha Mongkut Phra Chom Klao Chao Yu Hua , or Rama IV, known in foreign countries as King Mongkut , was the fourth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri, ruling from 1851-1868...
convened with European guests on August 18, 1868 to observe a total solar eclipse
Solar eclipse
As seen from the Earth, a solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth, and the Moon fully or partially blocks the Sun as viewed from a location on Earth. This can happen only during a new moon, when the Sun and the Moon are in conjunction as seen from Earth. At least...
. The king was very interested in astronomy and had calculated the date and location of the eclipse himself. However he contracted malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
during that event, and died shortly later.
Later kings also visited the area, especially the Phraya Nakhon cave. The cave consists of two caverns, illuminated by the collapsed roofs. For the visit of King Chulalongkorn
Chulalongkorn
Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramintharamaha Chulalongkorn Phra Chunla Chom Klao Chao Yu Hua , or Rama V was the fifth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri. He was known to the Siamese of his time as Phra Phuttha Chao Luang . He is considered one of the greatest kings of Siam...
in 1890 the Kuha Karuhas pavillon was built inside the cave. Later King Vajiravudh
Vajiravudh
Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramentharamaha Vajiravudh Phra Mongkut Klao Chao Yu Hua , or Phra Bat Somdet Phra Ramathibodi Si Sintharamaha Vajiravudh Phra Mongkut Klao Chao Yu Hua , or Rama VI was the sixth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri, ruling from 1910 until his death...
as well as the current king Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej is the current King of Thailand. He is known as Rama IX...
visited the cave.
The national park was created on June 28 1966. It was enlarged on April 1 1982.
Legends on Khao Sam Roi Yot
The giant Mong Li and his wife, who lived on the western coast of the Gulf of Thailand, had promised their daughter independently to Chao Lai and the emperorEmperor
An emperor is a monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife or a woman who rules in her own right...
of China. When the daughter became old enough to marry, both future husbands arrived at the same date.
Mong Li then cut his daughter into two halves. Chao Lai turned himself into a hill, while the traditional fruit basket to be presented to a Buddhist monk has turned into the Khao Sam Roi Yot mountains. The islands Ko Chang and Ko Kong on the other side of the gulf were the elephant and the ox-cart with the wedding presents. Nom Sao Island is the part of the daughter's breasts and Ao Sam Roi Yot, Ko Ram Island and Nom Sao Island
Ko Nom Sao
Ko Nom Sao are twin islands located in the Phang Nga Bay, and are part of the Ko Panyi subdistrict , Phang Nga Province, Thailand.-General:...
's silhouette, seen from certain angles, look like a person resting in the middle of the sea. There is a Goddess shrine on Nom Sao Island that is a popular attraction.
Further reading
- Denis Gray, Collin Piprell, Mark Graham: National Parks of Thailand. Communications Resources Ltd., Bangkok 1991, ISBN 974-88670-9-9