The Khao Kho National park (, ) is located in Lom Kao, Lom Sak, Khao Kho and Mueang Phetchabun districts in Thailand's

Phetchabun province Phetchabun (, ) is one of Thailand's seventy-six provinces (''changwat'') and lies in lower northern Thailand. Neighbouring provinces are (from north clockwise) Loei, Khon Kaen, Chaiyaphum, Lopburi, Nakhon Sawan, Phichit and Phitsanulok. ...

. The national park covers an area of and was established in 2012.

Topography

Landscape is mostly covered by mountains and forests, the height ranged from to , Khao Kha the highest point in the park. The national park is named after Khao Kho, a

mesa A mesa is an isolated, flat-topped elevation, ridge, or hill, bounded from all sides by steep escarpments and standing distinctly above a surrounding plain. Mesas consist of flat-lying soft sedimentary rocks, such as shales, capped by a ...

high . This part of the Phetchabun mountain range is the origin of the main tributaries of the Pa Sak, Yom and Nan rivers.

Climate

Weather measurement station at the Khao Kho National park collects data of temperature, relative humidity and rainfall since June 1999. The park is generally cool all year round, with rainy season around mid-May to October. Rainfall is approximately /year, with rainfall for 126 days a year. Winter is around November to mid-February. Summer is around mid-February to mid-May.

History

From 1968 to 1981 the park's forest was used as a base for

guerrillas Guerrilla warfare is a form of unconventional warfare in which small groups of irregular military, such as rebels, Partisan (military), partisans, paramilitary personnel or armed civilians, which may include Children in the military, recruite ...

of the

Communist Party of Thailand The Communist Party of Thailand ( Abrv: CPT; , ) was a communist party in Thailand active from 1942 until the 1990s. The CPT was founded officially on 1 December 1942, although communist activism in the country began as early as 1927. In the 1 ...

. On 1 May 1995 an area of in the Khao Polok Lon National Forest, originally named Namtok Than Thip Forest Park, was declared as Khao Kho National Park. A survey was set up of Khok Sam Sang forest, Khao Polok Lon forest, Khao Pang Kho forest and Wang Chompu forest in the area of Lom Kao district, Lom Sak district, Khao Kho district and Mueang Phetchabun district of Phetchabun province on 16 August 2001. Later on 18 May 2012 Khao Kho National Park, with an area of 301,698 rai ~ and neighbouring

Phu Hin Rong Kla National Park Phu Hin Rong Kla National Park (, ) is a national park located in the Loei Province, Loei and Phitsanulok Province, Phitsanulok Provinces of Thailand. The protected area is located in the forested mountains of the Luang Prabang Range close to the ...

to the north, has been declared the 125th national park and is managed by Protected Areas Regional Office 11 (Phitsanulok).

Flora

The park is home to deciduous dipterocarp forest or red rainforest, such as:

Fauna

Mammel sorts include: Birds,the park has some 80 species, of which 60 species of

passerine A passerine () is any bird of the order Passeriformes (; from Latin 'sparrow' and '-shaped') which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds, passerines generally have an anisodactyl arrangement of their ...

from 20 families, represented by one species: and some 20 species of non-passerine from 9 families, represented by one species: Reptile sorts include:
* Bengal monitor Butterflies, there is a wide variety of butterflies.

Places

* Namtok Tat Fa - largest waterfall in Khao Kho national park. * Namtok Than Thip - high waterfall. * Namtok Huai Yai - high waterfall. * Namtok Khan Bandai - a 20-tiered waterfall. * Namtok Wang Nam Rin - high waterfall. * Namtok Pha Lat - a waterfall off a cliff. * Namtok Kaeng Liang Pha - waterfall with a large stone yard. * Tham Yai Nam Ko - a cave. * Khao Kho royal palace - temporarily residence from late King Bhumidol Adulyadaj (1985). * Wat Phra That Pha Son Kaeo - temple with five large sitting Buddha images in line (2004). * Khao Kho wind farm - wind farm with 24 wind turbines each tall.

Location

References

{{authority control National parks of Thailand Phetchabun Mountains Phetchabun province Tourist attractions in Phetchabun province