Phetchaburi Thailand

Topography

Kaengkrachan National Park was established in 1981.  It is the largest national park in Thailand with 2,915 square kilometers of forest in the watersheds of the Phetchaburi and Pranburi Rivers. It was declared as an ASEAN Heritage site in 2006. The park includes a reservoir lake, waterfalls, caves, wildlife, birds, creeks, and flowers, and mountains. It is almost entirely covered with evergreen forest which supports ecologically, economically and scientifically valuable natural resources. The park is an excellent place for recreation and education. Nature lovers should not miss it. There are many good camping sites, fine local hotels and resorts by the lake and the Phetchaburi River.

                   Office Hours :

•                            Open daily, including weekends
•                            8:00 am. – 4:30 pm.

                   Charges & Fees :

•                            To Bankrang & Panoentung Camps
•                            Thai visitors: 20 baht / person
•                            International visitors: 200 baht / person

Limit numbers of visitors :

•     The park allows only 200 visitors per night at Bankrang Camp & Panoentung Camp due to the limitation of facilities, especially water. There is no shop at the camps. The campers and and day visitors must bring food, water, and other neccessary things --recommend first-aid medicine, and they are required to keep the park area clean by bringing garbage and litter back out from the park with them. Overnight campers must store food in a secure container to avoid wild animal encounters, they come for the food..

Reservation and other requirements :

•   Rreservations are not needed. Only day-to-day registration at the park headquarters is required to avoid booking cancellation. Visiotrs to the park should prepare and study some information about where to go, what to do and see in the park before arriving. Accommodation run by the park is limited. Camping gear for rent is available at the park visitor center. However, private resorts by the lake and along the Phetchaburi River are also available. Traveling from Phetchaburi's beaches is also not too long, just 1-2 hours. Those who want to see the sea of fog at Paneontung Camp must dirve up the mountain very early in the morning. They must be at Khao Samyod Check Point at 5.00 a.m.

 

Keangkrachan Reservoir Lake

Keangkrachan Dam was the first earthen dam constructed in Thailand. Its reservoir is fed by forested watersheds in the Tanaosri mountain range. The park is composed of two major watersheds. About half of the area drains into the Phetchaburi River which flows to Kaengkrachan Reservoir. The southern half of the park drains into the Pranburi River which flows South to the Pranburi River in Prachuab Khiri Khan Province. Because of abundant rainfall and healthy forest coverage in these watersheds, the streams, waterfalls, creeks and rivers in Keangkrachan National Park flow year round.

Bankrang Camp and Panoentung Camp

These two camps are the famous spots for visitors to camp, observe wildlife and hike trails. Bird  and butterfly watching are popular among nature lovers.

Note:

• The park is closed during the rainy season from July to November.
• All visitors are required to contact the park visitor center and rangers for safety.
• Park rules and regulations must be followed strictly. Avoid wild animal encouters, especially wild elephants.
• During bird-watching season (March - May), taking photos with flashlight near bird's nests can harm their chicks or scare them away.

Paneontung Camp Adventure of Natural Beauty & Wildlife

Panoentung Camp is located at Km.30 from Khao Samyod checkpoint. It is located at a high altitude, so it is usually cool. The surrounding nature of the jungle and mountains is amazing. Visitors who plan adventure camping must be prepared and study information before traveling. Due to the limitation of facilities, overnight campers are limited to only 200 persons a night.

Wild Variety     Jungle Trekking, Bird Watch, Butterfly Watch, Flora & Fuana Observation

Kaengkrachan National Park is a wide open space where you can go camping and trekking and enjoy wildlife observation; such as watching birds and butterflies. Kaengkrachan is famous among bird lovers. Some species of birds can be found only here, such as the spike racket-tailed treepie. Hornbill species are also found here.

Kaengkrachan reservoir lake, flora and fauna are the main attractions that draw huge crowds of tourists to visit all year round. However, wild animals such as elephants, tigers, deer, monkeys and so on do not easily appear before visitors’ eyes because they are scared by people. So, they usually hide away. There are good resorts by the lake and the Petchaburi River for visitors to choose from. Taking a boat ride up-stream to the origin of the river, rafting down the river, and seeing a beautiful sunset over the lake are exciting, too.