The park, which is adjacent to the
Thungyai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary, surrounds the Khao Laem Reservoir, located about 340 km northwest of
Bangkok. It is bisected by Road 323. The environments and vegetation consist of mixed
deciduous forests and hilly, dry
evergreen forests, mainly in the northeast of the park. Prominent
mammalian fauna in the area includes
endemic species such as Asiatic black bear, elephant, several species of deer, dhole, gaur, gibbons, langurs, leopard, macaques, tiger, water buffalo and wild boar, to name a few.[2][3]
The area of the park is 935,584 rai ~ 1,497 square kilometres (578 sq mi)[5] with steeply limestone mountain run on north-south axis. It is located next to the
Vajiralongkorn Reservoir.[6]
Climate
The area is in a
tropical climate, influenced by
monsoons, southern winds and the
Andaman Sea. The region’s annual weather patterns are divided into three main seasonal periods:[6]
Rainy season (June–October): monsoon-influenced precipitation and
flooding.
Cold season (November–January): the lowest temperature recorded was 10 °C (50 °F).
Hot, dry season (February–May): the highest temperature record was 38 °C (100.4 °F), in April.
Flora and fauna
The park consists of mixed deciduous forests and hill-evergreen and dry-evergreen forests, the habitats of animals such as:[6]
Asian elephant (Elephas maximus indicus)
Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus)
Bengal slow loris (Nycticebus bengalensis)
Bengal tiger (Panthera t. tigris)
Civet, Asian palm (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus)
Civet, Large Indian (Viverra zibetha)
Civet, Southeast Asian palm (Paradoxurus musangus)
Dhole (Cuon alpinus)
Eld's deer (Rucervus eldii)
Gaur (Bos gaurus)
Golden cat (Catopuma temminckii)
Golden jackal, Indochinese (Canis aureus cruesemanni)
^Elliot, Stephan; Cubitt, Gerald (2001). THE NATIONAL PARKS and other Wild Places of THAILAND. New Holland Publishers (UK) Ltd. pp. 42–44.
ISBN9781859748862.