Ta Phraya National Park
Ta Phraya National Park (Thai: อุทยานแห่งชาติตาพระยา, RTGS: Utthayan Haeng Chat Ta Phraya, pronounced [ʔùt.tʰā.jāːn hɛ̀ŋ t͡ɕʰâːt tāː pʰrā.jāː]) is a protected area at the eastern end of the Sankamphaeng Range in the area where these mountains meet the Dangrek Range, near the Thai-Cambodian border. It is largely in Ta Phraya District, Sa Kaeo Province, district after which it is named, although the park also includes sectors of Ban Kruat, Non Din Daeng, and Lahan Sai Districts of Buriram Province. The park, with an area of 371,250 rai ~ 594 square kilometres (229 sq mi)[1] is east of Pang Sida National Park. It was established in 1996.[2]
Ta Phraya National Park | |
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อุทยานแห่งชาติตาพระยา | |
Location | Buriram and Sa Kaeo Provinces |
Coordinates | 14°07′N 102°40′E |
Area | 594 km2 (229 sq mi) |
Established | 1996 |
Visitors | 3,398 (in 2019) |
Governing body | Department of National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) |
Elevations range between 206 and 579 m. The highest mountain is Khao Pran Nut (ยอดเขาพรานนุช).[3] There are also some ancient Khmer temple ruins in the park area such as Prasat Khao Lon.
Between the 1970s and the 1990s there were refugee camps for Cambodians in this part of the border zone.
Climate
The weather usually influenced by southwestern monsoon and northeastern monsoon. In the southwestern monsoon from May to October, there are high humidity winds blowing from the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand causing rain, about 1–1.4 m (3 ft 3 in – 4 ft 7 in) per year. The weather consists of three seasons: summer from February to April; rain from May to October; winter from November to January. Average temperature is 39.8 °C (103.6 °F) and the lowest temperature is 14.3 °C (57.7 °F).[4]
Flora and fauna
The forested areas of the park include mixed deciduous forest, dry evergreen forest, and deciduous dipterocarp forest.
The fauna of the park includes the sambar deer, mouse deer, common muntjac, Asian black bear, sun bear, serow, langur, gibbon, palm civet, fishing cat, banteng, gaur and the Siamese hare, as well as the azure-winged magpie, the scarlet minivet, and the long-tailed minivet.
Ta Phraya is also home to the endangered Siamese rosewood, a tree species that is being extracted illegally for sale in especially the Chinese furniture market. Armed poachers are coming across the border from Cambodia, and rangers are since 2015 trained in military style counter-poaching measures [5]
References
- "ข้อมูลพื้นที่อุทยานแห่งชาติ ที่ประกาศในราชกิจจานุบกษา 133 แห่ง" [National Park Area Information published in the 133 Government Gazettes]. Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (in Thai). December 2020. Retrieved 1 November 2022, no 82
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: CS1 maint: postscript (link) - "Ta Phraya National Park". Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). Retrieved 23 June 2017.
- Thailand's World
- "Ta Phraya National Park". Department of National Parks (DNP) Thailand. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
- Stokes, Demelza. "Thailand's forest rangers step up training in violent 'blood wood' war", The Guardian, London, 5 January 2016. Retrieved on 11 February 2017.