Doi Inthanon National Park (),Pronunciation nicknamed "the roof of Thailand", is a national park in the Thanon Thong Chai Range, Chom Thong District, Chiang Mai Province, northern Thailand. It includes Doi Inthanon, the country's highest mountain culminating at 2,565 m and also the Doi Hua Mot Luang at 2,330 m. It contains an area of 301,184 rai ~ in size.

Geography The park is approximately from Chiang Mai. It includes Karen and Meo Hmong villages of about 4,500 people. Its elevation ranges between . Within its borders are a number of waterfalls: Mae Klang Falls, Wachiratan Falls, Siriphum Falls, and Mae Ya Falls. The park has varied climatic and ecologically different sections.

Doi Inthanon National Park is located in a significant part of the Ping River watershed area, which has allowed numerous rivers to be formed, The Mae Wang, Mae Klang River, Maw Ya River, Mae Hoi River, Mae Chaem River, and Mae Tia Rivers being the most important one in the district. These rivers will allow multiple local settlements in Chang Mai Province to be nourished before flowing into the Ping River.

History The establishment of the national park was declared the 6th national park in the Royal Gazette on 2 October 1972. This park area was further modified in the years 1978 and 2009.

Flora Flora includes evergreen cloud forest, sphagnum bog, and deciduous dipterocarp forest. There are some relict pines.

Plant communities of Doi Inthanon vary according to elevation. Below is a table of main plants by vegetation type:Chayamarit, Kongkanda and Christian Puff (2007). Plants of Doi Inthanon National Park. Bangkok: National Park Office, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

Vegetation typeElevationTreesUnderstorey (undergrowth, shrubs, herbs, etc.)mixed deciduous forestsup to 800 mAlbizia, Dalbergia, Millettia, Vitex, Terminalia, LagerstroemiaBoesenbergia, Curcuma, Globba, Kaempferiadeciduous dipterocarp forests600–800 mDipterocarpus intricatus, Dipterocarpus obtusifolius, Dipterocarpus tuberculatus, Shorea obtusa, Shorea siamensis, Strychnos nux-vomica, Colona floribundaArundinariapine deciduous dipterocarp forests800–1,200 mPinus latteri, Pinus kesiya, Dipterocarpus obtusifolius, Dipterocarpus tuberculatus, Shorea obtusa, Anneslea fragrans, Schima wallichii, Ternstroemia gymnanthera, Helicia nilagirica, Wendlandia tinctoria, Engelhardia spicataViburnum, Buddleja asiatica, Desmodium, Crotalaria, Indigofera; Hypoxis aurea, Murdannia, Iris collettii, Gentiana, Polygala, Senecioseasonal rain forests (dry evergreen forests)up to 900 mAglaia spp., Aphanamixis polystachya, Dysoxylum andamanicum, Acrocarpus fraxinifolius, Erythrina spp., Adenanthera pavonina, Syzygium spp., Choerospondias axillaris, Dracontomelon dao, Dimocarpus longan, Nephelium hypoleucum, Paranephelium xestophyllum, Sapindus rarakIxora, Tarenna, Capparis spp., Antidesma spp.; Luvunga scandens, Desmos chinensis, Artabotrys siamensis, Mucuna macrocarpa, Entada, Derris, Dalbergia; Alpinia, Boesenbergia, Curcuma, Globba, Hedychium, Aglaonema, Amorphophallus, Arisaemalower montane rain forestsbelow 1,000 mCastanopsis, Lithocarpus, Quercus spp., Paramichelia, Actinodaphne, Cinnamomum, Litsea spp., Schima wallichii, Camellia spp., Saurauia napaulensis, Schoepfia fragrans, Olea spp., Diospyros spp., Podocarpus neriifolius, Cephalotaxus manniiGigantochloa, Schizostachyum, Dendrocalamus; Dianella, Disporum, Ophiopogon, Elatostema spp., Impatiens spp., Sapria himalayanalower montane oak forests1,000–1,800 mCastanopsis acuminatissima, Castanopsis tribuloides, Betula alnoides, Carpinus viminea, Lithocarpus, Quercus, Clerodendrum spp., Viburnum spp., Wendlandia tinctoria, Styrax benzoides, Mahonia nepalensisAgapetes hosseana, Aeschynanthus spp., Rubus, Clematis, Smilax spp.; Pteridium aquilinum; Amischotolype spp., Begonia spp., Blumea, Camchaya, Crassocephalum, Saussurea, Hedyotis spp., Mitracarpuslower montane pine–oak forests1,000–1,400 mPinus kesiya, etc.upper montane rain forestsfrom 1,800 mQuercus glabricupulata, Schima wallichii, Eurya nitida, Gordonia dalglieshiana, Acer spp., Exbucklandia populnea, Myrsine semiserrata, Vaccinium sprengelii, Rhododendron arboreum subsp. delavayiStrobilanthes spp., Viburnum kerrii, Dichroa febrifuga; Neohymenopogon parasiticus; Carex baccans, Gentiana spp., Impatiens spp., Lobelia pyramidalis, Paris polyphylla; Balanophora fungosa subsp. indica; Dendrobium, Bulbophyllum, Coelogyne, Eria, Pholidota, Otochilusupper montane peat bog2,500 mSphagnum, Rhododendron arboreum subsp. delavayi

Fauna With 383 avifauna species, it ranks second among Thailand's national parks in number of bird species.

Reptile species in Doi Inthanon National Park include:Kirati Kunya, Montri Sumontha, Nonn Panitvong, Wuttipong Dongkumfu, Thana Sirisamphan and Olivier S. G. Pauwels. 2015. A New Forest-dwelling Bent-toed Gecko (Squamata: Gekkonidae: Cyrtodactylus) from Doi Inthanon, Chiang Mai Province, northern Thailand. Zootaxa. 3905(4):573-584. [p.579] DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3905.4.9 Acanthosaura lepidogaster Gekko gecko Hemidactylus frenatus Hemidactylus platyurus Hemiphyllodactylus chiangmaiensis Ahaetulla prasina Hebius khasiensis Trimeresurus popeiorum Cyrtodactylus inthanon

Amphibian species in Doi Inthanon National Park include: Ansonia inthanon Leptolalax pelodytoides Megophrys major Megophrys minor Amolops marmoratus Hylarana nigrovittata Odorrana livida

Gallery

Location Doi Inthanon National Park in overview PARO 16 (Chiang Mai)  National park  1 Doi Inthanon  2 Doi Pha Hom Pok  3 Doi Suthep–Pui  4 Doi Wiang Pha  5 Huai Nam Dang  6 Khun Khan  7 Mae Ping  8 Mae Takhrai  9 Mae Tho10 Mae Wang11 Namtok Bua Tong–Namphu Chet Si12 Op Khan13 Op Luang14 Pha Daeng15 Si Lanna  Wildlife sanctuary16 Chiang Dao17 Mae Lao–Mae Sae18 Omkoi19 Samoeng   Non-hunting area20 Doi Suthep21 Mae Lao–Mae Sae22 Nanthaburi23 Pa Ban Hong    Forest park24 Doi Wiang Kaeo

Climate

See also List of national parks of Thailand DNP - Doi Inthanon National Park List of Protected Areas Regional Offices of Thailand

References

External links

thaibirding.com on Doi Inthanon Betz, H., Srisanga, P., Suksathan, P. (2014). Doi Inthanon National Park, Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand, Selected Plants of Doi Inthanon