Nam Tok Huai Yang National Park

Posted on September 11, 2010 by Mike

Waterfall in cool season Thailand

Another of the national parks to be found in Prachaup Khiri Khan Province, Thailand is Nam Tok Huai Yang.

Nam Tok Huai Yang National Park is located in the districts of  Bang Sapan, Thap Sakae and  Prachuap Kiri Khan and covers a total area of 161 km2. It runs parallel with the Thai Myanmar border and is only a few kilometres South of the narrowest part of Thailand.

Juvenile Spectacled LangarKhao Luang which is the tallest peak in the park at 1215 metres is in the Tanao Sri mountain range that forms the natural land border with Myanmar.

The park is covered by evergreen and dry evergreen forest, with several rare trees (hardwood) and includes lots of wildlife,  if you are lucky you might see, Langur, Gibbon, Leopard and Barking Deer. Rangers even report sightings of Tiger near the border. There is also plenty of birds and reptiles too.

Huai Yang waterfall fish feedingThe main public attraction is the ten tiered waterfall that runs from the slopes of Khao Laung towards the Park headquarters. Public access to level 7 is a relatively easy climb although the latter parts are fairly steep along a well defined path.

Trekking beyond level 7 to the summit of the mountain is possible but suitable outdoor equipment is recommended. The natural pools formed below each tier are suitable for bathing and are full of fish too.

Butterflies feeding on mineral depositesMy favourite time in the park is in early May when thousands of butterflies carpet the area around the falls as they feast on the mineral rich deposits.

Access to the park is from Highway 4  by following a rural road 1044  from the village of Huai Yang. You need to take the frontage road(travelling North) and look carefully for the turn on the left which is not well signposted( GPS: 11.619267 and 99.667193). This road eventually ends at the park headquarters( GPS 11.630113 and 99.613527).

Entrance fee’s are usually 200 Baht for foreigners(residents might get a reduction) with a small charge for vehicles.

There are bungalows to rent from the Thai Forestry Authority(on-line booking available) and a camping area.  A small food centre and some shops can also be found on the site.

Opinion:
A compact and attractive location affording some excellent photographic opportunities. The walking area is shady but it can get very hot and humid.  For trekking the best time to visit is between November and January.

For maximum water flow over the falls August to September and for butterfly watching I would recommend early May.

Related posts:

  1. Hat Wanakon National Park
  2. Kaeng Krachan National Park
  3. Bird Watching in Kaeng Krachan National Park Thailand
  4. Thailand National Parks-Prachuap Khiri Khan
  5. Suan Luang Rama IX Park Bangkok
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  • http://www.thaisabai.org Martyn

    Mike reading your post reminds me of just how big a country Thailand is. I’m sure I read it has about the same area mass as France, about fives times bigger than the UK, yet the population of the two countries is about the same.

    Nam Tok Huai Yang National Park covers 161 square kilometres, that’s quite a size and how many more of these National Parks does Thailand possess, my guess is a few score. I remember how beautiful Kanchanaburi’s Erawan Waterfall was and that was seven tier, this one is ten and I bet the climb to the top is an amazing experience.

    Hopefully the sightings of tigers will become more common but with these parks being so large the Rangers have a near impossible task stopping poachers.

    BTW, I like the inclusion of more photos in your post. That’s the power of WordPress.

    • http://www.thailand-blogs.com Mike

      Martyn when I write about parks I visit I too am reminded how big Thailand is and that despite the big conurbations its still got plenty of countryside.
      Manipulating images is certainly easier in WP although I haven’t quite got it how I want yet-maybe a plugin is the answer?

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Graham-Ichabod-Herriott/668978054 Graham Ichabod Herriott

    Thousands of butterflies and almost impossible to get one to sit still long enough to photograph!

    • http://www.thailand-blogs.com Mike

      Graham there are about 50 in the photo :-)

  • http://www.thaisabai.org Martyn

    Mike I assume you wish to insert images into text, like a wrap round effect. I also assume your dashboard is the same as mine.Let’s say you want to place an image into the right hand side of the paragraph starting…. The main public attraction.On your post dashboard left click before the very first word.Click on your Upload icon.Upload your image. Edit the Title.Select Alignment Right.Select Image Size.Select insert into post.Your image should now be on the right hand side of the text.Left click the image and two small icons will appear. Left click on the photo image icon.At the top of the page click on Advanced Settings.If you wish, use the Size percentage scale to resize your image or manually do it from the Size-Width-Height option.To put a border around your image go to Border and insert a number. For BTMJ I use the number 1 but for thicker borders and frames on Photo Caption I use a range of 3 to 7.Go to Horizontal Space (this puts a space between the image and your text). I use the figure 10 as normal practice. I think the unit is pixels.Click on Styles because some text will have appeared there showing your Border and Horizontal Space selections. For the example we are using you would then highlight the following and delete it. margin-right: 10px;That will delete any gapping between the right hand side of your image and your sidebar.Press update and your image should be how you want it.That’s probably as clear as mud and so if you have any problems then please do email me.I’m no expert myself but I can get by with the basics.

    • http://www.thaisabai.org Martyn

      Mike I should add that I at first select the Full Size option for the image and then keep editing it down to the size I require. This tends to hold the image quality better than it does if you select a smaller size first.

      That reads like pretty thick mud, maybe clay.

    • http://www.thailand-blogs.com Mike

      Martyn many thanks and easy to follow as you can see.

      • http://www.thaisabai.org Martyn

        Mike that looks so much better, in fact quite an amazing transformation.

        I hope we’ll be seeing lots more pictures from now on. Wonderful WordPress.

        • http://www.thailand-blogs.com Mike

          Martyn down to your excellent instructions-thanks again

  • Lawrence

    Beautiful pics and a beautiful place, Mike. You’re lucky to live so near.

    I don’t always click on images but glad I did with 2 of them here, because I couldn’t make out what they were. And then … great shots of the fish and the butterflies!

    • http://www.thailand-blogs.com Mike

      Lawrence, Martyn just helped me frame and insert the images better in WP. Thanks for the comments I do enjoy getting some of the shots and the butterflies at Huai Yang are just unbelievable. In May the air is full of them and if you go in the rest shelters you find hundreds more in the shade.

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