Covering 894 km², Mae Wong National Park is situated in the Dawna Range west of Thailand in Nakhon Sawan and Kamphaeng Phet provinces. The rainy season in the park is June to October, the winter season with cooler weather is November to February, summer (hot) season is March to May. The forests of the national park is part of the huge continuous forest called Western Forest Complex, about 18,730 km², including 19 national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in both Thailand and Myanmar. The park is rugged and hilly with the highest peak Khao Mo Ko Chu at 1,964 m asl, one of highest in Thailand. All surrounding protected sites including Mae Wong are known to have an impressive record of larger mammals like tigers, elephants, gaurs, bantengs and more. The neighbouring parks are Khlong Lan National Park to the north, Umphang National Park to the east and Huai Kha Khaeng National Park to the south.
The tiger population in Mae Wong National Park is perhaps not as big as in neighbouring Huai Kha Khaeng or Thung Yai further south, but camera traps reveal that there are still roaming tigers in the area. Other rare birds recorded from the park are (some may be historical records); Burmese yuhinas, rufous-necked hornbills, crested kingfishers, yellow-bellied fairy-fantails, yellow-bellied flowerpeckers, white-throated bulbuls, yellow-vented leaf warblers, grey-breasted parrotbills, dark-sided thrushes, rufous-browed flycatchers, brown-crowned scimitar babblers, Pallas’s leaf warblers, pale-capped pigeons, black-throated laughingthrushes, silver-eared laughingthrushes, rufous-backed sibias, small niltavas, spot-necked babblers and slaty-bellied tesias. In Thailand, rusty-capped fulvetta is a resident bird only known to be found in Mae Wong National Park. Mae Wong is one of the best places in Thailand for birdwatching. A camera survey by DNP from 2011 captured nine tiger individuals. Currently, there are more than 340 birds recorded from the park. Some other mammals that can be found in the park are Asian black bears, back-striped weasels, binturongs, stump-tailed macaques, Malayan tapirs, lar gibbons, Malayan porcupines, golden jackals, Bengal slow loris, yellow-throated martens, banded linsangs, large Indian civets, small-toothed palm civets, Indochinese serows, Asian red-cheeked squirrels, black giant squirrels and Phayre’s flying squirrels.
National Park At Chiang Dao
Mae Wong is all about wildlife watching. Due to the high altitudes, the night temperatures in the park may drop down to 8-9º C. Visitors are recommended to have sweaters with them. Early morning drives can be a very chilly experience without a proper sweater or jacket. So, a lot of patience and effort needed to get a glimpse of mammals, not only in Mae Wong, but in most parks in Thailand. Visitors are also advised to have insect repellents. The headquarters and the main visitor center are located in northern parts of the park on the main road where some of the main attractions can be found. A proper terrain vehicle is recommended to reach up to higher elevations, stopping at various spots along the roads and walking forward/backward may give opportunity to spot some exciting animals. Mammal watching in Thailand is not easy as the forests are very dense, not easy to spot animals. Leech socks during the rainy seasons.
The headquarters is 16.5 km from nearby Khlong Lan town center where public bus services to/from Bangkok does operate several times a day. Entrance fees for the foreigners are 200 Baht for adults and 100 Baht for children. There are nine accommodations available in the park for 5 to 7 people, some beds are double. There are no public transportation options into the park, so private transportation is a must. Mae Wong National Park is open 6 am until 6 pm every day, all year round. Several of the longer trails lead to waterfalls deep inside the jungle, but there are also few waterfalls easily accessible with up to a day’s return hiking. There are some basic accommodations with smaller rooms for rent as well as few camping grounds along the road for the visitors who wish to camp. The park offers many short, mid and longer trekking options with longest ones up to a week long journey deep into the heart of the jungle.
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- Namtok Phlio National Park
The price ranges from 1,500 Baht to 2,400 Baht per night and a significant discount applies for stay Monday to Friday, sight seeings at Bo Phloi except during the holidays. Payments can be done at 7-Eleven convenience stores or banks. Both headquarters and the visitor center are located 16.5 km from Khlong Lan town and 6 km from the checkpoint on northwest of the park. It may be better to have your own sleeping bag as Mae Wong is a popular park visited by many locals, sleeping bags can be in poor condition. Sleeping bags and other accessories cost 60 Baht per person. As the money transfer must be done within 2 days and the fact it takes a longer time with transfers from abroad, it is only possible to book from within Thailand only. Tents can be rented at the spot, 250 Baht for 2 people or 325 Baht for 3 people. Park accommodations can only be booked through the DNP website in advance. You are recommended to ask a Thai speaking person to call on your behalf.