Doi Inthanon National Park

Doi Inthanon National Park (Thai: อุทยานแห่งชาติดอยอินทนนท์),^[2] nicknamed "the roof of Thailand", is a national park in the Thanon Thong Chai Range, Chom Thong District, Chiang Mai Province, northern Thailand.^[3] 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 ~ 482 square kilometres (186 sq mi) in size.^[4] It was established on October 2, 1972.^[1]

Pin of the highest point of Thailand in Doi Inthanon National Park

The Wachirathan Waterfall in Doi Inthanon National Park

Doi Inthanon National Park
อุทยานแห่งชาติดอยอินทนนท์
IUCN category II (national park)
The Wachirathan Waterfall, Doi Inthanon National Park, the highest point in Thailand
Location	Chom Thong District, Chiang Mai Province, Thailand
Coordinates	18°35′32″N 98°29′12″E
Area	482 km2 (186 sq mi)
Established	2 October 1972 [1]
Visitors	874,372 (in 2019)
Governing body	Department of National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP)

Geography

The park is approximately 60 kilometres (37 mi) from Chiang Mai. It includes Karen and Meo Hmong villages of about 4,500 people.^[5] Its elevation ranges between 800–2,565 metres (2,625–8,415 ft). Within its borders are a number of waterfalls: Mae Klang Falls, Wachiratan Falls, Siriphum Falls, and Mae Ya Falls.^[3] 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.^[6] These rivers will allow multiple local settlements in Chang Mai Province to be nourished before flowing into the Ping River.^[6]

Flora

Flora includes evergreen cloud forest, sphagnum bog, and deciduous dipterocarp forest.^[4] There are some relict pines.^[3]

Plant communities of Doi Inthanon vary according to elevation. Below is a table of main plants by vegetation type:^[7]

Vegetation type	Elevation	Trees	Understorey (undergrowth, shrubs, herbs, etc.)
mixed deciduous forests	up to 800 m	Albizia, Dalbergia, Millettia, Vitex, Terminalia, Lagerstroemia	Boesenbergia, Curcuma, Globba, Kaempferia
deciduous dipterocarp forests	600–800 m	Dipterocarpus intricatus, Dipterocarpus obtusifolius, Dipterocarpus tuberculatus, Shorea obtusa, Shorea siamensis, Strychnos nux-vomica, Colona floribunda	Arundinaria
pine deciduous dipterocarp forests	800–1,200 m	Pinus latteri, Pinus kesiya, Dipterocarpus obtusifolius, Dipterocarpus tuberculatus, Shorea obtusa, Anneslea fragrans, Schima wallichii, Ternstroemia gymnanthera, Helicia nilagirica, Wendlandia tinctoria, Engelhardia spicata	Viburnum, Buddleja asiatica, Desmodium, Crotalaria, Indigofera; Hypoxis aurea, Murdannia, Iris collettii, Gentiana, Polygala, Senecio
seasonal rain forests (dry evergreen forests)	up to 900 m	Aglaia spp., Aphanamixis polystachya, Dysoxylum andamanicum, Acrocarpus fraxinifolius, Erythrina spp., Adenanthera pavonina, Syzygium spp., Choerospondias axillaris, Dracontomelon dao, Dimocarpus longan, Nephelium hypoleucum, Paranephelium xestophyllum, Sapindus rarak	Ixora, Tarenna, Capparis spp., Antidesma spp.; Luvunga scandens, Desmos chinensis, Artabotrys siamensis, Mucuna macrocarpa, Entada, Derris, Dalbergia; Alpinia, Boesenbergia, Curcuma, Globba, Hedychium, Aglaonema, Amorphophallus, Arisaema
lower montane rain forests	below 1,000 m	Castanopsis, Lithocarpus, Quercus spp., Paramichelia, Actinodaphne, Cinnamomum, Litsea spp., Schima wallichii, Camellia spp., Saurauia napaulensis, Schoepfia fragrans, Olea spp., Diospyros spp., Podocarpus neriifolius, Cephalotaxus mannii	Gigantochloa, Schizostachyum, Dendrocalamus; Dianella, Disporum, Ophiopogon, Elatostema spp., Impatiens spp., Sapria himalayana
lower montane oak forests	1,000–1,800 m	Castanopsis acuminatissima, Castanopsis tribuloides, Betula alnoides, Carpinus viminea, Lithocarpus, Quercus, Clerodendrum spp., Viburnum spp., Wendlandia tinctoria, Styrax benzoides, Mahonia nepalensis	Agapetes hosseana, Aeschynanthus spp., Rubus, Clematis, Smilax spp.; Pteridium aquilinum; Amischotolype spp., Begonia spp., Blumea, Camchaya, Crassocephalum, Saussurea, Hedyotis spp., Mitracarpus
lower montane pine–oak forests	1,000–1,400 m	Pinus kesiya, etc.
upper montane rain forests	from 1,800 m	Quercus glabricupulata, Schima wallichii, Eurya nitida, Gordonia dalglieshiana, Acer spp., Exbucklandia populnea, Myrsine semiserrata, Vaccinium sprengelii, Rhododendron arboreum subsp. delavayi	Strobilanthes 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, Otochilus
upper montane peat bog	2,500 m	Sphagnum, Rhododendron arboreum subsp. delavayi

Fauna

With 383 avifauna species,^[8] it ranks second among Thailand's national parks in number of bird species.^[9]

• 
  Subtropical semi-evergreen seasonal forest at the end of the dry season
• 
  Cethosia biblis, Doi Inthanon National Park
• 
  An adult male green-tailed sunbird

Reptile species in Doi Inthanon National Park include:^[10]

• Acanthosaura lepidogaster
• Gekko gecko
• Hemidactylus frenatus
• Hemidactylus platyurus
• Hemiphyllodactylus chiangmaiensis
• Ahaetulla prasina
• Hebius khasiensis
• Trimeresurus popeiorum
• Cyrtodactylus inthanon^[11]

Amphibian species in Doi Inthanon National Park include:^[10]

• Ansonia inthanon
• Leptolalax pelodytoides
• Megophrys major
• Megophrys minor
• Amolops marmoratus
• Hylarana nigrovittata
• Odorrana livida

Gallery

• 
  View from Inthanon peak
• 
  The viewpoint at the 41st km of the Highway 1009, Doi Inthanon
• 
  Doi Inthanon National Park
• 
  Doi Inthanon National Park
• 
  Cherry blossom flowers all over the area at Doi Inthanon National Park
• 
  A scenic walkway in the area of Doi Inthanon National Park
• 
  Mae Ya Waterfall in Doi Inthanon National Park
• 
  Siri Phum Waterfall in Doi Inthanon National Park
• 
  Siri Than Waterfall in Doi Inthanon National Park
• 
  Vegetation on the slopes of Doi Inthanon
• 
  Stream in the mountains
• 

Location

Doi Inthanon National Park in overview PARO 16 (Chiang Mai)

1) 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 Tho 10 Mae Wang 11 Namtok Bua Tong– Namphu Chet Si 12 Op Khan 13 Op Luang 14 Pha Daeng 15 Si Lanna   Wildlife sanctuary 16 Chiang Dao 17 Mae Lao–Mae Sae 18 Omkoi 19 Samoeng      Non-hunting area 20 Doi Suthep 21 Mae Lao–Mae Sae 22 Nanthaburi 23 Pa Ban Hong      Forest park 24 Doi Wiang Kaeo

Climate

Climate data for The Royal Agricultural Station Inthanon, elevation 1,280 m (4,200 ft), (1990–2013)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	23.9 (75.0)	26.1 (79.0)	28.4 (83.1)	29.6 (85.3)	27.4 (81.3)	26.0 (78.8)	25.5 (77.9)	25.3 (77.5)	25.3 (77.5)	25.0 (77.0)	24.4 (75.9)	23.1 (73.6)	25.8 (78.5)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	11.2 (52.2)	13.1 (55.6)	15.8 (60.4)	18.5 (65.3)	18.6 (65.5)	18.6 (65.5)	18.6 (65.5)	18.4 (65.1)	18.0 (64.4)	16.7 (62.1)	14.0 (57.2)	11.5 (52.7)	16.1 (61.0)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	5.0 (0.20)	4.7 (0.19)	29.9 (1.18)	76.9 (3.03)	293.7 (11.56)	247.7 (9.75)	241.0 (9.49)	295.5 (11.63)	383.1 (15.08)	235.4 (9.27)	47.3 (1.86)	15.8 (0.62)	1,876 (73.86)
Source: Highland Research and Development Institute[12]

See also

• List of national parks of Thailand
• List of Protected Areas Regional Offices of Thailand