The Lan Sang National Park is an important natural site within Tak District. It became the Thailand’s 15th National Park on the 14th May 1978 and covers an area of 104 Km2. Lan Sang is also a historical National park, as King Taksin the Great once rested his army in this area during their long march to Chiang Mai.
To get into the park, people can reach Lan Sang national park by taking highway no. 105 (Tak – Mae Sot). If you drive from Tak, turn left to the south at km 12 mark and continue 3 km to the park’s headquarters. The park has 4 bungalows sleeping 3 to 15 people. There are also a small shop, a visitor centre, restrooms and a campground.
Topography
Steep rugged mountains, covered in fertile natural forests are the prominent features of the Park. Khao Luang Mountain divides the Park into two, its highest peak, Oomyod, reaches 1,065m. from sea level.
Climate
Lan Sang National Park has 3 seasons as follows – raining from May to October, winter from November to January and summer from February to April . The highest temperature is 43 degrees celsius and lowest at 7 degrees celsius.
Flora and Fauna
Higher slopes and mountain watersheds are covered with hill evergreen and hill pine forest. Lower down, the main forest types are mixed deciduous, dry evergreen and dipterocarp forest. The variety of forest habitats provides homes for a rich diversity of wildlife such as barking deer, sambar deer, wild pig, monkey, languar, flying lizard and the rare serow (a mountain goat) and golden cat.
Pha-Lad
It is a 25 meters wide and 40 meters long sloping slab of rock lying below the clear water of the Lan Sang stream. Flowing water sprays over the stone slab before dropping into the lower pool.
Lan Lieng Ma waterfall
This is a small waterfall on the Lan Sang stream, located 200 meters upstream of Pha-lad.
Lan Sang waterfall
This fall is located upstream of Lan Lieng Ma waterfall. Flowing water shoots out of a narrow crevice, tumbling down 3 levels to reach the pool above Lan Lieng Ma waterfall. This 40 meters high waterfall is the most popular site in Lan Sang national park.
Pha-ngoen waterfall
This fall on the Pha-ngoen stream has water flowing down the 15 meters drop in the cool and rainy seasons only. The most beautiful aspect of the waterfall is the square-faced rock slabs, with their weird stalactite and stalagmite-like limestone formations.
Yoi waterfall
This fall pours down an 8 meters drops into the Lan Sang stream.