Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary

Huai Kha Khaeng, with Thung Yai Naresuan, was inscribed by UNESCO in 1991 and together they form the core of the Western Forest Complex - around 6,400 square kilometres of largely intact forest holding tigers, elephants, gaur, banteng, tapir and wild water buffalo, and the tiger population here is the most significant in mainland Southeast Asia and the source for recovery elsewhere. It is a wildlife sanctuary rather than a national park, which is a legal distinction that matters: the primary purpose is protection, not visitors, and most of the area is closed. What is open is limited nature trails near the headquarters and, by arrangement, a small research and education programme. The sanctuary is also associated with Seub Nakhasathien, its chief, who took his own life in 1990 in protest at the failure to protect it and whose death drove the conservation movement that followed; a memorial and small museum stand at the headquarters.

History

The sanctuary was established on 4 September 1972 over about 1,631 square kilometres and enlarged in 1986 and again on 30 December 1992, to about 2,780 square kilometres, and in 1991 it became a World Heritage Site together with Thung Yai Naresuan. Karen villages inside it were moved out in 1976 and a Hmong village after 1986, and no people are known to live in it today (Wikipedia, Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary).

Highlights

• The headquarters trails - the limited area open without a permit.
• The Seub Nakhasathien memorial - the chief whose 1990 death changed Thai conservation.
• The forest complex - the core of the largest protected block in the region.
• The closure - most of the sanctuary is not open, by design.

When to go

November to February. Anything beyond the headquarters area requires a permit arranged in advance with the Department of National Parks, and permission is not routine.

Before you go

This is not a safari destination - the sanctuary exists to keep people out, and tigers are not seen by visitors. Access is limited to a small area unless a permit is granted. Facilities are minimal.

Nearby

Uthai Thani town is east; Mae Wong and Khlong Lan are north.

Key facts