Mae Tho National

Mae Tho National Park Topography

Mae Tho National Park is situated between the northern latitudes of 18o 07' - 18o 29' and the eastern longitudes of 98o 8.5' - 98o 24' . The National Park’s headquarters is located at the Water Source Development Unit 6 (Doi Mae Tho), Ban Lao-li, Mu 9 (separated from Ban Maetho Mu 10), Tambon Bosali, Hot District, Chiang Mai Province.

The geographical features of the National Park consist of steep mountains (400-1,699 meters above the medium sea level), extending northwards in the same mountain range of Doi Inthanon. Mountains in the northern part of the area are about 20%-40% steeper than those in the southern part. The average altitude of the area is 1,000 meters above the medium sea level. Doi Kio Rai-mong is the highest mountaintop (1,699 meters above the medium sea level), located at Ban Pang Hin-fon, Mae-Chaem District. Meanwhile, the National Park’s office is located at the approximate altitude of 1,200 meters above the medium sea level.

Climate

The weather at the National Park can be divided into 3 seasons including the rainy season (May-September) with the highest temperature of 25oC and the lowest temperature of 10oC ; winter (October-February) with the highest temperature of 20oC and the lowest temperature of 4oC ; and summer (March-April) with the highest temperature of 30oC and the lowest temperature of 12oC . The average year-round highest temperature is 27oC and the average year-round lowest temperature is 8oC. And the average rainfall at the National Park is 1,030 mm/year.

Flora and Fauna

There are various kinds of forests and plants within the areas of the National Park, including tropical evergreen forests of which major plants include Ironwood, rubber trees, Michelia Alba, Indian Mahogany, Mangifera Caloneura Kurz (wild mango), Therm, Garuga Pinnata (Ta-kram), Alstonia Scholaris (Teen Ped), and lower plants include Takran Mhaktao, Ploo-din, Kreu-tuay, and Gastrochilus Pandurata (Kra-chai); virgin forests of which major plants include Quercus Kerril Craib (Kor-pae), Kor-duan, Castanopsis Cerebrina (Kor-tamoo), Red zebra wood (Rak-yai), Aromadendron Elegans Bl., and lower plants include Carex Baccans Nees (Ya-kombang), pigeon peas, Aglaia Pirifera (Kangkao-din), Saab-ma, etc.; mixed forests of which major plants include teaks, Xylia Xylocarpa (redwood plants), Leguminosae (Pradoo), Lagerstroemia (Tabaek), Lagerstroemia Tomentosa Presl. (Se-lah), Anogeissus Acuminata Wall. (Takien Noo), rubber trees, and lower plants include bamboo and grasses; pinery and timber forests (mostly found in the area of Hod District) of which major plants include Pinus Kesiya Royle Ex Gordon (three-leaf pines), Lithocarpus Cantleyanus (Kor), Soloropyrum Wallichianum (Muad), Red zebra wood (Rak-yai), timbers, Shorea Siamensis (Rang), Dipterocarpus Intricatus (Hiang), Dipterocarpus Tuberculatus (Pluang), and lower plants include Dodonaca Viscosa (Ya-pek), Arundinaria Pusilla (Phai-jod), and other kinds of grasses.

Wild animals found in the National Park include gaur, deer, goral, Muliacus Muntjak, bears, gibbons, monkeys, langur, masked palm civets, rabbits, wild boars, and elephants, inhabiting in Om-koi Sanctuary, Dong Sam-muen and Mae-pai Forests, peacocks, pheasants, red jungle fowls, parrots, Gracula Religiosa, Trogon, hawks, woodpeckers, constrictors, pythons, cobras, monitor lizards, ground lizards, turtles, soft-shelled turtles, frogs, small green frogs, bull frogs, and fish in gullies and rivers, particularly Mae-jam River.

Doi Mae Tho Viewpoint

Doi Mae Tho National Park has been a well-known sightseeing spot since His Majesty the King has visited the National Park in 1980. Unfortunately, the former responsible unit (Water Source Development Unit 6) has recently lacked the budget and staff for maintenance of accommodations and the surroundings, therefore, flowers and plants are not as beautiful as they used to be. At present, the National Park is improving the sightseeing spot to regain its reputation and attractiveness.

Regarding the travelling route to the sightseeing spot, you may take Highway No.108 (Hot-Mae Sariang) until reaching Baan Kong-loi (km 54), then, make a right hand turn to Highway No.1270 and go straight on for 16 kilometers until reaching Ban Lao-li. Then, make a right hand turn to the National Park’s office, which is located approximately 500 meters away from the branch road. From the sightseeing spot, you will be impressed with the sea of fogs reaching the mountaintop of Doi Inthanon.

Activities :

View

<> Mae-aep Waterfall

Mae-aep Waterfall is approximately 10-12 meters wide. The Waterfall is beautiful and attracts many tourists to visit in the dry season. The Waterfall is located approximately 6 km away from the National Park’s office. You may take the same route to the sightseeing spot until reaching Ban Mae-aep and take a branch road from Baan Mae-aeb for approximately 3 km until reaching the parking spot, then, travel on foot for approximately 1 km to the Waterfall.

Activities :

View

Nature trail study

Waterfall Traveling

Mae-lit Waterfall

Mae-lit Waterfall is approximately 8-10 meters wide and 12-15 meters high. The Waterfall is very beautiful and attracts many Thai and foreign tourists to visit in the dry season. Local people can make supplementary incomes from providing accommodations and services to the tourists. Regarding the travelling route to the Waterfall, you may take Highway No.108 (Hot-Mae Sariang) until reaching km 63, then, make a left hand turn to Ban Thung Lung and go straight on for approximately 12 km and travel on foot for approximately 500 meters to the Waterfall.

Activities :

View

Nature trail study

Waterfall Traveling

Rafting on the Mae Chaem River

To get to the starting point for rafting on the Mae Chaem River, you may take Highway No.108 (Mae Chaem ? Ban Na-bangdin) and go straight on for approximately 6 km until reaching the Salak Hin Ranger Station. And you may go ashore when the raft reaches Ban Kong-pae, Tambon Tha-pha of Mae Chaem District, Chiang Mai Province.

Activities :

Rafting

Travelling activities along the route of Ban Mae-ping Noi, Sop Mae-tum, and Sop Huai Kong-pae.

You may begin with travelling by a four-wheel-drive vehicle along the route of Ban Mae-ping Noi?Ban Om-raet, visit the Huai Mae-chuea Waterfall on the way to Ban Om-rat, and stay overnight on the side of Mae-tum River (the vehicle may be parked at the National Park’s headquarters). Then, you may visit Tham Luang Mae-tum, a cave which has beautiful pillar-shaped stalagmites and stalactites and being inhabited by a large number of bats. After that, you may travel by boat along Mae-tum River to visit natural cactus-shaped timber forests and mixed forests on both sides of Mae-tum River and you can see islets and reefs in Mae-tum River until reaching Sop Huai Mae-tum, where Mae-tum River meets Mae Chaem River, and finish with travelling by boat along Mae Chaem River to visit virgin mixed forests, since the vehicle route has not yet been opened for tourists. Interested tourists who need guides may directly contact officials of the National Park and prepare their own supplies.

Activities :

View

Nature trail study

Cave/Geological Touring

Waterfall Traveling

Rafting

Travelling activities along the route of Ban Mae-khan, Sop Mae-tum, and Sop Huai Kong-pae.

The route, which is suitable for rafting on the Mae Chaem River, starts from Mae-khan Checkpoint, Salak-hin Ranger Station passing Kaeng Sop-khan, Kaeng Kho-ma, Kaeng Tha-ruea, Kaeng Khot, Kaeng Luang, Kaeng Op, Hat Chiang-da, Wang Khwai-phueak, Ban Sop-long (where you can see beautiful cliffs and forests on both sides of Mae-jam River), Sob Mae-tum and finishes with rafting. The route is approximately 25 kilometers long and taking approximately 11-12 hours.

Services and activities

Interested tourists may contact Mae Chaem Plantation, Op Luang National Park, or service providers to rent inflatable rafts, provided that rafting along the route requires prior permission from the National Park.

Activities :

View

Rafting

Contact Address and How to go?

Contact Address

Mae Tho National Park

P.O. Box 10 Amphur Hod Chiang Mai Thailand 50240

Tel. 0 5381 8348 E-mail reserve@dnp.go.th

How to go?

By Car

From the city of Chiang Mai, you may take Highway No.102 (Chiang Mai-Hot) for 89 kilometers until reaching Hot District, then take Highway No.108 (Hot-Mae Sariang) passing the Op-luang National Park’s office for 54 kilometers until reaching Ban Kong-loi, then make a right hand turn to Highway No.1270 (Ban Kong-loi ? Ban Maetho) for 16 kilometers until reaching a branch road. Then, make a right hand turn to the National Park’s headquarters, which is located approximately 500 meters away from the branch road.