Doi Phu Kha National Park

Doi Phu Kha National Park
อุทยานแห่งชาติดอยภูคา
IUCN category II (national park)
Location within Thailand
Location	Nan Province, Thailand
Nearest city	Nan
Coordinates	19°12′2″N 101°4′5″E / 19.20056°N 101.06806°E / 19.20056; 101.06806
Area	1,704 km2 (658 sq mi)
Established	June 17, 1999
Visitors	63,102 (in 2019)
Governing body	Department of National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation

Doi Phu Kha National Park (Thai: อุทยานแห่งชาติดอยภูคา) covers parts of 8 districts in the Luang Prabang Range, Nan Province, Northern Thailand and has rich natural resources. It is Northern Thailand's largest National park and rivers such as Nan River and Pua River, have their sources within the area of the range under the protection of the park limits. Khun Nan National Park is located north of the park area.

1,980 m high Doi Phu Kha, located within the parks perimeter, gives its name to the park. There are many caves in the park area. The park is named after chomphu phu kha (Thai: ชมพูภูคา Bretschneidera sinensis), a tree with attractive pink flower bunches, which together with Caryota gigas and Acer wilsonii, are rare species of plant which in Thailand can be found only in this park. There are natural rock formations on 1,837 m high Doi Phu Wae peak. The ascent takes 3 days and 2 nights. The scenery of the sea of mist and the mountain range is the reward for the trekkers who can reach Phu Wae peak.^[1]

The park was established on June 17, 1999^[2] with an area of 1,065,000 rai ~ 1,704 square kilometres (658 sq mi).^[3] Doi Phu Kha National Park is part of the Luang Prabang montane rain forests ecoregion.^[4]

King Bhumibol Adulyadej has blamed the destruction of Thailand's forested areas on the greed of some state officials. This is evident in large zones of Doi Phu Kha National Park that were formerly covered with virgin forest and that have been deforested even while having national park status.^[5]