Park chief Suthon Wiangdao said on Thursday that the next two months usually sees fewer visitors due to the rainy season, therefore it is a suitable time to close the park for both day visits and camping to let nature heal itself.
“Tourists can start visiting the park again from July 1, when we expect the rain forest to be in perfect condition,” he said.
Situated about 130km from Phitsanulok city centre, the 307 sq km mountainous park extends east into Loei and Phetchabun provinces nearly 40km from the Laotian border.
The park has recorded sightings of rare wild animals in its forest areas including leopards, leopard cats, Asian black bears, Asian golden cats, hog badgers, serow and barking deer, besides more than 200 bird species.
The park is also historically significant as it was the scene of fighting between communist insurgents and the Royal Thai Armed Forces between 1968 and 1972, which resulted in the insurgents surrendering with the help of the Hmong community present in the area.
