Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex : THAILAND WORLD HERITAGE

Khao Yai is the flagship of Thailand’s National Parks, it was gazetted on 18 September 1962 and became the first National Park in Thailand. It covers an area of 2,168 sq.km (about 535,700 acres), making it the third largest National Park in Thailand. The park is part of a globally outstanding ecoregion for its extensive dry evergreen forests and the large vertebrate fauna it supports within large intact landscape.

At the world conference on National Park in 1972 in the U.S., Khao Yai was voted as one of the five best National Parks in the world. The park was declared an ASEAN Heritage Park in 1982. in 1981, The Royal Thai Government proposed Khao Yai as a UNESCO World Heritage Site at the same time as Thung Yai / Huai Kho Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary. Although Khao Yai has not been accepted as a World Heritage Site, it is still an extremely important wildlife conservation area, and a popular recreation place for both Thai and foreign visitors. It is one of the most visited parks and is one of the most accessible and reliable places in Thailand to see wild Asian elephant and other wildlife.

Attractions
There are over 700,000 visitors/year come to Khao Yai National Park for recreation and nature education which give economic benefit to both local and tourism business level.

GREAT HORNBILL
Scientific Name: Buceros bicornis
Family: Bucerotidae
Description and status: Very large (120-122 cm), large yellow bill and casque. Male: red eyes. Female: white eyes, less black on casque. Uncommon to locally common resident.
Voice: gok, who-whaa
Range: Parts of India, China, southeastern Asia, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.
Status: Near threatened, uncommon to locally common resident.
Habitat: Evergreen and mixed deciduous forests.

WREATED HORNBILL
Scientific Name: Aceros undulatus
Family: Bucerotidae
Description and status: Black wings and white tail, wrinkled casque on sides of mandibles Male: brownish-white neck and yellow gular pouch. Female: blue gular pouch. Uncommon to locally common resident.
Voice: kuk-kwehk
Range: East India to Southwest China, southeastern Asia, Thailand, Java and Bali.
Status: Threatened, uncommon to locally common resident.
Habitat: Evergreen and mixed deciduous forests.

BROWN HORNBILL
Scientific Name: Anorrhinus tickelli
Family: Bucerotidae
Description and status: Relatively small size (74 cm), mostly brownish, yellowish bill with small casque. Male: whitish throat and upper breast. Female: uniformly dark brown. Shy, almost always in small group. Uncommon resident.
Voice: kleew-kleew…
Range: South Asia, Thailand.                     
Status: Near Threatened, uncommon resident.
Habitat: Evergreen and mixed deciduous forests.

SILVER-BREASTED BROADBILL 
Scientific Name: Serilophus lunatus
Family: Eurylaimidae
Description and status: Pale brownish upperparts, prominent broad black supercilium. Striking blue, black and rufous markings in wing Female: have thin whitish neck-lace across upper breast. Fairly common resident.
Voice: ki-uu, kit-kit-kit…
Range: Nepal to SW China, SE Asia, Thailand, Malay Peninsula and Sumatra.
Status: Fairly common resident.
Habitat: Evergreen forest and occasionally mixed deciduous forests and bamboo.