Dong Phaya Yen Mountains
| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
|---|---|
| Criteria | Natural: x |
| Reference | 590 |
| Inscription | 2005 (29th Session) |
Dong Phaya Yen (Thai ดงพญาเย็น, lit. Jungle of the Ice Lord) is a mountain range in central Thailand. As the southwestern extension of the Phetchabun mountains, it is part of the division between the Chao Phraya river valley and the Khorat Plateau of northeastern Thailand. It has a length of about 230 km, and is continued by the Cardamom Mountains to the south and the Dongrak escarpement to the east.
The mountains are drained to the north by several tributaries to the Mun River, while the south drains into the Prachinburi River. The area changes in altitude between 100 m and 1,351 m above sea level, with the Khao Rom as the highest hill. Several national parks are located in the mountains, the most famous one is the Khao Yai National Park, which was the first national park of Thailand. Other parks are the Ta Phraya National Park at the boundary to Cambodia, the Thap Lan National Park, Pangsida National Park, Phra Phutthachai National Park and the Dongyai Wildlife Sanctuary. Altogether 6155 km² are protected in these parks.
Dong Phaya Yen was once known as Dong Phaya Fai or Jungle of the Fire Lord because this area was once the vast forest where malaria killed most travelers who dared to pass this forest. However, the majority of the forest have been destroyed since the beginning of 20th century and Vice King Pinklao later changed the name of the forest from Dong Phaya Fai to Dong Phaya Yen to imply that the wild forest has been tamed.
In 2005 the forests of the Dong Phaya Yen mountains were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List under the name Dong Phaya Yen – Khao Yai Forest Complex.