ENVIRONMENT & WILDLIFEENVIRONMENTAL ISSUESThe remaining jungles of Thailand can be divided into two forest
types: monsoon (with a distinct dry season of three months or more) and
rainforest (where rain falls more than nine months per year). The most
heavily forested provinces are Chiang Mai and Kanchanaburi.
Monsoon forests in the northern parts of the country are comprised
of deciduous trees, which are green and lush during the rainy season
but dusty and leafl ess during the dry season. Teak is one of the most
highly valued monsoon forest trees, but it now exists only in limited
quantities.
In southern Thailand, where rainfall is plentiful and distributed even-
ly throughout the year, forests are classifi ed as rainforests with a few
areas of monsoon forest. One remarkable plant found in some southern
forests is Rafflesia kerrii, a squat plant with a huge fl ower that reaches
80cm across; you can see it at Khao Sok National Park near Surat Thani.
Thailand is home to nearly 75 coastal mangrove species: small salt-
tolerant trees that provide an incubator for many coastal fi sh and animal
species. Reforestation programs of mangrove areas have gained in popu-
larity thanks to their protective role in the 2004 Asian tsunami.
Orchids are Thailand’s most exquisite native fl ora. There are over 1100
native species and they cover a variety of habitat: some are ground dwell-
ers, while others anchor high up in trees and still others cling to rocky
outcrops.
Environmental Issues
Deforestation
Thailand has put enormous pressure on its ecosystems through cultiva-
tion of land into cities and farms. Natural forest cover now makes up
about 28% of the kingdom’s land area as compared to 70% some 50
years ago. The rapid depletion of the country’s forests coincided with
the shift towards industrialisation, urbanisation and commercial log-
ging. Although these statistics are alarming, forest loss has slowed since
the turn of the millennium to about 0.4% per year.
In response to environmental degradation, the Thai government cre-
ated a large number of protected areas, starting in the 1970s, and set a
goal of 40% forest cover by the middle of this century. In 1989 all logging
was banned in Thailand following disastrous mudslides in Surat Thani
Province that buried villages and killed more than a hundred people.
ENCOUNTERS WITH ELEPHANTSThailand's emblematic animal has had many career changes from beast of burden
and war machine to tourist attraction. Today visitors can have close encounters with
elephants as a mahout-in-training or from a wildlife-viewing platform.
Ban Ta Klang Spend time with elephants and their mahouts in this traditional elephant
herding village in northeastern Thailand (p 429 )
Elephant Nature Park Watch pachyderms enjoy a semi-wild retirement after a life-
time of work at this unique sanctuary, outside Chiang Mai (p 253 )
Kuiburi National Park Wild elephants congregate in the evenings at salt ponds in this
national park, southwest of Hua Hin (see the boxed text, p 526 )
Elephantstay Programme In the former royal capital, the Ayuthaya Elephant Palace runs
a mahout-training program to preserve the ancient tradition (see the boxed text, p 164 )
Thai Elephant Conservation Center The country's offi cial retirement home for
elephants off ers an array of educational elephant activities, from one-day visits to ma-
hout training (p 307 )Queen Sirikit
Botanic Garden,
outside of Chiang
Mai, shelters
local and native
species, including
a beautiful col-
lection of orchids
and lotus.