Mu Ko Lanta National Park ( th, อุทยานแห่งชาติหมู่เกาะลันตา) is a national park in the southern part of
Krabi Province,
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
, consisting of several islands. The two largest
islands
An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...
are Ko Lanta Noi and Ko Lanta Yai. Although both are inhabited, Ko Lanta Yai is the primary tourist destination. The park was established on 15 August 1990
A clan of Chao Ley, or "sea gypsies" lives on Ko Lanta Yai. The clan still practices many of their ancient customs and ceremonies, such as the setting of ceremonial boats adrift to bring good luck and prosperity on the full moon nights of the sixth and eleventh months.
Toponymy
Ko Lanta was once known by its
Malay
Malay may refer to:
Languages
* Malay language or Bahasa Melayu, a major Austronesian language spoken in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore
** History of the Malay language, the Malay language from the 4th to the 14th century
** Indonesi ...
name, "Pulao Satak", which means "Long Beach Island". Later, many Thais, both
Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
and
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
, moved to the island making the island known as the island of "a million eyes" ("lan ta" in
Thai
Thai or THAI may refer to:
* Of or from Thailand, a country in Southeast Asia
** Thai people, the dominant ethnic group of Thailand
** Thai language, a Tai-Kadai language spoken mainly in and around Thailand
*** Thai script
*** Thai (Unicode block ...
). The name may also be derived from the
Javanese "lan-tas", or fish grill (built of wood with a square grill on top where the fish are placed in a circle).
Topography
The area of Mu Ko Lanta National Park is 83,750 rai ~ .
It includes Mu Ko Rok, Ko Mai Ngam, Ko Talabeng,
Ko Lanta Yai
Ko Lanta Yai ( th, เกาะลันตาใหญ่) is an island in the Strait of Malacca off the west coast of Thailand, between the Phi Phi Islands and the mainland. It is administratively part of Krabi Province, most of which is on th ...
, Ko Ngai, Mu Ko Rokk, Ko Rok Nai, Mu Ko Maa, Ko Hin Dang and the nearby islands of
Ko Klang, Ko Lanta Noi, and Ko Lanta Yai sub-district,
Amphoe Ko Lanta,
Krabi Province.
The terrain is mountainous, especially near the southern tip. Plains are found only in beach areas in the southern portion of the park. Most areas have more than a 35 degree slope, except only the middle part of island where the slope is more than 50 degrees. Elevations range from sea level to 488 meters at the tallest peak.
Climate
Highest rainfall is in September, 391.4 mm, and lowest in January at 6.5 mm. September has the most rainy days with 21.6 days and February the fewest, about 1.6 days. During the rainy season, 16 May-31 October, some smaller islands are closed to visitors.
Fauna
The animals that live on the islands are divided into six categories.
1. Mammals: bats (deer, tigers and barking deer used to live on the islands).
2. Birds:
brahminy kite
The brahminy kite (''Haliastur indus''), formerly known as the red-backed sea-eagle in Australia, is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors, such as eagles, buzzards, and harriers. ...
,
bridled tern
The bridled tern (''Onychoprion anaethetus'') is a seabird of the family Laridae. It is a bird of the tropical oceans. The scientific name is from Ancient Greek. The genus comes from ' meaning "claw" or "nail", and , meaning "saw". The specific ...
, and emerald dove.
3. Reptiles:
asian water monitor
The Asian water monitor (''Varanus salvator'') is a large varanid lizard native to South and Southeast Asia. It is one of the most common monitor lizards in Asia, ranging from coastal northeast India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, mainland Southeast A ...
,
reticulated python
The reticulated python (''Malayopython reticulatus'') is a python species native to South and Southeast Asia. It is the world's longest snake, and is among the three heaviest. It is listed as least concern on the IUCN Red List because of its wi ...
, and
cobras.
4. Amphibians: giant mountain frogs, ornate froglets, and
common tree frog
''Polypedates leucomystax'' is a species in the shrub frog family Rhacophoridae. It is known under numerous common names, including common tree frog, four-lined tree frog, golden tree frog or striped tree frog. Many past authors have united it ...
.
5. Freshwater fish and marine fish: blue danio fish, coral reef fish, and lizard fish.
6. Coral reef animals:
staghorn coral
The staghorn coral (''Acropora cervicornis'') is a branching, stony coral with cylindrical branches ranging from a few centimetres to over two metres in length and height. It occurs in back reef and fore reef environments from depth. The upper ...
, ''
Fungia fungites'', and
anemone coral.
Flora
The plants in Mu Ko Lanta National Park can be categorized into three groups.
1. Rainforest: The total area of rainforest at Mu Ko Lanta Yai is about 19.42 km
2. The average height of trees is 15–25 meters. The important plants are ''
Hopea ferrea
''Hopea ferrea'' is a species of tree in the family Dipterocarpaceae. It is native to Cambodia, Laos, Peninsular Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., g ...
'', ''
Dipterocarpus turbinatus
''Dipterocarpus turbinatus'' ( Khmer ;DY PHON Pauline, 2000, Plants Used In Cambodia, self-published, printed by Imprimerie Olympic, Phnom Penh India ''gurjan'', ''gurjun'', ''gurgina''; Tagalog ; Chinese ; available at Efloras.org Malay lan ...
'' and ''
Lagerstroemia floribunda
''Lagerstroemia floribunda'', also known as Thai crape myrtle and ''kedah bungor'', is a species of flowering plant in the family Lythraceae. It is native of the tropical region of Southeast Asia.
In Thailand, it is the provincial tree of Sarab ...
''.
2. Mangrove forest: On Ko Ngu, Ko Mai Ngam, and Ko Mai Ngam Tai. The average height of trees is five meters. There are many plants in the mangrove forest, such as ''
Avicennia alba
''Avicennia alba'' is a species of tropical mangrove in the family Acanthaceae. It is found growing in coastal and estuarine locations in India, Southeast Asia, Australia, and Oceania.
Description
''A. alba'' forms a low, dense bushy crown ofte ...
'', ''
Rhizophora apiculata
Rhizophora apiculata (''R. apiculata'') belongs to the Plantae kingdom under the Rhizophoraceae family. Currently ''R. apiculata'' is distributed throughout Australia (Queensland and Northern Territory), Guam, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Micrones ...
'', and ''
Rhizophora mucronata
''Rhizophora mucronata'' (loop-root mangrove, red mangrove or Asiatic mangrove) is a species of mangrove found on coasts and river banks in East Africa and the Indo-Pacific region.
Description
''Rhizophora mucronata'' is a small to medium si ...
''.
3. Beach forest: Found on Ko Ngai between the beach and rainforest. Significant plants are
bengal almond, ''
Millettia pinnata
''Millettia pinnata'' is a species of tree in the pea family, Fabaceae, native to eastern and tropical Asia, Australia, and Pacific islands. It is often known by the synonym ''Pongamia pinnata''. Its common names include Indian beech and Pongame ...
'', and
beach morning glory.
Gallery
1062-mu-koh-lanta-national-park-05.jpg, Southern cape of Ko Lanta Yai
2016 Prowincja Krabi, Ko Ma (06).jpg, Ko Ma
2016 Prowincja Krabi, Ko Ngai (16).jpg, Ko Ngai
2016 Prowincja Krabi, Ko Ngai (21).jpg, Long-tail boat
The long-tail boat, ( th, เรือหางยาว, , ) is a type of watercraft native to Southeast Asia, which uses a common automotive engine as a readily available and maintainable powerplant. A craft designed to carry passengers on a ...
at Ko Ngai
See also
*
List of national parks of Thailand
National parks in Thailand ( th, อุทยานแห่งชาติ) are defined as ''an area that contains natural resources of ecological importance or unique beauty, or flora and fauna of special importance''. Thailand's protected ar ...
*
List of Protected Areas Regional Offices of Thailand Since the beginning one hundred years ago, forest management in Thailand has undergone many changes, in form of reclassifications, name changes and management changes. All this has resulted in a division of 16 regions with 5 branches in 2002. Five r ...
References
{{authority control
National parks of Thailand
Protected areas established in 1990
Geography of Krabi province
Tourist attractions in Krabi province
1990 establishments in Thailand