Location: Chiang Mai Province
Area: 482.4 km²
Tel. 0-5324-8604
Open: 6am- 6pm daily
The Doi Inthanon (Thai ดอยอินทนนท์) is a mountain
in the province of Chiang Mai and, at 2,565 meters, the highest peak
in Thailand.
The mountain is located approximately 50 km (as
the crow flies) southwest of Chiang Mai in the middle of the
national park of the same name. The area is sparsely forested and is
inhabited by members of the mountain tribes, mainly the Hmong and
Karen. Through various projects sponsored by the king (“Royal
Projects”), the mountain tribes were convinced to plant vegetables
and flowers instead of opium. Some of these farms can be visited by
the tourists.
An approximately 50 kilometer long road leads
to the summit (from Chiang Mai 103 km), in the vicinity of which you
can visit several impressive waterfalls (for example the
Vachiratharn waterfall) and caves with bats. Visitors must purchase
entry tickets at a checkpoint at the entrance to the national park.
About 200 meters below the summit, the “glorious Thai army with
the help of the Thai people” (text on a memorial plaque) erected a
monument to his royal couple: on each of their 60th birthdays, a
memorial was built for King Bhumibol Adulyadej (1987) and Queen
Sirikit (1992). a chedi built in a modern style. Both chedis are
decorated on the outside with relief mosaics, on the king's chedi in
a reddish brown tone, on the queen's chedi in various shades of
purple. Inside there is a large Buddha statue, which is said to be
made of jade. The interior walls are decorated with painted tiles
depicting the life of the Buddha.
The temperatures at the
summit are significantly lower than in the rest of Thailand, which
results in completely different vegetation. Ivy climbs thick oak
trees, which are overgrown with moss due to the high humidity. In
the middle of a forest stands a shrine dedicated to its namesake:
Prince Intha Witchayanon, a regent of Chiang Mai, called the
“Seventh Chao Luang” (r. 1870–1897), recognized early on the
importance of this mountain region for the surrounding area. He
determined that his remains should be buried here.
The
mountain was initially known as Doi Luang (“Royal Mountain”). When
the prince died in 1897, his ashes were buried in a small chedi,
which soon became a destination for pilgrims. Since then, the
mountain has had its name in an abbreviated form in his honor: Doi
Inthanon. Next to the shrine there is a nature trail and military
radar installations.
Doi Inthanon is the highest mountain of the Inthanon Mountains in the
Thanon Thong Chai Range, a mountain range in the Shan Highlands region
of Thailand extending south from the Daen Lao Mountains. This strip,
southwest of the Shan Highland system, divides the Salween River basin
from the Mekong River basin. Other high mountains of the Loi Lar
mountain range are Doi Luang Chiang Dao (2,175 m), Doi Pui (1,685 m) and
Doi Suthep (1,601 m).
In 1954, the forest surrounding Doi
Inthanon was preserved, creating Doi Inthanon National Park, one of
Thailand's 14 national parks. This park currently covers an area of
482.4 km² and stretches from the lowlands at an altitude of 800 m up to
a peak of 2,565 m. With different climate and ecological zones, the park
supports a wide range of animal species, including more than 360 species
of birds. On the slopes of Doi Inthanon, near the Karen indigenous
village, Ban Sop Had, is Wachirathan Falls (Thai: aquascape), where
Wachirathan ("Diamond Creek") flows down a granite cliff 18.54179°N 98,
599247°E.
The climate is typically tropical and quite cool on the top of Doi Inthanon. In winter the average temperature is 6 °C (43 °F) in January and temperatures can sometimes drop below 0 °C (32 °F). On 21 December 2017, an all-time low temperature of −5 °C (23 °F) was recorded at 06:30 at km 44.4. From March to June, temperatures are pleasant, especially at higher altitudes. The rainy season lasts from April to November, sometimes it rains more than 2 hours a day.