Doi Inthanon

Doi Inthanon is the highest mountain in Thailand. It is in Chom Thong District,
Chiangmai Province. This mountain is an ultra prominent peak, known in the past
as Doi Luang (meaning “big mountain”) or Doi Ang Ka, meaning
the “crow’s pond top”. Near the mountain’s base was a pond where many
crows gathered. The name Doi Inthanon was given in honour of King Inthawichayanon,
one of the last kings of Chiang Mai, who was concerned about the forests in
the north and tried to preserve them. He ordered that after his death his remains be interred
at Doi Luang, which was then renamed in his honour.

Today, the summit of Doi Inthanon is a popular tourist destination for both foreign
and Thai tourists, with a peak of 12,000 visitors visiting the summit on New Year’s Day.
In addition to a range of tourist facilities on the summit, there is also a Royal Thai Air
Forceweather radar station at the summit and the Thai National
Observatory (TNO) at km44.

Geography

Doi Inthanon is the highest peak of the Inthanon Range of the Thanon Thong Chai Range,
a subrange of the Shan Hills in the Thai highlands stretching southwards from the
Daen Lao Range. This range, the southwesternmost of the Shan Highland system,
separates the Salween watershed from the Mekong watershed. Other high peaks
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 forests around Doi Inthanon were conserved, creating Doi Inthanon National Park,
as one of the original 14 national parks of Thailand. This park now covers 482.4 km² and
spreads from the lowlands at 800 m elevation up to the peak at 2,565 m.
Given the varied climatic and ecological areas regions, the park supports a range of
animal species, including over 360 bird species.

On the lower slopes of Doi Inthanon, near the Karen hill tribe village, Ban Sop Had,
are the Wachirathan waterfalls, where the Wachirathan tumbles over a granite escarpment.

Climate

The climate is typically tropical and fairly cool on the summit 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). From March to June, temperatures are pleasant especially
at higher altitudes. The rainy season runs from April to November, sometimes it
rains often more than 2 hours per day.