Phu Hin Rong Kla National Park in Phitsanulok
Phu Hin Rong Kla is one Thai National Park, which is mainly in Phitsanulok province, but also partly in Loei and Phetchabun provinces. The area is part of the Phetchabun Mountains.
In this mountainous landscape you will find a number of beautiful viewpoints and beautiful waterfalls. It is also known for its beautiful forests and abundant flowers. A very nice point to view is the characteristic rock formation in the Lan Hin Taek area. You might think that Phu Hin Rong Kla National Park is one of many attractive national parks, but in this case there is something special going on.
Communists
From 1967 to 1982, the armed branch of the Communist Party of Thailand was hiding here. The mountains offered good protection against bombardments and attacks by the royal government army. In 1982 the Thai government granted amnesty to the members of the movement, after which the area became the 1984th in 48.th national park of Thailand.
Traces of the communist struggle can still be seen in the form of a communist cemetery, the headquarters, a political and military school and a hospital. At the visitor center there is a small museum with items from that communist period on display, such as medical instruments, Chinese anatomical wall maps and images of Mao Tse Ting and Stalin.
Visitor Center
The visitor center can be reached via Highway 2331, which runs right through the park. There is a camping site and also a few bungalows that you can rent. On weekends and in the high season, Thais make extensive use of these facilities. A number of walking tours to the sights have been set out from the visitor center, one within a short walking distance, the other after a 4 to 5 hour trek. At the visitor center also two restaurants, which can only be visited during the day.
Information
A nice overview of the sights and the various waterfalls in this park can be found on this link: www.thainationalparks.com/phu-hin-rong-kla-national-park
Video
On YouTube you can see a number of videos about this park, such as this one below:
My Thai son-in-law took us there 2 years ago. He called it Little Switzerland in Phetchabun.
There I got to know a piece of history about armed communism in Thailand that was unknown to me. I thought this was something Chinese, with branches to Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. Together with Uncle Sam, the "Thai appearance" was tackled particularly thoroughly and above all boldly. Wiped out root and branch. It is also surprising that this is still so ostentatiously shown on large didactic panels.
Furthermore, the geological details were more than worth the visit. In the photo you can see a piece of the "plateau with stone bubbles" but there are more geological "quirks" to see in a kind of "Bedrock Flintstone landscape".
Part of dual-price group:
Thai (kids): 40THB (20THB)
Farang (kids): 500THB (300THB)
You have been warned!
My girlfriend lives in that beautiful area. Highly recommended to simply visit the mountains and the beautifully situated temples by car. And you are guaranteed not to trip over the Farang!