Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Phu Hin Rong Kla National Park
Between 1967 and 1982, the mountain that is known as
Phu Hin Rong Kla
( 0 5523 3527, ac-
commodation 0 2562 0760;
www.dnp.go.th
; admission 200B; 8.30am-5pm)
served as the strategic
headquarters for the Communist Party of Thailand (CPT) and its tactical arm, the People's
Liberation Army of Thailand (PLAT). The remote, easily defended summit was perfect
for an insurgent army. China's Yunnan Province is only 300km away and it was here that
CPT cadres received their training in revolutionary tactics. (This was until the 1979 split
between the Chinese and Vietnamese communists, when the CPT sided with Vietnam.)
For nearly 20 years the area around Phu Hin Rong Kla served as a battlefield for Thai
troops and the communists. In 1972 the Thai government launched an unsuccessful major
offensive against the PLAT. The CPT camp at Phu Hin Rong Kla became especially active
after the Thai military killed hundreds of students in Bangkok during the October 1976
student-worker uprising. Many students subsequently fled here to join the CPT, setting up
a hospital and a school of political and military tactics. By 1978 the PLAT ranks here had
swelled to 4000. In 1980 and 1981 the Thai armed forces tried again and were able to re-
capture some parts of CPT territory. But the decisive blow to the CPT came in 1982, when
the government declared an amnesty for all the students who had joined the communists
after 1976. The departure of most of the students broke the spine of the movement, which
had become dependent on their membership. A final military push in late 1982 resulted in
the surrender of the PLAT, and Phu Hin Rong Kla was declared a national park in 1984.
Sights & Activities
The park covers about 307 sq km of rugged mountains and forest. The elevation at park
headquarters is about 1000m, so the area is refreshingly cool even in the hot season. The
main attractions don't tend to stray too far from the main road through the park and in-
clude the remains of the CPT stronghold - a rustic meeting hall, the school of political and
military tactics - and the CPT administration building. Across the road from the school is
a water wheel designed by exiled engineering students.
Phu Hin Rong Kla can become quite crowded on weekends and holidays; schedule a
more peaceful visit for midweek.
Pha Chu Thong
HISTORICAL SITE
