Ko Kradan 

Ko Chueak

Ko Muk

Ko Waen

Khao Bae Na

Morakot Cave

Changlang Beach

Pak Meng Beach

Yao Beach

San Beach

Yong Ling Beach

       Hat Chao Mai National Park is located in Sikao and Kantang District, Trang Province, between 7 degrees, 17 minutes to 7 degrees, 32 minutes north and a longitude of 99 degrees, 13 to 99 degrees, 29 minutes.

        The north border is at Chong Chan Mountain, Kantang District, Khlong Meng, and Khlong Lam Yao, Mai Fat Sub-district, Sikao District, Trang Province.

- The south border is the Andaman Sea, Ko Libong, and the Kantang Estuary.

- The east boarder is at Khuan Din Daeng, Khuan Medjun, Khuan Luo and Khuan Daeng.

- The west border is with the Andaman Sea, Ko Ngai, Ko Ma, and Mu Ko Lanta National Park.

Hat Chao Mai National Park can be divided into two parts:

        The coastal land area consists of steep limestone hills, and includes Ko Muk, Ko Kradan, Ko Waen, Ko Chueak, Ko Meng, Ko Pling, and Ko Chao Mai. In the north and northeast, the Chong Chan Mountain range, Khuan Met Chun Mountain range, and Khuan Daeng mountain range are the sources of many streams that form the Bang Sak Canal, which flows into the Trang River.

         The water in the park covers a surface area of approximately 137 square kilometers and has an average depth of 20 meters. Geological Features

         The geological features of Hat Chao Mai National Park's coastal areas and islands are influenced by the Andaman Sea and tectonic plate movement, which created various rock elements with different characteristics. Most of the coastal headlands and islands in Hat Chao Mai National Park are limestone rocks from the Permian Ratchaburi Formation. Some areas of Khao Meng and Ko Kradan consist of mudstone, pebby rock, and conglomeratic sandstone, and the high mountains on the land are Arkosic Sandstone from the Jurassic period, known as the Trang Formation, which is comparable to the Lam Thap Formation.

Hat Chao Mai National Park is an essential ecosystem and conservation of its sand shoal, which blocks the Khlong Khuan Tung Ku until it becomes the Laem Yong Lam with a triangular sandbar. It accumulates on the east side of Ko Muk, where the mangrove swamp forest juts out and there is  seagrass, which is food for dugongs.

A doline known as the Emerald Cave is a famous geological attraction and adventurous visitors are allowed to wade through the caves on  excursions.

Water Source

        Hat Chao Mai National Park consists of forest areas, mountains, and grasslands. There are hills in the northeast, including

        Khao Nam Rap, Khao Khuan Khaeng, Khao Phlu, Khao Chong Chan, Khuan Khaeng, and Khuan Met Chun. These form the catctment area for several streams that converge to form the Bang Sak Canal and flow into the Trang River (Figure 6). The coastal area includes Laem Meng, Ao Pak Meng, Pak Khlong La, Pak Khlong Chang Lang, Chang Lang Beach, Khao Maen, Pak Khlong Hai Lo, Laem Yong Ling, Pak Khlong Lat Chao, San Khao Yong Ling Beach, Yao Beach, Chao Mai Beach, and Khao Chao Mai, and is approximately 24 kilometers long from north to south.

        There are various islands, such as Mu Ko Chueak, Ko Waen, Ko Kradan, Ko Muk, Ko Meng, and Ko Chao Mai. The water surface covers an area of approximately 137 square kilometers with an average depth of 20 meters.

         Hat Chao mai National Park has very few freshwater sources so the coastal plains have a groundwater level of about 2 meters in the dry season and 1 meter in the rainy season. The water is slightly brackish and not suitable for consumption. The area above the canal along the beach is a mangrove swamp forest and there is a charcoal kiln nearby that causes sediment from the burning of charcoal. The freshwater sources in the national park are  a spring near to the National Park Headquarters, which has water all year round. There is also broad swamp in Hat Chang Lang National Park, which is about 30 meters wide and 100 meters long, but it can  dry up in March and April. At the same time, the Laem Yong Ling area has narrow and shallow basins.

          The sea at Changlang Beach in the National Park is transparent and clean, with about 20 meters of visibility, great clarity, and calm waters. Microscopic organisms such as plankton and various beneficial marine life species are found.

       The climate of Hat Chao Mai National Park has a tropical climate that is  monsoons, but it rains throughout the year. The summer and rainy seasons are the dominant seasons with the summer is  from January to April, and the rainy season from May to December. The weather is hot and humid with an annual average temperature of 27 degrees Celsius, and the annual rainfall over  2,100 millimeters per year.

    Forests and Wildlife Ecosystems found in the Hat Chao Mai National Park can be classified as:The Khao Nam Rap Rainforest, which covers the coastal areas in Khao Nam Rab, including the hot pool, and east of the sandy beach, including Ko Muk. The plants there consist of Dipterocarpus chartaceus Symington, Hopea ferrea Laness, Hopea odorata, Tristaniopsis burmanica (Griff.) Peter G. Wilson & J. T., Intsia bijuga (Colebr.) Kuntze, and Xerospermum intermedium. The lower ground plants include rattan and vines.

     Khao Hinpun Forest is found on the west side of Ko Muk, Ko Chueak, Ko Waen, Ko Pling, Bae Na Mountain, Khao Yong Ling, Khao Meng, and Khao Chao Mai and the local flora consists of Dracaena cochinchinensis (Lour.) S.C. Chen, Phoenix acaulis Ham., Malayan Spurge Tree, Morinda coreia, Pandanus onjugate Martelli, False Sago, various orchids, and elephant ears.

     The beach forest is located in a narrow area along the coast and on rocks that the seawater cannot reach. Important plant species there consist of Indian Almond, Casuarina equisetifolia, Krating, and Syzygium grande (Wight) Walp.

The flat area next to the beach is home to a sparse forest of stunted trees including Cotylelobium lanceolatum Craib, Peltophorum (Vogel) Benth, Syzygium antisepticum, Morinda coreia, Catunaregam tomentosa (Blume ex DC.) Tirveng, and Gmelina asiatica L. Lower ground plants there include different grasses.

      Mangrove swamp forests are found to the beach, located behind the National Park Headquarters, from Pak Meng Beach to Chao Mai Beach, and distributed throughout Ko Muk. The important plants are Rhizophora Apiculata Blume, Rhizophora onjugate Lam., Brownlowia onjuga Benth., Xylocarpus granatum Koenig, Xylocarpus rumphii (Kostel.) Mabberley., Myrica esculenta Buch. -Ham. Ex D. Don, Excoecaria agallocha L., Phoenix paludosa, Holly-Leaved Mangrove / Sea Holly, Nipa Palm, and Flagellaria indica L.

        The water Based plants consists of seagrass and seaweed. Hat Chao Mai National Park has an enormous seagrass resource covering 3,975 rai (6.36 Square kilomaters) between Laem Yong Ling and Ko Muk. The survey found eight seagrass types: Thalassia hemprichii, Cymodocea rotundata, , Cymodocea rotundata, Halodule uninervis,Cymodocea serrulate, Syringodium isoetifolium, Halodule pinifolia, and Halophila ovalis.

Animals in Hat Chao Mai National Park can be classified as follows:

Mammals: 51 species

- Dugong, Serows, Raffles’ Banded Langur, Banded Surili, Dusky Leaf Monkey, Indian Muntjac, Lesser Mouse-Deer, Leopard, Asian Small-Clawed Otter, Large-Spotted Civet, Himalayan Striped Squirrel, Yellow Rajah Rat, and bats.

Birds: 137 species Black-Necked Stork, Lesser Adjutant, Chinese Egret, Nordmann’s Greenshank, Chinese Crested Tern, Great Hornbill, Pitta, and the Greater Racket-Tailed Drongo.

Reptiles: 29 species

- Yellow-Headed Temple Turtle, Garnot’s House Gecko, Tokay Gecko, Calotes mystaceus,  Common Water Monitor,  Reticulated Python, Bocourt’s Water Snake, Mangrove Viper.

Amphibians: 9 species

- Giant Jungle Toad, Common Asian Toad, Black-Spined Toad, Dark-Sided Frog, Common Tree Frog, and Asiatic Burrowing Frog

Aquatic animals

        Hat Chao Mai National Park is an essential ecosystem of mangrove swamp forests, seagrass, and coral reefs so there is a habitat, food source, shelter, and nursery for larvae of various marine life, such as Meder’s Mangrove Crab, Spider Crab, oysters, Leather donex, Laevistrombus canarium, Grouper, Freshwater Butterfly Fish, and dolphins.