Contact Location : Phu Ruea National Park, Thailand, Nong Bua Sub-district, Phu Ruea District, Loei Province, 42160
Telephone Number : (+66) 4 281 0965, (+66) 8 8509 5299
Email : phurua1@hotmail.com , phuruea_np@hotmail.com
Facebook : Phu Ruea National Park

Information  

          Phu Ruea National Park covers the areas in Phu Ruea and Tha Li District of Loei Province, and the northern territory is adjacent to Laos. The Phu Ruea shape is like a big ship on the top of a mountain. It is the eye-catching colorful mountains. Some rocks look like they have been carved. The villagers call this place "Anchor Ground.". Around this area, it provides the viewpoint for the top of nearby large and small mountains shrouded in mist and surrounded by fertile forests. The area is about 120.84 square kilometers.

Background        

          In 1976, the Director-General of the Royal Forest Department went to Phu Kradueng National Park on duty as a civil servant, and the Permanent Secretary of the Loei House, Mr. Suchin Pechidi, commented that the Phu Ruea Forest should be promoted as a tourist attraction in the province. Then, Loei Provincial Government requested the Phu Ruea District Government to explore the Phu Ruea Forest area. The Phu Ruea District Government reported to the province that the Phu Ruea Forest District has many important natural resources such as forests, waterfalls, and landscapes, and is suitable for establishment as a national park. The National Parks Division of the Royal Forest Department has assigned officials to conducet a preliminary investigation on Phu Ruea forest which is part of Phu Ruea and Tha Li district, Loei Province. The survey found that the forest belonged to the 23th Forest Zone according to the Cabinet resolution dated November 12, 1963, to preserve it as a permanent forest of the nation.

         The Phu Ruea Forest area is composed of complex high mountains, forming many astonishing shapes interspersed with flat areas. It is called "Phu Ruea" because there is a mountain with a protruding cliff that looks like a barque and the plain on the top of the mountain is like the bottom of a ship. Its beautiful natural scenery is suitable for establishing as a national public park.

         The National Parks Division of the Royal Forest Department has submitted it to the National Parks Commission which resolved in a meeting onDecember 12, 1978 agreed on designating the forest as a national park. The royal decree specified the area of Phu Ruea Forest in A Hi and Tha Li Sub-district, Tha Li District, Lat Khang, Nong Bua and Rong Chik Sub-district, Phu Ruea District of Loei Province to be designated as National Parks which was declared on July 26, 1979, in Official Gazette 96 Volume 124. It is the country's 16th national park.

Note : After paying the entrance fee to the National Park, please carry the receipt for inspection.

75525.00 rai (120.84 square kilometers)

Decho Viewpoint			Sub-Nong Hin
Kaeng Suk Waterfall			Huai Toei Waterfall
Huai Phai Waterfall			Hin Sam Chan Waterfall
Pha Sam Thong			Pha Ya Phai
Pha Lon Noi			Phu Ruea Peak
Phu Son Campground			Lan Sao Ae
Lan Hin Taek			Lan Mueng Ae
Sawan Pool			Pali Rock Garden
Tao Rock			Hin Pan Kun Mak
Hin Wua Non

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Welfare shop : Welfare shop and restaurants are available as follows.

1. The restaurant at the toll stationis open daily from 5.30 - 20.00 hrs
2. The restaurant at Phu Ruea National Park Headquarters is open daily from 5.30 - 20.00 hrs.
3. The restaurant at the second campground is open daily from 5:30 - 20.00 hrs.
4. Welfare shop at the second checkpoint (selling souvenir, coffee, drinking water, snacks) is open daily from 5.30 - 19.00 hrs.

During the festival, it is open 24 hours a day.

Mobile phone signal :

National Park Headquarters: AIS, TRUE

Phu Ruea National Park's terrain is complex high mountains mostly composed of sandstone hills interspersed with granite areas. This feature has caused the plateaus interspersed with high peaks. The highest peak is Phu Ruea Peak, which is 1,365 meters above mean sea level. Other important peaks are Phu San Peak which is at 1,035 meters above mean sea level and Phu Ku Peak which is at 1,000 meters above sea level. This characteristics of nature is the source of important watersheds, forming many streams such as Huai Nam Dan, Huai Bang, Huai Teana, Huai Sai Kao, Huai Tio, and Huai Phai which is the origin of Huai Phai - one of the beautiful waterfalls.. The North borders with Nam Thun Sub-district, Thali District, Loei Province. The South borders with Nong Bua Sub-district, Phu Ruea District, Loei Province. The East borders with Tha Li Sub-district, Tha Li District, Loei Province. The West borders with Lat Khang Sub-district, Phu Ruea District, Loei Province. Water Resources             Phu Ruea National Park has 2 main watersheds, namely the San River Basin and its tributary- Huai Ka Wak River Basin. The watershed quality classification of Phu Ruea National Park can be divided into Class 1A, which covers 44% of the park area, Class 1 B accounting for 51%, Class 2 covering 1.5 percent of the park area and Class 3 covering 1.24% of the park area.           The canals within Phu Ruea National Park are mostly short flowing from north to south, including Huai Duea Canal, Tio Creek, Ka Wak Creek, Sam Bong Creek, Sai Khao Creek, Phai Creek, Thang Na Creek, and Nam Mi Creek which originated from Nam Hueang, Nam San and Nam San flows into canals /Mekong River.             Another important attraction near Channel Phu Ruea National Park in Thailand is the Huai Hin Reservoir.

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Due to the fact that Phu Ruea National Park is locatedd in Loei Province which is the coldest province in Thailand and on a high mountain, the climate is cool all year round. Especially in winter, it is so cold that the dew on the top of the grass condenses into ice crystals called "Hoar Frost" or "Mae Khaning" in the local language, people on vacation should be prepared to face the cold.

Phu Ruea has many types of forests, beautifully mixed together, including mixed deciduous forests, deciduous dipterocarp forests, tropical rain forest, and pine forests. In particular, the Phu Ruea peak is composed of pine forests interspersed with natural rock gardens with sparse low shrubs and with grasslands. The undergrowth plants include wild roses, moss, ferns, and beautiful orchids such as Doritis pulcherrina Lindl, Vanda denisoniana, foxtail orchids, Dendrobium chrysotoxum, Dendrobium lindleyi, and Dendrobium formosum which grow on trees and rocks. These orchids bloom at different times throughout the year.             Phu Ruea National Park has 257 species of wild animals, including 236 species that can be seen or tracked, as well as 21 species of wild animals that are obtained from inquiries, which could be classified as follows. (1) Amphibians, 20 species (2) Reptiles, 38 species, (3) birds, 162 species, and (4) Mammals, 37 species. Wild animals are found in the survey in Phu Ruea National Park seem not to be conserved animals but 194 species are protected wildlife whereas 63 species are not protected, according to the Nature Conservation and Wildlife Protection Law B.E. 2535 and Ministerial Regulation B.E. 2546.          There are 7 species of wildlife to be preserved under threatening conditions in Thailand,according to the announcement by the Environmental Policy and Planning Bureau (1997), as follows: (1) 6 species of wildlife that are on the verge of extinction, namely big-headed turtles, Siamese Firebacks, North Leaf Monkeys, Foxes, Dholes, and Tigers, and (2) 1 species of wildlife that is near threatened, namely Rufous-winged Buzzard. There are two species of threatened wildlife listed under the IUCN's (2004) global conservation status, categorized as: (1) One species of near-endangered wildlife that is Dhole, and (2) One species of near-threatened wild animals that isSiamese fireback. According to the two criteria of wildlife conservation, it could be described that "Big-headed Turtles, Rufous-winged Buzzards, North Leaf Monkeys, Foxes, and Tigers are densely populated and widely distributed in other parts of the world. But there is a decreasing trend in Thailand, and two wild animals that have decreased population and distribution both in Thailand and other parts of the world, namely Siamese fireback and Dhole.

How to get there by car :  

          Phu Ruea National Park is far from Loei province about 48 kilometer. Travel along National Highway No. 203 heading to Phu Ruea District for about 48 kilometers. The sign indicating the way to the national park is beside the Phu Ruea District Office. (If coming from Loei, the sign will be on the right hand side; If coming from Phetchabun, the sign will be on the left hand side). From the sign, continue driving for about 4 kilometers to reach the National Park Headquarters. All the roads in the National Park are asphalt and mountain pass. Some parts of the roads are steep so visitors should drive cautiously and use low gear; otherwise, the brakes will be burned.

How to get there by plane :

           1) Get a flight from Bangkok to Udon Thani and then take Udon Thani-Loei bus
           2) Get a flight from Bangkok to Khon Kaen then take a Khon Kaen-Loei bus. After reaching Loei city, visitor can take a bus heading to Phu Ruea District which takes about 50 kilometers.
           3) Get a flight from Bangkok to Phetchabun.

How to get there by bus :

There are two bus routes from Bangkok as follows.
           1. Bangkok-Phu Ruea
           2. Bangkok-Mueang Loei and from Loei city, take 1) a Mueang Loei-Phu Ruea bus 2) a Nakhon Phanom-Chiang Rai bus 3) an Udon Thani-Phitsanulok bus and 4) an Udon Thani-Chiang Mai bus.

- Phu Ruea National Park Ranger Station No. 1 (Huai Sai Kao)
- Phu Ruea National Park Ranger Station No. 2 (Lacan)
- Phu Ruea National Park Ranger Station No. 3 (Nong Bong)
- Huai Phai extraction points / Ban Hai Tak extraction points

- Accommodation -Phu Ruea 109 (Kae Sai)
- Accommodation -Phu Ruea 107 (Saraphi Doi)
- Accommodation -Phu Ruea 106 (Phut Dong)
- Accommodation -Phu Ruea 108 (Khae Hin)
- Accommodation -Phu Ruea 103 (Pro Phu Ruea)