The Kaeng Krachan Forest Complex (Thai: กลุ่มป่าแก่งกระจาน) is the official name of a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Thailand. It includes the areas of Kaeng Krachan, Kui Buri, and Chaloem Phrakiat Thai Prachan national parks, as well as Mae Nam Phachi Wildlife Sanctuary. These areas are located in the provinces of Ratchaburi, Phetchaburi, and Prachuap Khiri Khan in western Thailand, near the border with Myanmar. The site was added to the World Heritage list in 2021.

Description

The site is located on the Thailand side of the Tenasserim mountain range, which is part of a north-south mountain ridge made of granite and limestone that stretches down the Malay Peninsula. This area is where three major regions of plants and animals meet: the Himalayan, Indochina, and Sumatran realms. The land is mostly covered by semi-evergreen and dry evergreen forests, along with some mixed deciduous forests, montane forests, and deciduous dipterocarp forests. Many plant species that are found only in this area and are at risk of disappearing have been recorded here. The site overlaps with two Important Bird Areas and is known for having a wide variety of bird species, including eight types of birds that are globally threatened. The area is home to several endangered and threatened animals, such as the critically endangered Siamese Crocodile, the endangered Asiatic Wild Dog, Banteng, Asian Elephant, Yellow/Elongated Tortoise, and the endangered Asian Giant Tortoise, as well as other vulnerable bird and mammal species. Notably, the site is also home to eight cat species, including the endangered tiger and Fishing Cat, the near-threatened Leopard and Asian Golden Cat, the vulnerable Clouded Leopard and Marbled Cat, and the Jungle Cat and Leopard Cat.

Human rights issues

The site was added to the World Heritage list in 2021 during the 44th meeting of the World Heritage Committee. This decision happened even though there were disagreements about the government's efforts to forcefully move the indigenous S'gaw Karen people from their village in Kaeng Krachan National Park. These efforts included the 2014 murder of activist Porlajee Rakchongcharoen. Before the site was added, experts from the United Nations Human Rights Council asked the committee to delay the nomination because of continuing human rights issues. However, the nomination was approved with the help of countries like China and Russia. Earlier, the Thai government had tried to add the site to the list twice before, with the first attempt in 2016.