Khun Tan Range

Coordinates: 19°05′00″N 99°20′30″E / 19.08333°N 99.34167°E / 19.08333; 99.34167
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Khun Tan Range
ทิวเขาขุนตาน
Mae Lao District
Highest point
PeakDoi Mae Tho
Elevation2,031 m (6,663 ft)
Coordinates19°05′00″N 99°20′30″E / 19.08333°N 99.34167°E / 19.08333; 99.34167
Dimensions
Length260 km (160 mi) N/S
Width50 km (31 mi) E/W
Geography
Map of the Thai highlands
Country
Lamphun
Parent rangePhi Pan Nam Range
Geology
Age of rockTriassic
Type of rockgranite, phyllite, shale and limestone
The Khun Tan Range rising beyond Chiang Mai seen from Doi Suthep on the other side of the valley
Aerial view of yearly deliberate wildfires on the Khun Tan Range between Lamphun and Lampang
The Akha village of Maejantai lies deep in the heart of the Khun Tan range
Mae Kuang Reservoir NE of Chiang Mai with the Khun Tan Range in the background and a seasonal wildfire
Entrance to the Khun Tan Tunnel. The haze caused by wildfire smoke is common during the dry season.

The Khun Tan Range (

Lamphun Provinces.[2]

The geological composition of the Khun Tan mountains is different from the neighboring Thanon Thong Chai Range in the west and the Daen Lao Range in the north. Precambrian rocks are absent in this mountain chain which is thus not part of the Shan Hills system.[3] The geology of the Khun Tan Range is homogeneous with the Phi Pan Nam Range further east[4] and some scholarly works designate the Khun Tan as the "Western Phi Pan Nam Range", including it as part of the Phi Pan Nam Mountain System.[5]

Geography

The Khun Tan Range begins south of the

Doi Saket
(ดอยสะเก็ด), also known as Doi Khun On (ดอยขุนออน).

Along with the westernmost range of the

Mae Suai District areas of the range in 1955, a very rare event in these latitudes despite the altitude.[8]

History

Historically the Khun Tan Range was a formidable

Central Plain of Siam.[9]

The

Khun Tan Station, located at the northern end of the tunnel, is the highest railway station in Thailand at 758 m above sea level.[12]

There are certain

Burma and some of these communities are regularly visited by organized tourist groups.[13]

Thailand Route 118 between Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai cuts diagonally across the Khun Tan Range from SW to NE about 30 km northeast of Chiang Mai town.

Ecology

The lower altitudes are covered with dry

mixed deciduous forest, while hill evergreen forest
grows above 800 m, as well as in shady and narrow zones in the valleys.

Extensive

degraded forest".[14]

Although the large trees are not too badly affected, the periodic fires negatively affect the wildlife of vast areas of the mountain chain. These yearly wildfires are the main cause of the intense

undergrowth of the woods.[16] The dry forest soil leads to lower water intake for the trees to extract when the rains arrive.[17]

Wildlife

Many species of mammals are assumed to have disappeared in the range for lack of recent sightings, such as the

barking deer, hog badgers, flying squirrels and bats
.

Among the birds, the ashy drongo, scarlet minivet, grey-headed canary-flycatcher, white-crowned forktail, brown fish owl, crested serpent eagle, shikra, velvet-fronted nuthatch, blue-throated barbet, coppersmith barbet, blue-winged leafbird, brown-cheeked fulvetta and red junglefowl deserve mention. The Khun Tan mountains also act as a natural barrier for species west and east of the range, such as the

pied bushchat.[18]

Reptiles in the range include the

flying lizard
.

Protected areas

The

On River (น้ำแม่ออน), a tributary of the Ping River, is located in Mae On District. Other protected areas
in the Khun Tan mountain chain are:

Tourism

Tourist attractions of the Khun Tan Range include caves, waterfalls and natural hot springs. The

Royal Family of Thailand.[19]

rock climbers who wish to climb the limestone cliffs of the place nicknamed "Crazy Horse Buttress" in the Range.[20]

See also

References

  1. ^ ผศ.นงรัตน์ พยัคฆันตร. ภูมิศาสตร์การท่องเที่ยวไทย. มหาวิทยาลัยราชภัฏสวนดุสิต พ.ศ. 2528 (ปรับปรุง พ.ศ. 2549)
  2. ^ Northern Thailand Archived 2012-01-28 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ "Geology of Thailand - Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Bangkok". Archived from the original on 2017-12-01. Retrieved 2012-01-20.
  4. ^ ทิวเขาผีปันน้ำ Archived 2012-03-10 at the Wayback Machine (in Thai)
  5. ^ "Sarasawadee Ongsakul, The History of Lanna". Archived from the original on 2008-12-07. Retrieved 2012-02-27.
  6. ^ Khun Chae National Park Archived 2010-09-22 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ Heritage Thailand, Geography 4 Archived 2011-10-07 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ Snow in Thailand
  9. ^ "The White Bridge: Celebrating the 80th birthday of His Majesty King Bhumibol". Archived from the original on 2015-10-22. Retrieved 2012-01-20.
  10. ^ "The Beginning of the Railway in Thailand". Archived from the original on 2012-09-25. Retrieved 2012-01-21.
  11. ^ Brendan Whyte, The Railway Atlas of Thailand, Laos and Cambodia, White Lotus, Bangkok, 2010
  12. ^ อุโมงค์รถไฟถ้ำขุนตาน จากเว็บไซต์สำนักงานสรรพากรพื้นที่ลำพูน] Thai: ภาษาไทย
  13. ^ The Politics of Ethnic Tourism in Northern Thailand
  14. ^ Bangkok Post - PM misses the boat again on northern haze
  15. ^ Mushroom Research Center Archived 2012-01-27 at the Wayback Machine
  16. ^ National Forest Policy Review- Thailand
  17. ^ "Underlying Causes of Deforestation". UN Secretary-General’s Report. Archived from the original on 2001-04-11.
  18. ^ Aseanbiodiversity - The Occurrence of the Pied Stonechat in Eastern and SE Thailand Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine
  19. ^ Thai Elephant Conservation Center (TECC)
  20. ^ Joshua Morris & Khaetthaleeya Uppakham, A Guide to Rock Climbing in Northern Thailand. Nopburee Press Co., Ltd. Chiang Mai, 2004.

External links

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