In the late 19th century, King Inthawichayanon ruled a city-state called Lannathai in what is now northern Thailand. An early environmentalist, the king was concerned about the preservation of the hill country forests that were under his rule. According to Chiangmai-chiangrai.com, Thai folklore referred these forests as the “home of the Phiphannam, the ‘spirit who shares water.” Now, modern hydrology has shown us that these forests are the source of all of the rivers and streams in Central Thailand.

When King Inthawichayanon died, he requested that his ashes be deposited on top of Doi Inthanon. The area is now a national park, and both the mountain and the forests that surround it are protected, just as the king would have wanted. According to Norman Rubin of Bootsnall.com:

Doi Inthanon National Park is a true jewel of natural beauty, consisting of rugged mountainous terrain blanketed by lush tropical forests and dotted with mighty rivers and majestic waterfalls. The trek up Doi Inthanon, the highest mountain peak in all of Thailand provides breathtaking views as well as many interesting and unique sidepaths where you’ll see and enjoy aspects of nature (and some of man) which would be difficult to find anywhere else in the world.

The park is also full of interesting wildlife and spectacular waterfalls. Hiring a minibus or other private transportation is the recommended way to see the park.

Thai Visa Requirements

Check the expiration date on your passport- you’ll need at least 6 months left in order to enter Thailand. However, if you’re American, you shouldn’t need a Thai visa unless you are entering by land and plan to spend longer than 15 days, or entering by air and plan to spend more than 30 days.

If you’re planning a longer trip, you can apply for a Thai visa valid for up to 60 days prior to leaving the US. Here’s what you will need to apply:

• Your US passport
• A completed visa application
• 2 passport photos
• A copy of your itinerary or round-trip ticket
• A copy of a bank statement showing a balance of $500 per person or $1000 per family.

Depending on what your itinerary is like, you may also need transit visas if you will be stopping in other countries on your way to or from Thailand. RushMyTravelVisa can review your itinerary, help you determine which visas are necessary and expedite them so you get them as quickly as possible.

Apply for your Thai visa today!

Tags: Thai visa, Thailand, Thailand visa

This entry was posted on Sunday, September 12th, 2010 at 9:31 pm and is filed under Destinations. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.