South of Khon Buri

South of Khon Buri

1. Road Map (Surveyed)
2. R 3462
3. River Map
4. Bangkok Post Articles

1. Khon Buri Township
2. Monastery
3. Mun Bon Dam (alt. Moon Bon Dam). As its name suggests, this dam is on the upstream Mun River which flows all the way to Ubon Ratchathani, then into the Mekong River.
4. Beach with a dozen restaurants and hundreds of parasols/chairs for hire. Apparently a popular weekend destination for local residents.
5. Mountain. There's a driveway leading to a mountainside monastery, from where you can climb up the cement stairs all the way to the mountaintop (approx 600 steps). The view from the top is curious.
6. Forestry office. Beyond the closed gate, the dirt road continues.
7. Cave? (unconfirmed)
8. Lam Chae Dam (alt. Lam Sae Dam). A rather difficult short dirt path connects the far end of the dam and the northern dirt road.
9. Thap Lan National Park / Third Park Management Unit Headquarters.

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There's an extensive road network (both paved and dirt) and I could only survey some of the major roads.
A red line denotes a paved road. A brown line denotes a dirt road. A short black line denotes a gate with a bar.
Estimated matching accuracy with the background map (Series 1501) is about 80%.

2. R 3462

Trying to tackle the northern section of R 3462 is a complicated task. All through the route from R 224 to the National Park gate, I only saw one signpost R 3462 and I'm not quite sure where this road officially starts.

The Ten (Hotel)
This is a modern 4-story building with a karaoke bar on the ground floor. There's an annex motel behind the building with three secure parking spaces with a shutter, and this is quieter. Prices range from 200B with fan to 350B with air-con.

Km 0
This is a small intersection with no traffic light. There's a big sign in English, however, which directs to the Mun Bon Dam, Lam Chae Dam and Wua Daeng Cave.

Khon Buri Sanctuary
I regret I was too lazy to check this site out. There's a sign opposite the school, directing into a dirt road.

Road to Soeng Sang
This road leads to a vast network of agricultural roads, dotted with small villages. At the time of writing, you must at least do some dirt riding to reach Soeng Sang or get back to R 224 from this side.

Thap Lan National Park / Third Park Management Unit Headquarters
There's a gate with a lowered bar and a guard is on duty. Beyond the gate, R3462 turns into a dirt road. This is not a toll gate and you need a good reason -- probably a prior permit -- to pass through.

3. River Map

Source: UPPER PART OF MAE NAM MUN BASIN & LOCATION MAP

4. Bangkok Post Articles

September 1, 1996
Six arrested in Thap Lan national park
Tractors and excavators seized

Prasit Tangprasert
Nakhon Ratchasima

In two separate raids on suspected poachers, national park officials on Friday arrested six men allegedly using tractors and excavators to clear land in Thap Lan National Park, Khon Buri district.

The raids were conducted by two 30-man teams of national park officials led by Yutthana Sri-ngoenngam and Sithichai Banpot, chiefs of the third and fourth park management units in Khon Buri and Soeng Sang districts respectively, following a tip-off about poaching in the park.

In the first raid, the park officials arrested Wan Channok, 37, Rachen Chumsri, 25, Lek Jongkaew, 39, and Somkuan Nadchiram, 37, all of Tambon Lam Phiak, while they were allegedly using four tractors to clear a tract of land in the national park near Ban Huay Sai.

The suspects said they had been hired by a financier to clear the land so corn and cassava could be grown. The tractors were brought to the area on Thursday and a total of 80 rai of land has been cleared.

The second raid took place about two kilometres south of Tambon Khon Kachai. The authorities arrested Seksan Makkorat, 17, of Dan Khun Thod district, and Saichol Boonchanthuek, of Si Khiu district. One tractor and two excavators being used to build a road were seized.

The two men said they had been hired by a company to build a road into the national park to enable trucks to go inside to pick up sand from Lam Sae stream for the construction of Lam Sae Dam.

They had cleared a two kilometre strip of land to make way for the road.

Provincial police chief Pol Maj-Gen Sithisak Inthomya said he had ordered Khon Buri district police chief Pol Lt-Col Pitaya Tepasak to cooperate with the park officials. The officials claimed a police duty officer had refused to take their complaint when they took the suspects and seized equipment to the police station.

Sources said Thap Lan National Park is being encroached on by groups of financiers from the local area and Bangkok, adding that the limited number of park officials have found it difficult to effectively suppress the activity.

September 4, 1996
150 villagers affected by dam project
Seek compensation or land plots elsewhere

Nakhon Ratchasima

About 150 villagers demonstrated yesterday for government compensation over the loss of their land because of construction of the Moon Bon Dam.

Villagers representing Ban Namai, Ban Korjod, Ban Nanna Talingchan and Ban Saiyoi had a meeting with Governor Suporn Suppasorn.

They demanded that the Government either pay 300,000 baht to each affected family or find suitable land for them elsewhere.

Large pieces of land owned by 165 families have been cleared to pave the way for the dam in Khon Buri.

The provincial authorities and 20 villagers' representatives reportedly had a meeting to discuss the matter.

The villagers dispersed after the authorities promised to raise their demand with a provincial-level committee.

But they threatened to hold a bigger rally in Bangkok if the committee fails to come up with concrete measures to help them before the middle of next month.