Sirinat National Park
| Sirinat National Park | |
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| อุทยานแห่งชาติสิรินาถ | |
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IUCN category II (national park)
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Hat Nai Yang
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 Park location in Thailand
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| Location | Phuket Province, Thailand |
| Nearest city | Phuket |
| Coordinates | 8°5′17″N 98°17′46″E / 8.08806°N 98.29611°ECoordinates: 8°5′17″N 98°17′46″E / 8.08806°N 98.29611°E |
| Area | 90 km2 (35 sq mi) |
| Established | July 1981 |
| Governing body | Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation |
Sirinat National Park (Thai: อุทยานแห่งชาติสิรินาถ) is a national park in Phuket Province, Thailand. This park, with sections on land and sea, is in the northwest of the island of Phuket.
Sirinat National Park is in Thalang District, about 30 kilometres (19 mi) north of Phuket town on the coastal section surrounding Phuket International Airport.
The park's total area is 90 square kilometres (35 sq mi), with 68 square kilometres (26 sq mi) of marine area and 22 square kilometres (8.5 sq mi) land-based. The park includes four main beaches: Hat Nai Thon, Hat Nai Yang, Hat Mai Khao, and Hat Sai Kaeo. Hat Mai Khao is Phuket's longest beach.
The park was originally known as Nai Yang National Park and became Thailand's 51st national park on 13 July 1981. It was renamed Sirinat National Park in 1992.
A 2014 Bangkok Post editorial said that, "The latest questionable development in the sad saga of Sirinat National Park in Phuket province raises serious and vexing issues. Among the most pertinent is the old paradox of "Who will watch the watchers?" The Royal Thai Navy has moved into the precious park on the pretext of providing security. But the threats to this little jewel of national land are not physical, and heavily armed military men provide no solution at all".
In January 2016, it was reported that about 1,200 rai of Sirinat Park land was "detached" from the park by unscrupulous officials and sold to property developers, completed with illegal deeds, for 40 million baht per rai or approximately 50 billion baht in total. "The land had been detached from the national park so investers [sic] could build resorts and several well-known hotels,...", according to Mr Damrong Phidet, a former director-general of the National Parks, Wildlife and Plants Conservation Department.
Sirinat National Park is best known for its well-preserved white sand beaches. Also, Hat Mai Khao and Hat Nai Yang are both sea turtle nesting areas. Between November and February sea turtles come to lay eggs on these beaches.
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Wikipedia