23-Dec-2004 -- This is the second in a series of six confluence visits/attempts during a trip to Thailand in December 2004/January 2005.

We took Hwy 2331 from Nakhon Thai in the direction of the confluence. The road leads into the Phu Hin Rong Kla National Park, i.e., one has to pay to visit this confluence (200Thb at time of visit). (We got plenty for our money: Foreigners pay 10 times as much as Thai, but since they were out of park tickets for foreigners they gave us each ten tickets for Thais...)

Our road maps showed this confluence about 5km south of road, but as we were working our way up the winding road we soon got much closer. At the end we were able to park within 100m of the confluence.

The spot is located in a relatively dense forest about 70m from the road. It was an easy walk to the spot. Views are very limited due to all the vegetation.

After we documented the confluence we visited some of the other sights the park has to offer. There are some interesting rock formations and the remains of an old Communist Party of Thailand (CPT) stronghold. Just 50km from Laos in very rugged terrain this was an ideal location in terms of supply and retreat lines as well as defense. The area served as a battlefield for nearly 20 years until 1982. Some evidence of the fighting is visible in the rocks.

By the time we were done with the confluence and our sight seeing it was late afternoon and we decided to stay for the sunset and find accommodation in the park. There are tents and bungalows of different quality and size for rent in the park. Most bungalows were booked, but we were able to get one with electricity and shower.

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