Amata BGrimm Power, German Embassy team up to open beautiful nature trail in Khao Yai

Amata BGrimm Power, the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry (NREM), the German Embassy and Amata Foundation came together in a ceremony to open the Pha Kluay Mai-Nam Tok Heo Suwat Nature Trail at Khao Yai National Park to celebrate the 160th anniversary of Thai-German friendship.

The opening of the 3.4km nature trail was presided over by General Surayud Chulanont, in his capacity as president of the Statesman Foundation, together with German Ambassador Georg Schmidt, BGrimm chairman Harald Link and Amata Foundation chairman Vikrom Kromadit.

The trail is a tripartite cooperation between the NREM's Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, the German Embassy and Amata Foundation, with support from Amata BGrimm Power company.

It will educate tourists and enhance their experience of sustainable conservation of natural resources and the environment. It connects two famous waterfalls – Pha Kluai Mai and Heo Suwat – along the route that traverses the Lam Ta Khong creek through bamboo forests interspersed with evergreen and dry forests.

Along the path, visitors can hear the thunderous rumbling of the Pha Kluay Mai Waterfall in the rainy season. But when the water recedes in the dry season, traces of volcanic lava flow, that originated hundreds of millions of years ago, are visible along with the “stone flower”, a new type of plant that emerges from the water. Adding to the overall beauty is the “wai daeng”, whose red flowers bloom in April on the cliff of the waterfall which is named after it.

Link said the opening of the nature walk celebrates Thai-German relations, which dates back to the reign of King Mongkut and became official when King Chulalongkorn visited Europe in 1897 and 1907. His Majesty’s trips marked the start of official diplomatic relations with European countries and strengthened ties between the Siamese court and some of the leading European countries. A Thai pavilion was built in Bad Homburg, Germany, to commemorate His Majesty’s visit.

Today, ties between Thailand and Germany have flourished in various fields including economic, academic and technology transfer, product enhancement promotion, sharing of technology in agriculture and environment, sustainable management of water resources and cooperation to develop neighbouring countries.

In terms of trade relations, the private sector in the early stages witnessed a wide range of trade. BGrimm, for instance, has been operating in Thailand for the past 144 years.

The company started out with a pharmaceutical business before entering into other types of ventures in the fields of industrial, healthcare, lifestyle and transport, with energy becoming its core venture.

All of these businesses have focused on creating benefits for society, the economy and the environment in Thailand, the company said.

Link added that the opening of the trail underscores the importance of natural resource conservation by the two countries. In addition, the cooperation also fulfils BGrimm’s vision of “conducting business with compassion for the development of civilisation in harmony with nature”, by focusing on creating benefits for people and society, placing importance on the environment and wildlife conservation.

Visitors will find the trail easy to complete – in 2-3 hours. Sport shoes or hiking boots are recommended, along with leech socks to protect against leeches in the rainy season. In the cold season, wild elephants forage in the area, so visitors must inform park rangers before going on a hike.

Visitors are also advised to bring along drinking water, a camera, a magnifying glass and a notebook.