Khao Laem Ya–Mu Ko Samet National Park
| Khao Laem Ya–Mu Ko Samet National Park | |
|---|---|
| เขาแหลมหญ้า-หมู่เกาะเสม็ด | |
West coast of Ko Samet | |
| Location | Rayong Province, Thailand |
| Nearest city | Rayong |
| Coordinates | 12°35′27″N 101°25′01″E / 12.59083°N 101.41694°E |
| Area | 131 km2 (51 sq mi) |
| Established | 1981 |
| Visitors | 1,619,908 (in 2019) |
| Governing body | Department of National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) |
Khao Laem Ya–Mu Ko Samet (Thai: เขาแหลมหญ้า-หมู่เกาะเสม็ด) is a Thai marine national park in the Gulf of Thailand off the coastline of Rayong, approximately 180 km southeast of Bangkok.
In 1981, the Royal Forest Department declared the archipelago of Ko Samet, along with nine other small islands, the headland of Khao Laem Ya, and the 11 kilometre Mae Rampeung Beach to be a national park, and thus these areas are under the jurisdiction of the national parks department. In August 2013 more than 500 national park officials were deployed to destroy three resorts—Muk Samet, Unseen, and Ploy Samet—which had been built illegally in the park.