Freeland’s “Surviving Together” Programme

Project name:

Freeland’s “Surviving Together” programme

Location:

Khao Laem National Park, Western Thailand

Size of project area:

Khao Laem NP is 1,497km2
Protection activities will involve areas within the entire park with tiger monitoring areas covering a minimum of 180km2

Goal:

To enhance the conservation of Indochinese tigers by developing a comprehensive understanding of their ecological needs and habitat use, while fostering cross-border collaboration between protected areas and conservation organisations in Thailand and Myanmar. This partnership aims to expand and strengthen tiger habitats, ensuring long-term protection and population recovery. By safeguarding the Khao Laem sector of WEFCOM, the project will mitigate threats, support the recovery of tigers and their prey, and contribute to Thailand’s national goal of doubling its tiger population by 2034, as outlined in the Thai Tiger Action Plan (2022).

• Objective 1: Further improving understanding of tigers, prey and threats in KLNP
• Objective 2: Introduction of new park management technology & Capacity development for officials
• Objective 3: Reducing threats through Community Outreach

Background:

Thailand is one of the last strongholds for the Indochinese tiger (Panthera tigris corbetti). Thailand’s Western Forest Complex (WEFCOM) integrates 181 protected areas, including the pristine Thung Yai-Huai Kha Kheng World Heritage site. Through effective management, WEFCOM supports the largest single population of tigers remaining in mainland Southeast Asia. More than 130 individuals were recorded during 2023. As tigers increase within the source site, they are naturally dispersing to adjoining protected areas, including Khao Laem National Park, raising its significance as a tiger reserve.

Thailand is a key stronghold for the Indochinese tiger (Panthera tigris corbetti), home to the largest remaining population in mainland Southeast Asia. The Western Forest Complex (WEFCOM) spans 181 protected areas and is home to 75–80% of Thailand’s wild tigers (estimated 130 tigers as of 2023).

Khao Laem National Park, a vital connector within the Western Forest Complex, was believed to have lost its tigers after a dam submerged its lowland forests in 1984. However, in 2016, camera trap surveys by Freeland made a remarkable discovery—tigers had adapted to the park’s rugged highlands. However, survival remains challenging, with scarce prey, competition from other predators, and frequent human-wildlife conflict. These pressures are further intensified by habitat encroachment, snares, linear infrastructure development, and the risk of cross-species disease transmission.

Myanmar’s ongoing conflict adds another layer of complexity, fuelling transnational crime. The country has become the world’s largest producer of methamphetamine, and the drug trade drives impoverished communities into the forests on both sides of the border, leading to increased poaching. Wildlife traffickers and drug smugglers also exploit the same distribution routes, intertwining these crises.

Positioned on the frontline of these borderland challenges, Khao Laem requires adaptive conservation strategies. Since 2016, Freeland Foundation, in partnership with Thailand’s Department of National Parks and WildCats Conservation Alliance (from 2019 onwards), has worked to monitor tigers, mitigate threats, and safeguard this vital wildlife corridor.

Current work – Thailand’s Khao Laem Tigers

Freeland is expanding tiger conservation efforts in Khao Laem National Park, strengthening protection and capacity-building to maintain its role as a functional tiger reserve and accelerate population recovery.

Key activities include:

• Ranger training in ecological surveys, wildlife monitoring, intelligence gathering, and enforcement—essential in Thailand, where civilian firearm ownership is among the highest in Southeast Asia.
• Community engagement to build trust and cooperation, fostering local support for conservation.

These efforts are yielding results. Ongoing tiger, prey, and threat surveys confirm Khao Laem’s role as a vital wildlife corridor linking the upper and lower Western Forest Complex. The park supports a resident breeding tiger population, as well as transient individuals, while prey species show signs of recovery—offering hope for the future of Thailand’s tigers.