Khao Sok, Rachabrapah Dam and Communism
In 1984 approximately 850 villagers were flooded out of their villages by the completion of Rachabrapah Dam and the beginning of Cheow Lan Reservoir. 20 to 90 meters under the surface of the lake temples, Buddhas, schools, orchards, houses still stand along what was once the banks the Pasaeng River. Over 300 families were displaced in the process of filling the reservoir. The river had many native species of fish that now live in a lake or have moved up streams. Farmable deep-water fish have been added to this massive lake that can reach 180 kilos per fish, or more. Dam construction started in 1982 under the guise of a watershed and producing electricity. At the same time large logging companies were lining up for contracts to cut the tropical hardwoods below the reservoirs’ expected elevation level and a road was established in some areas for log extraction. The road is barley visible as a cut in the side of a slope and a bamboo maze has retaken if rightful place in the forest. Many of the families argued for the right to fish the lake and were granted. Other families built floating bungalow systems and began to attract tourists to the lake borders to see the plethora of animal and plant life still surviving relatively untouched by man. Tigers are still seen periodically as well as other large mammals, birds, insects, and unique topography.
The construction of the dam seems to have a secondary agenda as well because the area flooded was also home of the communists hiding for the previous 8 years and fighting from the jungle. Most of the communists were students with 30% being female and mostly self-sufficient growing rice, raising chickens and pigs, various fruits and caught fish in the streams. Both sides struggled with Malaria and infection but there was a primitive medical facility with beds and medicine eventually found by the Thai army. The Thai Army had a seriously difficult time finding the communist camps by helicopter and later on foot due to the heavy foliage and jungle canopy over such a vast area. If the army were spotted the communists would either hide or escape through cave systems and reset elsewhere. The one thing both sides agreed on was the protection of the wildlife. For the communists it was more for security, a gun shot could give away their position followed by a helicopter attack and then foot soldiers so it was forbidden for them to hunt wild game except out of self defense and then the meat would be shared and on alert.
I entered a few of these communist caves and walked through some of their croplands that have now mostly returned to the jungle but they are still recognizable due to tree barren tracks.
I’ve seen many of the bullet holes in the limestone at some of the cave entrances along with some massive spiders and hundreds of bats on the ceiling that the communists had to live with. The floor of the caves is feet thick in bat guano, which turns out to be a very good source of nitrogen for fertilizer. The stench of ammonia can be stifling.
If you come to Thailand and miss Khao Sok, you haven’t seen Thailand.
When the reservoir began to fill the communists had to retreat and in many cases slowly return to their family homes and dissolve their cause or go underground.
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