These mountains, together with the Sankamphaeng Range at their southern limit, form the Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex, which includes several national parks. This area was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2005. Altogether 6,155 km2 are protected in the complex. In mid-2016 UNESCO briefly considered placing the Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest on a list of endangered World Heritage sites because Thailand had not done enough to stop illegal logging of phayung (Siamese rosewood) trees.
