The UNESCO criteria for natural world heritage areas are forest fertility and national and international biodiversity values. There are a range of forest ecologies, including moist evergreen forest, hill evergreen forest, dry evergreen forest, mixed deciduous forest and dipterocarp forest. These provide a home for a variety of flora and fauna, including mammals, birds and reptiles which are listed as endangered.
All of these outstanding features prove the value of Dong payayen-Khaoyai forest complements and justifies the consensus of the UNESCO World Heritage committee in approving it as a Natural World Heritage site on 14the July 2005.