Home Visiting Thailand Visit Khao Yai National Park in Thailand, complete guide

Visit Khao Yai National Park in Thailand, complete guide

by Pierre To
8 minutes to read
Visit Khao Yai National Park in Thailand

Khao Yai National Park is a must-see for all nature lovers in travel to ThailandIt is one of the largest and most renowned parks in the country.

Description

Located less than 3 hours drive from Bangkok (200km), the Khao Yai National Park The beauty and richness of its flora and fauna captivate visitors.

The park has an area of 2,168 km² and straddles four provinces: Nakhon Ratchasima, Saraburi, Prachinburi and Nakhon Nayok.

Location of Khao Yai ParkIt is home to the largest monsoon forest on the Asian continent and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an ASEAN National Heritage Site.

The Khao Yai Park The park has more than 2000 plant species and as the park reaches an altitude of 1351m, different species can be distinguished depending on the elevation: rainforest, mixed, evergreen, deciduous.

The highest peak is the Khao Rom (1,351 m), there are also numerous waterfalls including the famous Haew Narok Falls and Haew Suwat which were used for the filming of the movie "The Beach" with Leonardo DiCaprio.

Haeo Suwat Waterfall

Heo Suwat (or haew Suwat) waterfall

The wildlife of Khao Yai

Mammals

The park has nearly 70 species of mammals including 250 wild elephants, leopards, deer, bears, tigers, wild pigs and macaque monkeys, gibbons and rare species of bats in the caves.

Macaque (Macaca leonina)
Macaque (Macaca leonina)
Malaysian porcupine
Malaysian porcupine
wild elephants
wild elephants
Barking deer
Barking deer

The danger of wild elephants

Coming across wild elephants can be a wonderful experience but can also be dangerous, here is a video giving some advice in case of an encounter with wild elephants :

Afterwards, it's like with the packs of dogsIf they don't feel fear there should be no danger, as in the video below (2 days in the jungle).

The birds

There are about 300 species of birds including different types of hornbills, red-headed trogons and scratched beards.

Bicorn Hornbill
Bicorn Hornbill
Spotted Barbet
Spotted Barbet
Red-headed Trogon
Red-headed Trogon

Insects, reptiles and other...

There are also many species of spiders, ants and worms in the forests, as well as snakes, monitor lizards and crocodiles, with which it is not advisable to take selfies!

See :
French woman bitten by a crocodile while trying to take a selfie

Macracantha arcuata spider in Khao Yai Park
Spider Macracantha arcuata
viper Trimeresurus vogeli
viper Trimeresurus vogeli
Varan
varan (Varanus salvator komaini)

Practical information

Entrance to the park costs 400 baht for an adult and 200 baht for a child.

You can then stay in the park for as long as you like and only have to pay again if you leave.

Don't come in sandals, bring closed walking shoes and long trousers, to protect yourself from snakes but especially from leeches.

see also :
Dangerous animals to know in Thailand

Park entrance and reception

The first thing you will see after entering the park from the north is an altar dedicated to Chao Por Khao Yai (the sacred spirit of Khao Yai).

You can light incense and kneel down like Thai visitors to ask the spirit to protect you, so you don't get eaten by a tiger, crocodile or crushed by an elephant 😉 .

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The visitor centre is located 15 kilometres south of the north gate, where English-speaking staff provide maps and information on guides, accommodation and hiking.

There are also bikes for hire, a food court, a gift shop and a museum.

There are many walks you can do on your own, but it is advisable to take a guide for longer walks and also to see more animals, it usually costs 500 baht for the day.

Find a hotel in Khao Yai

You can find the best hotel deals in Khao Yai with Booking.com

Getting to Khao Yai National Park

You can get an idea of the cost of transport or book your tickets with our partner 12go.asia :

Powered by 12GB system

The small town of Pak Chongto the north, serves as the gateway to the Khao Yai National ParkIt is easily accessible from the capital.

The southern gate of the park seems closer to Bangkok, but as there is no direct highway, fewer accommodation options and the park headquarters is far from the southern gate, most people use the southern gate to get to the park. Pak Chong as a starting point to visit the Khao Yai Park.

Many travel agencies and hotels offer the trip from Bangkok, but you can also go by yourself:

By minibus

Minibuses leave directly to Pak Chong from Victory Monument Station in Bangkok, departing every two hours and costing 180 baht.

The best way to get there is to go to the metro station BTS Victory Monument which is right next door.

By bus

Buses leave approximately every half hour from the northern terminal of Mo-Chit in Bangkok (about 180 baht).

Pak Chong is on the way to Nakhon Ratchassima (Korat), which is the main road to the Isan region, so you are sure to catch a bus easily, just make sure there is a stop at Pak Chong.

Getting from Pak Chong to Khao Yai

À Pak ChongEvery half hour, songthaew pass along the Thanarad Road To the entrance of the park.

You can also easily rent motorbikes in Pak ChongThe price is between 300 and 500 baht.

By train

Trains leave from Hualampong station in Bangkok 4 times a day but the journey takes 4-5 hours, so it's probably not the best way to get there.

To see the train timetable click here.

Other pictures of Khao Yai

Khao Yai landscape
Khao Yai landscape
back elephants
elephants
Asian elephant of Khao Yai
Asian Elephant in Khao Yai
dipterocarp in Khao Yai
Dipterocarp in Khao Yai
Eastern Giant Squirrel
Eastern Giant Squirrel
Female sambar deer
Female sambar deer

Video on Khao Yai

Alexandre and Solenne, from France, stayed two days in the Khao Yai jungle :

Maps of Khao Yai

Accommodation map

Maps of hotels in Khao Yai

Maps of possible walks and treks

Map of trekking in Khao Yai

Map of Pak Chong

Map of pak-chong-


See also : 5 national parks to discover in Thailand

Source: khaoyaiguide.com Haeo Suwat waterfall: Chris huh; landscape: Eigenes Werk; dipterocarp: Blaise Droz; Asian elephant: Eigenes Werk; female sambar deer: Blaise Droz; cliff photographer: Paxzcasso; wild elephants: Mammalwatcher; back elephants: Khunkay; monitor (Varanus salvator komaini): Lip Kee; Red-headed Trogon: JJ Harrison; Macaque (Macaca leonina): JJ Harrison; Bicorn Hornbill: Chris huh; Barking Deer: Rushenb; Spotted Barbet: Rushenb; Eastern Giant Squirrel: JJ Harrison; Malayan Porcupine: Rushenb; Trimeresurus vogeli Viper: Rushenb

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