Khao Yai National Park: Discovering the Exciting Wildlife in Korat

The Bear Team 7 min read

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If you are a nature lover and a true explorer, Thailand is one of the most exciting places to visit on Planet Earth. The Kingdom’s earth-shattering beauty is one of its main selling points in terms of tourism. If you want to explore one of Thailand's most untapped areas and breathtaking national parks, visiting Khao Yai National Park is a must!

Khao Yai National Park is easily one of Thailand's most famous and popular national parks and is home to lots of interesting wildlife, flora, and fauna. The park was established in 1962 and is known as Thailand’s first-ever national park. Most of the park is located in the Nakhon Ratchasima Province but also seeps over to Saraburi, Prachinburi, Khao Yai, and Nakhon Nayok.

Prepare yourself on a journey with us through the Khao Yai National Park, soaked with an exciting experience waiting for us.

 Fun Fact!

Khao Yai National Park is a true paradise for nature lovers. With lots of plants, birds, and animal species to observe, you can enjoy its biodiversity. Apart from flora and fauna, you can enjoy the three main waterfalls and hike to its tallest mountains. You can also spend the night at the rented bungalows or camp at the campsite.

Learn More About Khao Yai National Park

Stretching over a vast area of 2,168 square kilometers, Khao Yai National Park is also home to the Khao Rom mountain, the largest in the park at 1,351 meters high. The park's average altitudes range from 40 to 1,000 meters in height.

One of the park's most exciting and sought-after places is the Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex, which enjoys the status of a UNESCO World Heritage Site and stretches over five protected areas into Cambodia. Some of the park's most famous and protected areas include Thap Lan National Park, Pang Sida National Park, Dong Yai National Wildlife Sanctuary, and Ta Phraya National Park.

Wildlife at Khao Yai National Park

If you are an animal lover, visiting the park is absolutely for you. Many animals, insects, and birds live in the park’s natural habitat. When visiting the park, it is usual to see a variety of deer, such as barking and sambar deer varieties. Plentiful animal species in the park include elephants, gibbons, macaques, civets, and porcupines.

Although those aforementioned animals are standard in the park, you might see some other rare species, such as otters, dholes, bears, and jackals. You might have gotten to see a tiger at one time, but they haven’t been spotted in the park for a long time. There used to be some Siamese Crocodiles in the park, but they no longer inhabit these areas. If you are an avid bird watcher, Khao Yai National Park is home to about 300 bird species, both resident and migratory. Did you know that the park is home to the largest population of Hornbills?

Come along to check out a wide variety of bird species that include drongos, magpies, broadbills, barbets, scarlet minivets, Asian fairy bluebirds, trogons, pittas, mountain scops owls, woodpeckers, and many, many more. It is a bird-watching paradise. If you are coming to the park to see the birds, we recommend visiting during the dryer times of the year, from November to March. March and April are great because they’re significant bird migration times of the year.

If you're a fan of reptiles and snakes, Khao Yai National Park is also the ideal place to visit. The park has many snakes, such as pythons, the Chinese rat snake, the Ahaetulla prasina, and the Chinese water dragon. There are other lizard species in the park, too.

  Trivia!

The three waterfalls in Khao Yai National Park are Haew Narok, Pha Kluai Mai, and Haew SuWat.

Essential Things to Keep in Mind

Khao Yai National Park is also the kind of place you can visit for a full day to explore its stunning beauty. The park is open from 6 am to 6 pm every day of the week, although if your vehicle is already parked on the grounds of Khao Yai, you can leave later than 6 pm.

We recommend you visit on weekdays if possible to avoid the masses visiting the park on the weekends. If you want a peaceful experience, we suggest giving the park a miss on the bank and public holidays.

You can find the central entrance northwest of the park near the city of Pak Chong, which is in the Nakhon Ratchasima part of the park. There is another entrance to the south of the park at Nakhon Nayok.

Entrance fees to the park cost 400 THB per adult and 200 THB per child, although if you have a Thai driving license or a Thai student card, you can gain entrance for Thai prices. If you camp in the park or are staying at one of the bungalows, the entrance fee covers three days and nights in total.

Getting to Khao Yai National Park

Although most people visit Khao Yai National Park via a car or taxi or with a tour excursion company, there are numerous ways to find the park. The park is one of Thailand's most popular and visited natural habitats, so it’s set up to deal with visitors. The park's Visitor Center is just 13 km from the northern checkpoint area.

Public transport is an option if you are looking for a cheap way to get to the park. It is possible to reach Khao Yai from Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (Bangkok) via public transport, but please note that the main attractions are 14 km into the park. Having no means of transport can make things more difficult as no public transport is available in the park itself.

A good recommendation is to take a minivan taxi from Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (Bangkok) to Pak Chong City, and from there, you can get a Songtaew to the northern checkpoint inside the park. It can take around 4 to 5 hours to get from Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (Bangkok) to Khao Yai. Private taxis from Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (Bangkok) to Khao Yai can cost around 2,500 THB.

Staying at the National Park

Although numerous guest houses can be found near the national park area and many hotels nearby, you can also camp inside the park’s grounds. If you book a fully inclusive park tour, they usually include one of these aforementioned hotels or guesthouses, simplifying the experience.

You can rent some bungalows in the park that cost 800 THB for two people, or you can take the 8-people option for 2,400 THB. If you want to visit the park in a large group, bungalow prices will cost 9,000 THB for 20 people. There are also two campsites in the park where you can either bring your own tents or rent them for a nominal fee.

Khao Yai National Park Attractions

There are a number of things to see and do in Khao Yai National Park. Several waterfalls can be accessed via walkways. Two of the most visited and impressive waterfalls at the park include Haew Nerok Waterfall, one of the most stunning, and Haew Suwat Waterfall, located approximately 8 km from the visitor center.

The park has many amenities close to the visitor center, such as a restaurant and toilet facilities. There is also another restaurant near the Lam Takong Camp area, but please be warned that it is not always open, and there are only snacks available when it is.

The Khao Yai National Park is simply stunning when it comes to stunning natural beauty, impressive waterfalls, and a vast plethora of wildlife, insects, flora, and fauna. If you are backpacking through Thailand and want to camp to cut costs, we highly recommend two or three nights here.

So ensure you have your itinerary of one of Thailand's most exciting and famous national parks, the Khao Yai National Park.

  Did You Know?

Khao Yai was a National Park in 1962, becoming Thailand’s first-ever national park in 1984, which ASEAN Heritage Park declared. In 2005, it was proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Map & More Information

Khao Yai National Park, established in 1962, is Thailand's first national park, primarily in Nakhon Ratchasima Province. Today, it is one of the most visited national parks in the country and the third-largest, offering visitors an array of outdoor activities, including hiking and biking trails, breathtaking waterfalls, and wildlife viewing opportunities.