{"id":7069577,"date":"2026-09-29T03:09:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-29T03:09:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/adventure\/visiting-khao-yai-national-park-in-thailand\/"},"modified":"2026-09-29T03:09:00","modified_gmt":"2026-09-29T03:09:00","slug":"visiting-khao-yai-national-park-in-thailand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7069577","title":{"rendered":"Visiting Khao Yai National Park in Thailand"},"content":{"rendered":"


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While planning our road trip through Thailand, there was one place we were unsure about if we should go or not: Khao Yai National Park. The park wasn\u2019t exactly on our route, and I had already visited it before, way back in 2004. But\u2026 my partner, who was in Thailand for the first time, really wanted to see wild elephants. After some research and tweaks in our itinerary, we decided: we\u2019re going to Khao Yai! In this article, I\u2019ll tell you all about this remarkable national park, whether it\u2019s a good idea to go with a guide, and what you can (and can\u2019t) expect from it.<\/p>\n

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Table of Contents | Inhoudsopgave<\/p>\n

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The oldest national park in Thailand<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Established in 1962, Khao Yai National Park covers an area of \u200b\u200bover 2,000 square kilometers, making it one of Thailand\u2019s largest national parks. Located northeast of Bangkok, the park is best known for its immense variety of wildlife; it is a great place to spot elephants (spoiler: we didn\u2019t see any), as well as gibbons, macaques, and hornbills. It also features a stunning waterfall, Haew Suwat, famous for its appearance in the movie The Beach<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\"Haew
Haew Suat waterfall<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Our preparations for Khao Yai National Park<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Right up until shortly before we left for Thailand, we still hadn\u2019t made up our minds about whether to visit Khao Yai National Park independently or with a guide. We even put off the decision after arriving in Thailand. We love hiking, but some of the trails in Khao Yai can only be accessed with a local guide. On top of that, we\u2019d read stories about dangerous animals\u2014like snakes\u2014lurking everywhere. Would it really be wise to venture into the jungle on our own? The last time I was in Khao Yai, back in 2004, I went on a fully organized tour that was fantastic. But then again\u2026 you do end up with a fixed itinerary and very little freedom.<\/p>\n

In the end, just a few days before our arrival in Khao Yai, we decided to go for an organized tour after all. Through word of mouth, we came across Tontan Travel, which seemed to have good reviews. My partner is a biologist and was primarily interested in wildlife, so we ultimately decided to book a tour with Tontan Travel: the one-day wildlife tour. <\/p>\n

We paid a total of 6,000 Baht for this tour in 2025, equivalent to around 160 euros, or about 80 euros per person. We felt this was quite a high price for a tour, but given Tontan Travel\u2019s excellent reviews, we decided it was worth it. Transport to and from the park, entrance fees, lunch, drinking water, an English-speaking guide, and leech-proof socks are included.<\/p>\n

\"Jungle
Jungle hike in Khao Yai National Park<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Hornbills and snakes<\/h5>\n

We are picked up from our hotel at 8:00 AM and drive towards the national park, a journey of just under an hour. We have a private guide and are seated in the back of an open-top jeep. After entering the park, we drive to a viewpoint where we immediately spot our first piece of wildlife: a hornbill. Amazing! But\u2026 we do have to share the sighting with about 25 other people, mostly photographers.<\/p>\n

Our next stop involves a short walk through the jungle, though not before we pause again for a snake. Another guide spotted it; it turns out to be a green pit viper. To be fair, we never would have found it ourselves, as it blends in perfectly with the jungle surroundings.<\/p>\n

\"Uitzicht
View from Khai Yai National Park<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Fotografen
Photographers in Khao Yai National Park<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Neushoornvogel
Hornbill<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Khao Yai visitors center and jungle wa<\/strong>lk<\/h5>\n

Our next stop is at the national park visitor center, where we will have some time to look around. \u201cLook, a lizard,\u201d our guide shouts as he prepares his binoculars. It\u2019s easy to spot through binoculars, with the naked eye we would have just walked past it. We also get our leech protective socks, which we have to put on.<\/p>\n

After this we take a jungle walk of about 1.5 hours. First on a well paved trail, then the trails split and we step deep into the bush. There is a path, but it is clearly rarely used. There are many unofficial trails in this part and I am sure I would not have found my way back here without a guide.<\/p>\n

Along the way we encounter several greenpit vipers (they just hang in a tree right next to the trail) and a hornbill flutters above our heads. We also hear a gibbon, but unfortunately we don\u2019t see one.<\/p>\n

After about an hour and a half we return to the jeep. It was a very educational walk, we saw many small animals, I even had a leech on my shoulder, but I\u2019m glad I\u2019m out of the jungle again. I don\u2019t like the crawling and tickling of all the insects and other animals\u2026<\/p>\n

\"Slang
The greenpit viper<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Jungle
Our guide<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
A visit to Haew Suwat waterfall<\/h5>\n

After lunch, we make one final stop: at Haew Suwat Waterfall. This 20-meter-high waterfall gained fame from the movie The Beach<\/em>. To reach the waterfall, you first walk a short distance to a viewpoint. If you are sure-footed, you can continue walking down to the base; this path is a bit more challenging and can be slippery at times.<\/p>\n

After visiting the waterfall, which is beautifully full since we are traveling during the rainy season, we walk back to the jeep where our guide is waiting. It\u2019s time to head back to our hotel, and of course, we hope to spot some elephants along the way. We had already heard that October isn\u2019t the best time for elephant sightings (there are about 200\u2013300 living in the park), but who knows we might get lucky\u2026<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, we don\u2019t see any elephants in Khao Yai National Park. On the way back, we see nothing but large numbers of macaques all along the roadside. They make for a nice photo, but we are still somewhat disappointed.<\/p>\n

\"Haew
The waterfall from the first viewpoint<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Haew
Haew Suat waterfall Khao Yai<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Is Khao Yai National Park worth a visit?<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Did we find Khao Yai National Park worth the visit? Our answer is both yes and no. It requires a bit more explanation.<\/p>\n

First of all, we believe that without our guide, we wouldn\u2019t have seen nearly as much wildlife as we did. He pointed out so many things to us, and his knowledge was excellent. In that respect, Tontan Travel certainly didn\u2019t disappoint. The snakes and hornbills, in particular, made a big impression. If you hike independently, which is only permitted on a few trails, you easily overlook the insects and reptiles often hidden within the jungle.<\/p>\n

But\u2026 the answer is also \u201cno\u201d because we followed the exact same route as all the other tours. You more or less race through the park in a jeep, just one of many groups. At least, that\u2019s how it felt to us. We were also disappointed, of course, not to see any elephants. We had hoped to stay a bit longer, but the guide was quite firm as we drove out of the park: no elephants today. Had we traveled in our own car, we could have deviated from the organized tour schedules and done our own thing.<\/p>\n

Is it worth hiring a guide? Absolutely. Is it worth the price? I can\u2019t speak to your budget, but looking back, we felt it was worth it.<\/p>\n

\"Varaan
A big lizzard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Tips for your visit to Khao Yai National Park<\/strong><\/h5>\n

I\u2019ll wrap up this article about our visit to Khao Yai National Park with a few more tips for your visit:<\/p>\n