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| Viewpoint |
Khao Yai is a mountain rainforest listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Natural site. It is the third-largest park in the country and is probably the most visited due to its rich natural environment.
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| Riverview at the Headquarters |
It is covered by dense rainforest with grasslands on its highest points with a few lakes, rivers, waterholes and even two spectacular waterfalls. Due to its relative altitude of about 1,000 meters above sea level, the park has a cool atmosphere in a region that is well-known for its air purity in the whole country.
The elephant population of the park has often been in the news lately for showing its anger to the too many visiting cars in the area. It even obliged the authorities to close down the park in order to stop the flow of oncoming vehicles.
There are many bike or pedestrian trails that allow visitors to get a closer and quieter look at the countryside and its rich wildlife. As expected, the park is home to a huge variety of birds among which some spectacular hornbills. There are also many birds of prey such as eagles, falcons or owls, and a large and varied population of stilt birds. Woodpeckers and kingfishers are a common sight. It is common to encounter fowls such as pheasants and partridges walk across the roads. Deer are seen a bit everywhere in the park, including the barking deer. Among the many snakes found, there are vipers, pythons, coral snakes, cobras and king cobras. Geckos, lizards and monitors are everywhere. There
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| Waterfall |
used to be a few Asian crocodiles along one of the river trails, but it seems the population is disappearing. Yet, a few months ago the press reported that a French girl had been seriously been bitten by one as she was trying to take a selfie! Macaques are also a common sight but Khao Yai has also a colony of rarely seen gibbons. It seems that the tiger population has migrated to other neighboring parks, but there are still clouded leopards and one species of jackal. Porcupines, pangolins, mongooses also live in this area. In the forest, expect the leeches, so you ought to be dressed accordingly. Another common inhabitant of the park is the sun bear. But of course hares, squirrels, turtles, toads, frogs, moonrats or bats can also be commonly seen.
The park covers a huge territory. It is possible to stay in a park lodge although the number of accommodations is limited and ought to be booked well in advance.
Unfortunately, this park practices a segregated double policy of fee entrance where of course foreign visitors pay a much higher price (400B/adult, 200B/child for one day only, and this does not include the price of the type of vehicle you have).
There have been many complaints about such a practice, which is unjustified and certainly not a welcoming sign to foreign visitors. There is a wide online campaign running against this out-of-date discriminatory practice, which is perceived very negatively in our time.
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Despite the polemic about the entrance fee – which, by the way, is also openly practised by other Southeast Asian nations – Khao Yai remains a fabulous destination for all Nature-lovers. Hopefully, the Thai authorities will redefine the fees, particularly at a time when the cost of living in Thailand has increased. And this factor has had already a serious impact on the number of visitors coming to the country for a holiday.
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| Khao Yai major attractions |
Useful links:
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Khao Yai map
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| Water reservoir |
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| Grassland |
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Rapids
In the rainforest
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| Deer grazing by a river |
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| Above a waterfall |
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| Monks on a suspended bridge |
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