Khao Yai Park

[kingalfred]

Visiting Khao Yai over the End of year holiday and looking for advice on places to see in the park and tips based on experience.I don't really like to join tour groups and like to get up high in some of the peaks/ mountains. Welcome some info Thanks

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[craigt3365]

I'm not sure what you are expecting.  My experiences with Thai national parks has been...well....a bit depressing.  Crowded, run down facilities and run down park facilities.  It's a huge disappointment if you are use to what's available in Europe.  IMHO.

 

Khao Yai will be massively crowded.

[kingalfred]

Oh sounds sad


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[SpokaneAl]

We drove through that area a couple of weeks ago. The traffic jams were horrendous.


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[Spaniel]

My wife and I visit Khao Yai a few times a year for a few nights camping.     You mentioned in your post that you would be there for a "end of year holiday" so does that mean around 30th to 2nd Jan?      If so you could not have picked a worse time to go!     The crowds in the park on any weekend are terrible and I suspect they will be even worse over the NY holiday.       Do you plan to stay in the park or a hotel outside the gate?     Either way best to have a reservation at the hotel and if camping get there early to stake out a spot in one of the two camping areas as camping is only allowed at those two locations.       My recommendation, if possible, try to reschdule your trip for the week before NY weekend, 26 to 30 December.     

[kingalfred]

Thanks , I am going 26-30 December ( by rail)staying in a lodge north of the park on road to Pak Chong and hoping to get local transport to the park ( told there are buses to park on route) any tips?


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[Spaniel]

So you will be arriving by train at Pak Chong, then will somebody from the lodge where you are staying pick you up?     Or will you hire one of the many trucks that will probably be waiting for passengers at the train station?      I recall some kind of bus service into the park but for sightseeing purposes I don't think it would be a good choice.      If you speak Thai or have a Thai speaker with you then I think the best choice would be to hire a truck for the day to take you into the park, shuttle you around  and return to your hotel at the end of the day.     Lots of trucks around and if you have to catch one at the train station to the hotel then you might make a deal with him for for the trip to the park too.   I drive my car when we go so I have no idea what they would charge for this.     About 10 or so kilometers from the main gate you will come to the Park Hdq/Visitors Center so you will want to stop there for maps etc.      

[kingalfred]

Just want to get to lodge from Train station. Half way along the road to Khao yai about 7-8kms. Why is it not good idea to take public transport on this route? I'm not looking to hire trucks in park. This is budget trip


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[Mousehound]

Staying outside the park and getting a guide to take you around is the way to go.  I have been several times and have had a great time.  I usually go late December/January.  Excellent for wildlife photography.  I stay at Greenleaf - but there are plenty of more upmarket places to stay.  Khun 9  runs excellent guided tours and really knows his stuff.  You can join a group or go solo.  They will also drop you off outside the gates if you prefer as there are some long hikes along the edge of the park that are pretty good.  It is nice up at the higher altitudes though and although there were people where we were there were not many.  The camping areas were packed however and the toilets .... well, interesting.

[Mousehound]

3 minutes ago, kingalfred said:

Just want to get to lodge from Train station. Half way along the road to Khao yai about 7-8kms. Why is it not good idea to take public transport on this route? I'm not looking to hire trucks in park. This is budget trip


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OK just saw this come up as I was sending my last post.  If on a budget stay outside the park for approx. 300Bht and get a lift to the Park entrance. The Park entry fee is quite high.  Strike off to the side before you get to the entrance. and you will find some good trails.  Don't get lost.  This last is a serious comment.  Khao Yai is big and it very easy to get lost even a few meters into the jungle - I have seen it happen.  So make sure you stick on paths and mark turnings and have a GPS.

[Spaniel]

14 hours ago, kingalfred said:

Just want to get to lodge from Train station. Half way along the road to Khao yai about 7-8kms. Why is it not good idea to take public transport on this route? I'm not looking to hire trucks in park. This is budget trip


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I meant not a good idea to take public transportation in the park.    From the train station to your hotel is ok.

[Fairynuff]

How are you planning to get around in the park? It's vast and not walkable. To get on specific trails you need transport just to reach them. Facilities inside the park leave a lot to be desired. Toilets, bad, food very limited and very poor. I'm glad my few trips were when they still accepted a DL. If they don't accept it next time I go I'll just turn my car around and leave

[SOUTHERNSTAR]

You are going the wrong time of the year but if you cant change your dates here are two things you can do. You can get a guided forest walk which is great as you can be alone with your guide and its not crowded and you can go to the local vineyard.

[Mousehound]

6 minutes ago, SOUTHERNSTAR said:

You are going the wrong time of the year but if you cant change your dates here are two things you can do. You can get a guided forest walk which is great as you can be alone with your guide and its not crowded and you can go to the local vineyard.

That's a broad statement.  For me it is the perfect time of year.  Cool and excellent bird watching and photography.  Also dry and not so many leeches. Took this shot January.

[SOUTHERNSTAR]

13 minutes ago, Mousehound said:

That's a broad statement.  For me it is the perfect time of year.  Cool and excellent bird watching and photography.  Also dry and not so many leeches. Took this shot January.

Have you ever been at Khao Yai on new year ? There are thousands of people, traffic jams, shouting. loud music, dirty toilets and littering. You took this picture in January which is a different story from new year. Yes January and early February are great time to visit that area and other areas up north, but as a rule avoid public holidays and weekend when visiting national parks.

[Mousehound]

4 minutes ago, SOUTHERNSTAR said:

Have you ever been at Khao Yai on new year ? There are thousands of people, traffic jams, shouting. loud music, dirty toilets and littering. You took this picture in January which is a different story from new year. Yes January and early February are great time to visit that area and other areas up north, but as a rule avoid public holidays and weekend when visiting national parks.

This was taken on the 3rd of January.  The poster is talking about going on the 26th of December.  I had a guided tour and he kept us away from the crowds.  This was my fifth visit at this time of year to Khao Yai.  I spend many weeks a year filming in National Parks - mostly in December and January and yes parts  are packed but most visitors are not into serious wildlife - which I am.  For this I get out of the main drag so to speak.  Getting harder to do now that some trails are closed by the rangers owing to over use.  However, that is the value of a good guide. "getting up to the Peaks is really hard except for those high areas accessible by road and these tend to get traffic.  If this is a seriously shoe string visit, as has been indicated, I would recommend not actually entering the park but working around the periphery - as I have stated earlier.  Got some great views of Hornbills without even going into the park.  But this means no higher altitude stuff. Check out some of the birding sites that talk about Khao Yai.  By the way I think there are better parks for wildlife than Khao Yai but you really have to have your own wheels for those.  Camping in the park would, I guess,  get around the daily cost of entry and give more opportunity for exploring but the size of the Park means that without transport you are very limited. I know of one visitor that did well with a mountain bike.  Brought it up on the train and stayed in the Park for a couple of weeks.  As stated food is not great - but better than school lunches.  With the overcrowded camping areas I found the toilets etc were an adventure.

[SOUTHERNSTAR]

20 minutes ago, Mousehound said:

This was taken on the 3rd of January.  The poster is talking about going on the 26th of December.  I had a guided tour and he kept us away from the crowds.  This was my fifth visit at this time of year to Khao Yai.  I spend many weeks a year filming in National Parks - mostly in December and January and yes parts  are packed but most visitors are not into serious wildlife - which I am.  For this I get out of the main drag so to speak.  Getting harder to do now that some trails are closed by the rangers owing to over use.  However, that is the value of a good guide. "getting up to the Peaks is really hard except for those high areas accessible by road and these tend to get traffic.  If this is a seriously shoe string visit, as has been indicated, I would recommend not actually entering the park but working around the periphery - as I have stated earlier.  Got some great views of Hornbills without even going into the park.  But this means no higher altitude stuff. Check out some of the birding sites that talk about Khao Yai.  By the way I think there are better parks for wildlife than Khao Yai but you really have to have your own wheels for those.  Camping in the park would, I guess,  get around the daily cost of entry and give more opportunity for exploring but the size of the Park means that without transport you are very limited. I know of one visitor that did well with a mountain bike.  Brought it up on the train and stayed in the Park for a couple of weeks.  As stated food is not great - but better than school lunches.  With the overcrowded camping areas I found the toilets etc were an adventure.

Agree with you that he should stay outside the park. Have you been up to the the north west of the country Mae hong son area next to the Nam sa nga ?  Great area for birding with few people. 

[Mousehound]

32 minutes ago, SOUTHERNSTAR said:

Agree with you that he should stay outside the park. Have you been up to the the north west of the country Mae hong son area next to the Nam sa nga ?  Great area for birding with few people. 

I was going up to Mae Hong Son area with a fellow scientist but my plans changed.  He goes every year and loves it.  I like the Chiang Dao area a lot.  Mallee' s is the place to stay of course if you are a birder.  Going up the mountain is a treat but the lowlands and foothills can be more productive in some ways.  Doi Inthanon is great - especially for butterflies as well as birds.  To be honest in the cooler months most places turn up birds with the hot and wet months being the best for insects.  My pal is a botanist so there is never a dull moment.  I would like to spend the rest of my days just observing and recording this wonderful country.  But next stop is actually Vietnam.  I hope to get back for a visit to Khao Yai in July as this is a time I have never been there.  Conditions would be difficult but could throw up stuff I have not seen before.  The great advantage for me with KY is it is so easy to get to from BKK. I usually go up on the bus from Mo Chit.  From KY I usually head out to Phi Mai and surrounds for a day or so. 

[DSJPC]

if u see a bull elephant with only one tusk on the road, stay out of his way!...he can be aggressive...and don't feed the monkeys...

[Chongalulu]

3 hours ago, Fairynuff said:

How are you planning to get around in the park? It's vast and not walkable. To get on specific trails you need transport just to reach them. Facilities inside the park leave a lot to be desired. Toilets, bad, food very limited and very poor. I'm glad my few trips were when they still accepted a DL. If they don't accept it next time I go I'll just turn my car around and leave

Save yourself the trip then,just did it two weeks ago and they don't,400 baht. Pretty underwhelming place too.

[elgordo38]

18 hours ago, Mousehound said:

The camping areas were packed however and the toilets .... well, interesting.

Brings back memories. I just had a mental holiday with all the advice. I think your good to go the advice is outstanding. Yes there are helpful lurkers here. 

[Grubster]

On 12/20/2016 at 5:25 PM, kingalfred said:

Oh sounds sad


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I went there in April one year and I really thought it was nice, pay attention to the fauna there as some is unique to this park. Some of the vines on the big trees are the biggest I've ever seen, maybe 8" in diameter.  Good chance of seeing some big water monitors in or near the waterfall pools. Looks like you are getting some good info from others here. I do think it would be good to have a plan before going there, I did not but it is much less busy in April.

[SOUTHERNSTAR]

2 hours ago, Mousehound said:

I was going up to Mae Hong Son area with a fellow scientist but my plans changed.  He goes every year and loves it.  I like the Chiang Dao area a lot.  Mallee' s is the place to stay of course if you are a birder.  Going up the mountain is a treat but the lowlands and foothills can be more productive in some ways.  Doi Inthanon is great - especially for butterflies as well as birds.  To be honest in the cooler months most places turn up birds with the hot and wet months being the best for insects.  My pal is a botanist so there is never a dull moment.  I would like to spend the rest of my days just observing and recording this wonderful country.  But next stop is actually Vietnam.  I hope to get back for a visit to Khao Yai in July as this is a time I have never been there.  Conditions would be difficult but could throw up stuff I have not seen before.  The great advantage for me with KY is it is so easy to get to from BKK. I usually go up on the bus from Mo Chit.  From KY I usually head out to Phi Mai and surrounds for a day or so. 

If your friend is into butterflies he should come to Pala U waterfall in June/July for the butterfly show. Last time we were there during this time there were millions around. We have a secret camping site at the back of Chiang Dao from where we explore the area on foot.

[Spaniel]

Well, how did the trip go?