Pak Chong + Khao Yai - Your Best Tips?

[henrik2000]

 

Hello, what are your secrets about Pak Chong, Khao Yai National Park and surroundings? I have the guidebook and studied several online sources incl. Trip Advisor. Still i would like to ask if you have any special tips that might not be published widely. I will spend a week in Pak Chong town and will have a car available. I use Google Maps for navigation.

 

Some things that interest me:

- nature walks, bicycling not only in the National Park, but also around villages starting from Pak Chong (have all the NP information and will visit the ranger station for even more)

- Thai people watching (not tourgroups though)

- perhaps using an automatic motorscooter for more countryside exploring

- Thai live music like luukthung, morlam (sometimes called country music) or pleua-chivit (songs for life) – but not Thai rock or pop or soapy dinner muzak

- massage (not in an expensive faux European resort)

- to rent a *decent* bicycle for a few days for day trips into the countryside (not a bad bicycle)

- trying a few wines without chichi or tourgroup and without more scheduled program (maybe in a pub) (no plan to buy any bottled wine, just curious about the Thai wines)

- walking and snapping (not myself) around grapevines without guide and tourgroup

- atmospheric open-air restaurants with wood floor (if not overrun by tourgroups) and Thai-oriented pubs

- real Italian food (pizza not sagging, but thin and crisp); good strong coffee without fumes from frying chilis

- nature photography with dedicated camera

 

Some things i don't like or need:

- animal spotting, even less on night excursions

- golf

- being part of a guided group on a default trail

- Hi-so places, obtrusively chic places and faux European countryside places

- sweets like chocolate or sweet cakes

 

I have been to Wang Nam Khiao and northern Thailand previously. Some restaurants etc around Pak Chong i'm aware of: Sports Bar, Waterside, Ban Mai Chai Nam, night market, Hilltop Chalet, Krua Khao Yai, Witches Brew, E.A.T. (has live music?), Terano, Raan Gaafae, Birders Lodge, Well Wich, Mae Fai.

 

Thanks for all your insights!

[chrissables]

Be prepared to pay 10 times the price for entrance to the park than Thai people. If still interested in being ripped off, try and fit the park sites into a day rather than getting ripped off even more over two or three trips.

[Chongalulu]

Prepare to be underwhelmed. Each day in the park will be 400 baht for farang and there really isn't enough to see and do to occupy a whole week around Pak chong. There are some quite nice drives around the hills there but it's hardly spectacular and all you want to see in khao Yai can largely be done in a day unless you're really into trekking etc. Pak chong itself although nicer than many towns has not much to offer above many typical inland Thai towns. Was there a couple of weeks ago,two nights was sufficient.

[flyingdoc]

There is in fact a great deal to see in the NP, but it takes time and detailed research to discover it. As a matter of interest, why woud you want to spend time in an NP like that in Khaoyai if you are not interested in animals? There is an incredible diversity in this particular NP including the famed Giant Hornbill if one is prepared to spend the time observing !

[dick turpin]

 "Hi-so places, obtrusively chic places and faux European countryside places"

 

Oh dear......

[chrisandsu]

On 1/3/2017 at 2:47 PM, dick turpin said:

 "Hi-so places, obtrusively chic places and faux European countryside places"

 

Oh dear......

Not sure what the oh dear means ? Pak Chong is ram jammed full

of Italian themed places . It's utter gash . The park is excellent though and yes it is a rip off with farang prices . the back roads from

pak Chong to wam Nan khio (sic) is stunning and well

worth a look . You have to try and keep away from all the rubbish resorts (which is hard to do) honestly though it's like many other tourist places in thailand . If you don't like wildlife then it will

ne a bit rubbish .