Khao Yai

Khao Yai is  the best national park in Thailand for regular visitors where it is relatively easy to see some impressive animals. Established in 1962 as Thailand’s first national park, it is the third largest national park in Thailand. Situated mainly in Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Khao Yai extends into Prachinburi, Saraburi and Nakhon Nayok provinces. The main checkpoint of the park is 180 km from Bangkok.

The park covers an area of 2,168 km², including rain/evergreen forests and grasslands. 1,351 meters tall Khao Rom is the highest mountain within the park. The average altitude of the national park ranges from 400 to 1,000 meters asl. Khao Yai is part of the Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex; a World Heritage Site declared by UNESCO, covering 5 protected areas from Khao Yai to Cambodian border. The other protected areas are; Pang Sida National Park, Thap Lan National Park, Ta Phraya National Park and Dong Yai Wildlife Sanctuary.

The rainy season is from May to October with high humidity and with the most rainfall in September. The rest of the year is quite dry. November to February are the winter months with cooler weather and average temperatures of 22 °C during the day and down to 9-10 °C during the night.