Khao Yai national Park - ever been? How to get there?

Hi

Last April at Songkhran, I very briefly visited the Khao Yai National park when I was on my way back from Khorat. We just got off the bus at Pak Chong and took a lorry-type song-thaew from their to the park entrance, had a wander about for a while, and then returned

I'd like to return there c#sometime, but I am not really sure how to get there from Bangkok, or where to stay inside the park.

Has anyone been there recently? What's the best way there? And how does one rent a cabin there? Are there hotels inside there?

Or what about a tour from Pak Chong? I know there are minvans in Pak Chong that do tours for about 1,500 baht, but we were too late to get one last time.

hire a car at airport - follow the road out towards Korat (Nakon Rathchasima) (1500 baht per day)

you'll see the signs to Khao Yai before that.

plenty of accomodation offers outside the park - hotels/resorts/golf resorts of various prices and u can camp inside the park (the camp sites have shops that hire crap tents, blankets, stoves etc etc. and also have resterunats etc)

and don't forget your golf clubs :)

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Originally Posted by kingwillyhggtb

hire a car at airport - follow the road out towards Korat (Nakon Rathchasima) (1500 baht per day)

you'll see the signs to Khao Yai before that.

plenty of accomodation offers outside the park - hotels/resorts/golf resorts of various prices and u can camp inside the park (the camp sites have shops that hire crap tents, blankets, stoves etc etc. and also have resterunats etc)

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Thanks for the reply.
Is the airport the only place to hire a car in BKK? I don't live far from there, as it happens, but if there was some other place, it might be handier. Having said that, it's probably the best, cos I can get straight out on the main drag towards Khorat. Is 1500 baht a day about the going rate?

I can get to Khao Yai OK, but it's inside that's the problem. We only ventured in a few hundred meters cos we had no transport.

I suppose the best thing is to just get there in a car, drive around and familiarise myself with it, and look for a hotel. If the worst comes to the worst, I can drive to Pak Chong and stay in the place I stayed last time - only 450 baht a night too and not bad.

BTW, what's the camping like there?

and don't forget your golf clubs :)

few places to hire around wireless road etc.

about 1500 is the going rate - depends on car and if u get a deal or not

you'll need a car in KY - its huge.

camping is not bad (thai style) - ie loads of close neighbours, guitars, whiskey, etc etc sit around talking loudly all day and night.

but fun.

No guitars or loud noise allowed in Khao Yai.

They are strict on that.

^ pigs arse!

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Originally Posted by kingwillyhggtb

few places to hire around wireless road etc.

about 1500 is the going rate - depends on car and if u get a deal or not

you'll need a car in KY - its huge.

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Yeah, I know! When I went with this girl, she got us the song-thaew to the entrance, and then we were stuck there! What she didn't tell me until later, the daft tart, was that the driver had offered to do us a quick tour round (for a price) but she'd refused as she didn't want me to get ripped off. I have no idea what he'd have charged, but I'd have happily paid a reasonable amount for a quick tour round and a look at the odd waterfall.

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camping is not bad (thai style) - ie loads of close neighbours, guitars, whiskey, etc etc sit around talking loudly all day and night.

but fun.

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You sure? :) Doesn't sound that way!

I always want to go to Khao Yai. I've talked about this for ages but it seems not to happen. :(

[

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camping is not bad (thai style) - ie loads of close neighbours, guitars, whiskey, etc etc sit around talking loudly all day and night.

but fun.

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You sure? :) Doesn't sound that way![/quote]

hence the reason i said thai style - what i meant was that for camping in thai style it pretty reasonable. (tiolet blocks - green fields pathways etc.)

if u like western style camping (on your own remote location wilderness.... umm forget it.)

avoid week ends and hollydays, looks like the Thais drive to just cross the place quick and no interest in jungle or animals, it's just a short cut for them to pass through may be...

during week days it's fine, less cars more animals... if you enter from Pak Chong side, once you are uphill start to look at top of the huge trees, there are nests of the Hornbill birds, impressive if they fly around...

Top of the hill there is a house, fire station, rigth after this a spot with a view, if i understood correctly it is down there that the million baht cave is... they fly out at dawn..

At the second housing place, there is a museum, and if you venture a bit back of the museum you will find 2 hanging bridges, funny to cross and take pics but the place is full of bloodsuckers at wet season, so check your legs for intruders once your back... the suckers work as well near the restaurant, some times you see all the people jumping and dancig around trying to get rid of them...they look like small worms, walk by bending body to U shape and can jump up to your knees...

I made the visit quite often and now we try to enter mid day to reach the " not Di carpio fall ", so when we return it starts to get dark and we can spot different animals venturing then... have fun, great place...

I have a thread on here about Khao Yai and the wineries

linky pls

I used to go there every 2-3 weeks on a Sunday for a little ride out from Don Muang on one of my bikes . Only took me an hour and a half. Weekends, plenty of Thais go from BKK on their little nifty 150 or in a pick up.
Alternatively you can get a bus for Aranyaprathet/Kabinburi/Sa Kaeow and get off at Khao Yai. Buses run from Morchit and Rangsit.

Weekdays are better and obviously quieter and you'll probably get to see more wildlife running across the road especially if you use your own transport. In a crowded tour bus or songtaew,mmmm...I'm not too sure.

There's plenty of hiking trails but to get to see anything at the end of them requires a long walk. There is a waterfall right next to a parking lot and eating area and a few easily accessible viewing points.

There's accomodation at both northern and southern entrances that I think will cater for any budget as well as travel lodges and camping spots near the center of the park.

No need to head for Pak Chong from BKK. Head for Rangsit then Nakhon Nayok then Khao Yai.

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linky pls

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You rubbished it

Or have you forgotten

[quote=Mister Fixit;160406 I can drive to Pak Chong and stay in the place I stayed last time - only 450 baht a night too and not bad.[/quote]
Is that the English style place you are referring to? its a very pleasant place. Buggered If I can remember the name of it tho'.

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Originally Posted by Goddess of Whatever

I always want to go to Khao Yai. I've talked about this for ages but it seems not to happen. :(

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Maybe you need to change your ol man for somebody more, well Ahhh, how can I say this ? adventurous.

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Originally Posted by Gazza

I used to go there every 2-3 weeks on a Sunday for a little ride out from Don Muang on one of my bikes . Only took me an hour and a half. Weekends, plenty of Thais go from BKK on their little nifty 150 or in a pick up.
Alternatively you can get a bus for Aranyaprathet/Kabinburi/Sa Kaeow and get off at Khao Yai. Buses run from Morchit and Rangsit.

Weekdays are better and obviously quieter and you'll probably get to see more wildlife running across the road especially if you use your own transport. In a crowded tour bus or songtaew,mmmm...I'm not too sure.

There's plenty of hiking trails but to get to see anything at the end of them requires a long walk. There is a waterfall right next to a parking lot and eating area and a few easily accessible viewing points.

There's accomodation at both northern and southern entrances that I think will cater for any budget as well as travel lodges and camping spots near the center of the park.

No need to head for Pak Chong from BKK. Head for Rangsit then Nakhon Nayok then Khao Yai.

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Many thanks for all the info. I'll have to check it all out soon and try to plan a trip sometime, hopefully before they put the charges up.

[quote=peterpan;161032]

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Originally Posted by Mister Fixit;160406 I can drive to Pak Chong and stay in the place I stayed last time - only 450 baht a night too and not bad.[/quote

Is that the English style place you are referring to? its a very pleasant place. Buggered If I can remember the name of it tho'.

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Sorry, I don't know. I stayed on the main road in Pak Chong at a hotel near the Post Office, that's all I remember. I forget the name of it now.

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Originally Posted by mrsquirrel

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linky pls

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You rubbished it

Or have you forgotten

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did i? ooops!

did i rubbish the park or your thread ?

I've been there too, in May 2003. I had a g/f from Pak Chong and we did the trip to Khao Yai with most of her family ;)

It's a beautiful place with fantastic views and some good waterfalls. I'll post a few pictures later when the current g/f is watching her Thai soaps. :)

Although the family lived in Pak Chong, it was quite a way down a dirt road - about 2 or 3 km and the house was not very "farang friendly", so we - she, her 6 year old daughter and me - stayed in a Hotel in Pak Chong. Very big hotel just before the town centre on the left, reasonable rates, but can't remember what the name was. It used to get full at weekends.

Edit:

It was the Pak Chong Landmark.

This is a panoramic view of part of the park - https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...P_DSCN1523.JPG

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...2/DSCN1516.JPG


We went to a nice waterfall - https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...T_DSCN1539.JPG

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...2/DSCN1564.JPG


...and a reservoir - https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...F_DSCN1534.JPG - but that was pretty boring:

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...2/DSCN1536.JPG


There are some monkeys in the park too, but I saw only a handful.

Here are some photos we took there earlier this year. We actually saw quite a lot of wildlife for just a brief visit. I know most of you can't be bothered to actually click on a link, but I'm stuffed if I'm going to cut and paste all the photo links for you:

Khao Yai - February 2006

I knew it, no one looked. OK, here are some photos for you....

https://teakdoor.com/images/imported/2006/08/325.jpg
Wild orchids everywhere you look

https://teakdoor.com/images/imported/2006/08/326.jpg
Pair of Great Hornbill (sorry about the photo quality)

https://teakdoor.com/images/imported/2006/08/327.jpg
Big trees

https://teakdoor.com/images/imported/2006/08/328.jpg
Sambar Deer

https://teakdoor.com/images/imported/2006/08/329.jpg
Pig-tailed Macaque

https://teakdoor.com/images/imported/2006/08/330.jpg
Fish at Haew Suwat

https://teakdoor.com/images/imported/2006/08/331.jpg
Haew Suwat waterful (seen in the movie "The Beach")

https://teakdoor.com/images/imported/2006/08/332.jpg
Common Barking Deer

https://teakdoor.com/images/imported/2006/08/333.jpg
Wild Elephant (nice tusks)

The rest here:

Khao Yai, February 2006

Is that a genuine elephant?

You really saw that wild or was it a setuup for the photo?

Never seen an elephant there yet.

I have, a couple of years ago I come barrelling aound the corner and there were two adults and junior crossing the road, all out braking and had to stop for a quick piss soon after.

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Originally Posted by mrsquirrel

Is that a genuine elephant?
You really saw that wild or was it a setuup for the photo?

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It's a genuine elephant. We were driving along the road when we noticed a lot of brush damage along the shoulders. A few minutes later this elephant ambled by. After it passed us I reversed the car to get another photo, but it trumpted and charged the car. I jammed it in gear and got out as quickly as I could.

https://teakdoor.com/images/imported/2006/08/334.jpg

https://teakdoor.com/images/imported/2006/08/335.jpg