Khao Yai เขาใหญ่
Khao Yai is known for a dawn park drive and a Pak Chong night market, not a beach. It fits a Bangkok weekend if you will hire a car and skip a 16:00 Sunday return.
Photo: Kawpodmd (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Overview
Khao Yai is the large national park on the Bangkok-to-Isan edge. A foreign adult ticket is about 400 THB in 2026. Hire a car, because songthaews do not replace a park loop. Haew Suwat is the film-famous fall inside the ticket. Dawn wildlife beats a 13:00 arrival. Pak Chong is the sleep town with night-market gai yang at 60 to 120 THB.
The drive is 2.5 to 3.5 hours. Sunday night back to Bangkok is the ugly window, so do not plan a 16:00 city dinner. Vineyard tasting rooms sit on the approach road if rain closed a trail. Night-safari vans book out on Saturday.
Top attractions in Khao Yai
Khao Yai National Park อุทยานแห่งชาติเขาใหญ่
Khao Yai National Park charges about 400 THB for a foreign adult. Hire a car. Dawn wildlife beats midday heat.
2 Haew Suwat waterfall น้ำตกเหวนรก
Haew Suwat is the film-famous fall inside the park ticket. The steps stay wet.
Night safari ไนท์ซาฟารี
The night safari is the park van after dusk, 800 to 1,500 THB. Book the desk and bring a jacket. 2026 Saturday seats sell out.
4 Pak Chong ปากช่อง
Pak Chong is the sleep-and-eat town, with rooms from about 1,000 THB. Night markets sit in town. The park gate is a morning drive.
Khao Yai hills เขาใหญ่ไวน์
The Khao Yai hills hold vineyard tasting rooms on the approach road at 300 to 800 THB. They are useful if rain closed a trail.
6 From Bangkok ถนนมิตรภาพ
The drive from Bangkok on Mittraphap Road takes 2.5 to 3.5 hours and costs 800 to 1,500 THB by car or van. Sunday night traffic back is ugly, so do not plan a 16:00 city dinner.
Khao Yai attractions ranked by how much they change a first stay.
Neighbourhoods / Beaches
Where to sleep
- Pak Chong: Dinner, ATMs, and the night market after a park day.
- Park-edge villas: Useful if the car is already booked and you want a 06:00 gate.
- Weekend rooms: Often 1,000 THB and up in 2026.
Getting around
A hired car or a van with a driver is the useful move. Motorbikes on the park road after dark are a clinic plan. Bring a jacket for the night safari. 2026 seats sell out on Saturday.
Where to stay
Food & Markets
City plates live on the Khao Yai food guide. Ticketed markets sit on Attractions.
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- Is Khao Yai a day trip from Bangkok?
- Only if you leave at dawn and accept a late return. Most people sleep in Pak Chong and use the second morning in the park.
- Do you need a guide?
- A driver who knows the gates is enough for Haew Suwat and a loop. Book a night-safari van separately. The 400 THB fee is often extra.