Thailand Travel Pages - Khao Yai National Park

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Khao Yai National Park:

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Khao Yai National Park is the second largest national park in Thailand and is about a 5 hour drive northeast of Bangkok and takes some planning to visit but is well worth the effort. The park lies largely in Nakhon Ratchasima Province (Khorat), but also includes parts of Saraburi, Prachinburi and Nakhon Nayok provinces.

The park has an amazing variety of wild life including 3,000 species of plants, 320 species of birds and 67 species of mammals, including Asiatic black bears, Asian elephants, gaur, tigers, gibbons, Indian sambar deer, Indian muntjac, dholes, and wild pigs. Its waterfalls include the 80 metre Heo Narok, and Haeo Suwat made famous from the film The Beach. Namtok Sarika is popular with the Thais.

Recent wildlife studies show that animal ranges, particularly the few resident tigers, are impacted by human activity near the center of the park. This study has not impacted the government's call for private lodging concessions within the park itself.

The park is often visited by travelers from Isan (upcountry Thailand) as well as foreigners who love the wilderness for whom there are over 50km of hiking trails. The park covers an area of 2,168 square kilometers, including evergreen forests and grasslands with an altitude that mostly ranges from 400 to 1000 m above sea level affording the hiker amazing . During your hikes you are encouraged to wear leach guards, sold in the park stores.