Khao Yai

Khao Yai National Park is closed. On 25 September 2026 it shut all attractions and entrance gates after floods, landslides and power cuts, and on 27 September it extended the closure indefinitely after flood water destroyed the bridge to the Haew Narok waterfall viewpoint. No reopening date had been announced on 1 October 2026; check the park's official announcements before you plan a trip.

When it is open, Khao Yai is Thailand's oldest national park and the easiest place near Bangkok to see wild elephants, gibbons and hornbills. It lies about 200 km northeast of the capital, covers about 2,200 km² of forest across four provinces, and forms part of the Dong Phayayen–Khao Yai Forest Complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005. A single road, Thanarat Road, crosses the park for 50 km between two entrance gates, with waterfalls, viewpoints, campsites and short nature trails along it.

This guide explains the closure first, then everything you need for a visit once the park reopens: the fee, the gates, getting there without a car, the trails and their ranger rules, the waterfalls, wildlife and the weekend crowds.

The September 2026 closure and what to do instead

Heavy rain in late September 2026 hit Khao Yai hard. According to the DNP, the park closed every attraction, all campsites and all entrance checkpoints on 25 September, including the Sarika and Takhro waterfalls and Kaeng Hin Phoeng rafting, after flash floods, landslides near Nam Tok Noi, fallen trees across roads and more than two days without power. Two days later it extended the closure "temporarily and indefinitely", because the flood had swept away the bridge leading to the Haew Narok viewpoint. No visitors were hurt.

If your trip falls in October 2026 or later, check the park's website and the DNP news site for a reopening notice, and book refundable accommodation. Hotels around Pak Chong, outside the park, are run separately, but the main reason most people go is inside the park.

For a nature trip from Bangkok while Khao Yai is shut, the options are limited this season. Erawan National Park near Kanchanaburi was also closed after the same storms, so check its status first. Farther south, Khao Sok National Park is a longer journey but a different region. A day in Ayutthaya by train is the simple non-nature alternative.

Fees, gates and opening hours

Khao Yai is a Category 2 park in the DNP fee system, but the stretch of park between the two gates is a special zone with a higher foreign rate. In practice every foreign visitor pays it: 400 baht for adults (including the elderly and disabled) and 200 baht for children under 14, according to the park's own fee page (October 2026). The same page still shows the older 200-baht rate higher up, which confuses many visitors; the 400-baht rate has applied since 19 September 2022.

Fees are collected only at the two visitor centers by the gates. One ticket covers entry and exit on the same day; if you stay overnight in town and come back, you pay again. You can pay at the gate or in advance with the DNP's QueQ e-ticket app, which shows a QR code at the checkpoint.

Small tour buses must use the Noen Hom gate in the south, because the road up from the Pak Chong side is too steep. Vehicles with more than six wheels, double-deckers, vehicles over 3.5 m high and towed caravans are banned from the park.

Getting there from Bangkok

By car. The park recommends the Bang Pa-in–Nakhon Ratchasima Motorway (Route 6), leaving at the Pak Chong toll plaza and taking Thanarat Road (Highway 2090) to the northern gate, about 205 km in total. With a car you can drive the park road, stop at the viewpoints and reach the trailheads; without one, Khao Yai is hard work. Our guide to renting a car in Thailand and our article on the International Driving Permit cover the paperwork.

By bus or train to Pak Chong. Pak Chong, the town on the northern side, is on the main road and the northeastern railway. The park's own page says a local bus runs from Pak Chong to the Chao Por Khao Yai Shrine gate every 30 minutes from 06:00 to 17:00. From the gate to the attractions inside, the park says only that visitors may get a lift with other visitors' vehicles, so in practice people hire a taxi, a tour or a driver in Pak Chong.

Note that the train timetable on the park's website still shows departures from Hua Lamphong. Long-distance northeastern trains have left from Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal since January 2023; check the departure station and times with the State Railway of Thailand (call center 1690) or in the booking system our guide on booking Thai trains online explains.

Wildlife: elephants, gibbons and hornbills

Khao Yai's forest, mostly dry evergreen, is home to wild elephants, gaur, dhole (Asian wild dog), barking deer, sambar deer, white-handed and pileated gibbons, macaques and several species of hornbill, according to the park. UNESCO counts more than 800 animal species across the wider forest complex, including 392 bird species, which is why bird watchers come from all over the world.

Elephants are the animals people most want to see, and you may meet them on the road itself. The park's road rules are strict and worth reading before you drive:

• Stop at least 30 m from an elephant on the road; if it comes toward you, reverse away carefully.
• Keep the engine running; do not sound the horn, rev the engine or use flash photography.
• Wait until the elephant has left the road before you pass, and do not stop just to watch, which can block cars behind you.
• At night, keep headlights on but do not use indicators, which can attract the animal's attention.

Feeding or touching any wild animal is forbidden. The macaques at viewpoints and car parks will take food from your hands or car. Our guide to dangerous animals in Thailand explains which animals deserve real caution. If you are looking for elephants in captivity rather than in the wild, read our guide to choosing an elephant sanctuary first.

Night safari: the only way to look for animals after dark

Many of Khao Yai's animals feed at night: sambar deer, porcupines, civets, owls and elephants. You may not drive around looking for them yourself; the park fines anyone caught doing so 500 baht. Instead, rangers run a night safari in a pick-up truck with a guide and a spotlight, on a 10 km route that takes about an hour.

There are two slots, 19:00–20:00 and 20:00–21:00. The price is 600 baht per vehicle for up to eight people, booked and paid at the visitor center before 18:00 the same day. Bring a jacket: the forest is cooler at night, and the park's average temperature is about 21°C through the year.

Nature trails and the ranger rules

Khao Yai has seven official short trails, from 1.2 km to 8 km, all day walks with no overnight stays. Some can be walked alone; on others a ranger guide is mandatory. Register at the visitor center before you start any trail. The park lists them as follows (October 2026):

The park's code of conduct is clear: never trek alone, stay on the trail, keep quiet, take nothing and leave nothing. Wear long sleeves and trousers and proper shoes, carry water, and in the rainy season wear leech socks. Trails and viewpoints can close for the rainy season; in 2025 the Pha Diao Dai trail and viewpoints were shut from 1 June to 30 September. Mosquitoes are common in the forest; our tips on avoiding mosquito bites apply.

Waterfalls: Haew Narok and Haew Suwat

Haew Narok is the park's largest and tallest waterfall: about 150 m high, falling in three tiers in the south of the park, 22 km from the visitor center on Highway 3077. Normally you walk about 1 km from the car park over a stream to the viewpoint, then down a steep, narrow staircase. Swimming is forbidden. The area is part of the elephants' feeding range, and the park records two tragedies here: eight elephants died in a fall on 2 August 1992, and eleven on 5 October 2019. It was the bridge on this path that the September 2026 flood destroyed, so expect Haew Narok to be among the last sites to reopen.

Haew Suwat, about 10 km from the visitor center, is the 25 m waterfall many people recognize from photos, with a curtain of water over a wide pool. You can drive almost to it (about 100 m walk from the car park) or hike 3 km from Pha Kluai Mai. Swimming is forbidden here too; in the rainy season the current is strong, and the cave behind the fall is only visible in the dry season.

Other stops along the road include the small Pha Kluai Mai waterfall, known for its orchids in the dry season, the Nong Phak Chi wildlife observation tower, Sai Sorn Reservoir, and the Pha Diao Dai and Khao Khiao viewpoints at the high point of the road.

Weekend crowds, holidays and staying in the park

Khao Yai is the classic weekend escape for Bangkok families, so Friday evenings, Saturdays and Thai long weekends are busy: queues at the gates, full car parks at Haew Suwat and slow traffic behind elephant sightings. Go on a weekday if you can. Our guide to Thai public holidays lists the long weekends to avoid.

The park has its own lodges and two main campsites, Lam Ta Khong (capacity 580 people) and Khao Rom (1,000 people, open only on long holidays). Lodges are booked online through the DNP system up to 60 days ahead, for up to three nights, and the park gives 30 % off on weekdays (Monday to Thursday). A three-bedroom lodge for eight people, for example, costs 1,680 baht a night from Monday to Thursday and 2,400 baht on Friday to Sunday and holidays (park price list, October 2026). Most visitors without a park booking stay in the resorts and hotels around Pak Chong and drive in.

Rules that apply everywhere in the park

The park's list is short and enforced: take your litter home, no fires, no polystyrene, keep noise down, do not feed or touch animals, take no plants or animals out, no pets, no smoking except in designated areas, no drones without permission, and no alcohol anywhere in the park. Pack accordingly; our packing guide helps with the rest, and the park's cool nights mean a light fleece is worth bringing.

Khao Yai sits at the western end of a forest belt that runs toward the Cambodian border. For the wider northeast beyond Nakhon Ratchasima, see our guide to Isaan, and for Bangkok itself, our Bangkok guide.

Frequently asked questions

Is Khao Yai National Park open?

No. The park closed all attractions, campsites and gates on 25 September 2026 after floods and landslides, and on 27 September extended the closure indefinitely after the bridge to the Haew Narok viewpoint was destroyed. No reopening date had been announced on 1 October 2026; check the park's official site.

How much is the Khao Yai entrance fee for foreigners?

400 baht for adults, including the elderly and disabled, and 200 baht for children under 14, a rate in force since 19 September 2022. A car costs 30 baht and a motorcycle 20 baht. The ticket is valid for one entry and exit on a single day.

Can I visit Khao Yai without a car?

You can reach the northern gate by bus or train to Pak Chong and then a local bus or taxi, but inside the park sights are kilometers apart along one road. Without a car, hire a driver or join a tour from Pak Chong, or book the ranger-run night safari for wildlife after dark.

Do I need a guide for the trails in Khao Yai?

On four of the seven official trails a ranger guide is mandatory, including the long 8 km trail to Haew Suwat. Three short trails can be walked without a guide. You must register at the visitor center before any trail, and the park says never to trek alone.

Can you swim at Haew Suwat or Haew Narok?

No. The park forbids swimming at both waterfalls. Haew Narok is steep with strong currents, and Haew Suwat's pool has dangerous currents in the rainy season.

Sources

• Department of National Parks – Khao Yai closes all attractions and gates (25 September 2026) (checked October 2026)
• Department of National Parks – Khao Yai extends closure indefinitely after Haew Narok bridge collapse (27 September 2026) (checked October 2026)
• Khao Yai National Park – Park entry fees (checked October 2026)
• Khao Yai National Park – Getting here (checked October 2026)
• Khao Yai National Park – Trekking nature trails (checked October 2026)
• Khao Yai National Park – Places to go (checked October 2026)
• Khao Yai National Park – Visitor safety and regulations (checked October 2026)
• Khao Yai National Park – Night safari (checked October 2026)
• Khao Yai National Park – Lodge and camp (checked October 2026)
• UNESCO World Heritage Centre – Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex (checked October 2026)