Khao Yai was the first designated national park in Thailand. It is also the most popular due to its proximity to Bangkok. With it being only a 2 ½ hour drive away from Bangkok, Khao Yai National Park is an easy weekend trip. Our family has made many trips to Khao Yai for one night, two nights, and even three-night camping trips.
Why visit Khao Yai National Park?
Khao Yai National Park was given national park status in 1962. It was also given UNESCO world heritage status. Why? For its five different types of forest found inside the park, along with 200 different species of birds and twenty different large animal species. It is over 2,000 square kilometers, so it is easy to get away from people and into the deep jungle.
Visiting the Khao Yai Area vs. Khao Yai National Park
The area of Khao Yai includes the surrounding towns, specifically the town of Pak Chong found to the north of the national park. The area is known for it’s adventure entertainment, shopping, and dairy tourism. These are different than the national park. Once you leave the tourist area and enter the national park from the north entrance on highway 2090, you will see a shift to the dense jungle. Unlike the adventure tours and shopping areas, Khao Yai National Park boasts hiking, waterfalls, and animal sightings.
If you are visiting Thailand and plan to spend several days in the Khao Yai area, we recommend entering the national park and spending a night or two camping to get the full experience of the national park. To learn more tips on Thailand national parks, see our overview.
Camping Areas
Lam Ta Kong Campground
There is one main area to camp at in the national park called Lam Ta Kong Campground. It is a little over a 10-minute drive from the national park visitor’s center.
Lam Ta Kong Campground Amenities
- Cafe
- Canteen
- Restaurant (open only during busy times)
- Camping Equipment Rental Store
- Toilets
- Showers
- Gazebos with outlets
Pha Kluai Mai Campground
Pha Kluai Mai is the second campground in the park. The main attraction of staying in this campground is to take a hike to a waterfall. It is about an hour hike to get to the waterfall. This campground is much smaller than Lam Ta Kong, but can get really busy on holidays.
Pha Kluai Mai Campground Amenities
- Restaurant
- Camping Equipment Rental Store
- Toilets
- Showers
Khao Rom Viewpoint Campground
Khao Rom Viewpoint Campground is the third and final campground in Khao Yai National Park. It is only open on holidays when there is a need for more camping space. Our family has camped many times at Khao Yai National Park and never camped at the overflow campground. This campground is just one kilometer from the visitor’s center.
Information on Camping Equipment Rental
You may bring your own camping gear for Khao Yai camping. If you do all you will have to pay is the camping fee of THB 30 per person. But, there is also the option to rent all your camping equipment! Each campground has a Camping Equipment Rental Store through the national park.
Here is a list of rental equipment and prices for 2025:
- Tent for 3-4 people THB 225
- Tent for 2 people THB 150
- Blanket THB 20
- Sleeping Mat THB 20
- Woven Mat THB 30
If you plan to cook your own food, you can also ask about items to cook with, such as a clay stove, charcoal, and a grill rack. Fires are not allowed to be build wherever you want, so cooking must be done in the clay stove.
Step by Step Instructions for Khao Yai Camping
1. Enter Khao Yai National Park. There is a north entrance and a south entrance. You will pay the National Park entrance fee upon entrance to the park. Cost is for your whole duration of stay so you do not need to pay this again. If you are camping that night and have proof that you paid for it, you are allowed to leave the park and return and will not have to pay the entrance fee again.
Cost: THB 400 per foreign adult
2. Drive to the campground of your choice. Once you have entered the park you can drive to whichever campground you wish to stay at.
3. Go to the national park office at the campground. Tell them how many people are planning on camping and what you need or want to rent (tents, etc.).
4. Pay the camping fee. Make sure to tell them how many nights you will be camping for.
Cost: THB 30 per adult per night
5. Get your rental equipment.
After you have told them what you want to rent and paid the camping fee you will be directed on how to receive your rental equipment. Sometimes they have the piles of stuff right with them if they are expecting a lot of visitors, and sometimes the stuff is packed away in a separate room for storage and they will pull out the items for you as needed.
6. Choose a spot to camp. There are no reserved spots unless you rented a tent and the national park ranger wants you to use a specific tent that is already put up. This usually only happens at high traffic ties. If you brought your own tent or they gave you a tent to set up, you can choose any spot in the campground area. Campground areas are open fields with no spots marked out. Pick a place you want and go with it. Generally the areas near buildings or by water are more busy than other places. I recommend staying away from the forest line as the monkeys will be more prevalent there. The deer will be near any camping spot and are harmless.
7. Set up your tent spot and enjoy!
Tips for a Great Khao Yai Camping Experience
- Make sure you have enough food and water. The restaurant may be open different hours depending on seasonality and the store may not have a large stock of items. Come prepared! Assume that you need to have enough water on hand for your entire camping trip.
- Bring along toilet paper. While it is wonderful to have restrooms in the campground, they are not stocked with toilet paper. If you wish to use this luxury, plan to have your own supply of it ready.
- Ignore the wild animals. Khao Yai is full of wild animals and it is so fun to see them out where you are sleeping. However, your best protocol is to watch them and not interact with them.
- Watch for rain. The Rainy season is July through October. During these months you should expect rain often. However, the area is tropical and rain can come even outside these month. Even with a waterproof tent, the ground under your tent can become a puddle quickly and flood you out (we learned that the hard way!). If it is going to rain, find a gazebo or higher land that will keep you out of the water.
- Make sure you have insect repellent ready to use. The humidity of the rainforest makes for an ideal mosquito habitat. Use your repellent and you should be fine. Mosquitos and the diseases that come with them are not a joking matter in Southeast Asia. Dengue is not uncommon in Thailand, as mosquitoes in Khao Yai don’t tend to carry it as much as mosquitoes in and around Bangkok and more populated areas.
- In addition to the mosquitos, you should also pay attention to leeches. Since leeches like water and muddy areas, the rainy season sees an increase in the leech population. This means, if you are walking through water or mud, you can easily get leeches on your skin. The visitor center lets you buy leech protection in their store. It consists of special bags you can secure around your legs and feet to help keep the leeches out. As our teen said about our trip hiking in Khao Yai during rainy season, “The entire puddles are literally squirming.” Make sure that when you go hiking, you have leech protection. While leeches are a problem during the rainy season, they do not offer much danger. Watching out for mosquitos is a much higher priority.
