As the much-anticipated third season of HBO’s The White Lotus hits our screens, Thailand - where this season of the TV show is set - is preparing to see a sizeable boom in tourism. The show was filmed around Bangkok, Koh Samui and Phuket, but if you want to really experience the wild places of Thailand - the lush cloud forests, sandy beaches, emerald green waters and limestone karsts - then you'll be wanting to explore far beyond those hotspots.
Thailand is a country known as a solo travel haven, for the welcoming community and good tourism infrastructure - but it's also an adventurous dreamland. The country has a remarkable 156 national parks (as well as 58 wildlife sanctuaries and 120 forest parks), so there's no lack of wild places waiting - it's just knowing where to start that can be tricky. That’s why we’ve put together a list of the best national parks in Thailand, with adventure in mind.
Our list features two White Lotus filming locations, the sublime Mu Ko Ang Thong National Marine Park and the country's first national park, Khao Yai. We've also got eight more, which range from quiet archipelagos to spots for watching elephants, to parks home to challenging multi-day hikes.
Here are the 10 national parks in Thailand selected for this list:
- Khao Yai National Park
- Khao Luang National Park
- Khao Sok National Park
- Kaeng Krachan National Park
- Ao Phang-Nga National Park
- Than Bok Khorani National Park
- Kui Buri National Park
- Mu Ko Ang Thong National Park
- Doi Inthanon National Park
- Erawan National Park
Beyond the opulent resorts of The White Lotus lies a wild, wonderful country.
Khao Yai National Park
- Location: Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Central Thailand
- Closest city: Bangkok (105 miles/170 km away)
- Best for: Accessible wildlife watching
- Entry fee: 400 THB for adults; 200 THB for children
We’re starting with Khao Yai National Park, Thailand's oldest national park and a UNESCO World Heritage site renowned for its rich biodiversity.
Out of the parks which are easy to reach in Thailand (you're not too far from the Thai capital of Bangkok here), this is perhaps the finest place to see wildlife. Pay attention and you may see civets, gibbons, deer, macaques, sun bears, black bears, otters, dholes, jackals and more. Equally, there are around 440 bird species which have been recorded in Khao Yai - ranging from great and oriental-pied hornbills to northern goshawks, Japanese thrushes and a whole range of smaller birds.
Get a guide and head deeper into the jungles of Khao Yai for the best animal sightings. You can do this on a drive, or on one of the seven official trails. A guide is mandatory for hiking those seven trails. The only trail in the park which doesn’t require a guide is the Thai-American Friendship Trail behind the visitor centre. It’s 1.2 miles (2km) long and don’t worry - all nationalities allowed!
Khao Luang National Park
- Location: Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, Southern Thailand
- Closest city: Nakhon Si Thammarat (or 80 miles/130km from Krabi)
- Best for: A hard-earned sunrise
- Entry fee: 200 THB for adults; 100 THB for children
Around two hours from Krabi and just half an hour from Nakhon Si Thammarat is Khao Luang National Park. This soaring mountain range is covered in evergreen forest. More than 300 animal species have been recorded in this park, including leopards, Malayan tapirs, Asiatic brush-tailed porcupines and red giant flying squirrels.
The centrepiece of this park is Khao Luang Mountain, which is the highest peak in southern Thailand at 1,835m (6,020ft). This can be climbed as part of a tough three-day trek, starting from Ban Khiri Wong village. The multi-tiered Karom Waterfall is the only ‘attraction’ in the HQ area, and there are several other waterfalls dotted around the park, including the beautiful Krung Ching Waterfall, (also Phrom Lok and Ai Khiao). Cavers flock to the mile-long (1.7km) Hong Cave.
There is a camping area near the park HQ, for those keen to stay the night.
Khao Sok National Park
- Location: Surat Thani Province, Southern Thailand
- Closest city: Surat Thani (or 110 miles/177km from Phuket)
- Best for: A unique stay in outstanding beauty
- Entry fee: 200 THB for adults; 100 THB for children (for Cheow Lan Lake it is 300 THB for adults; 150 THB for children)
Khao Sok is place which bites deep. Visit once and you won't be forgetting this place in a hurry. This sprawling place of ancient rainforests and dramatic, towering limestone karsts is home to elephants, tigers, the rare rafflesia flower and sublime waterways - most notably, the glimmering Cheow Lan Lake, where you can stay the night on floating raft houses looking out on karst islands.
Dani Redd
Interestingly, this stunning lake is actually artificial - being created in 1987 with the construction of Rajjaprabha Dam. The national park is home to tigers, elephants, tapirs, monkeys and more, and at the time the lake was made, a resettlement of animals took place by boat and helicopter to prevent drowning.
Kayaking on the Sok River is ideal for those looking for breathtaking scenery (plus, kingfishers!) and soft adventure, and seeing the Asian elephant up close is something you’ll never forget. The park is ideally situated on the mainland between Phuket, Krabi, Khao Lak and Koh Samui.
Kaeng Krachan National Park
- Location: Phetchaburi and Prachuap Khiri Khan Provinces, Western Thailand
- Closest city: Phetchaburi (or 118 miles/191km from Bangkok)
- Best for: Bird-watching
- Entry fee: 300 THB for adults; 150 THB for children
Covering a total area of 1,125 sq. miles (2,914 sq. km), Kaeng Krachan is the largest national park in all of Thailand, and is part of the even larger Western Forest Complex, incorporating 10 protected sites between Thailand and Myanmar to the west. This site became a national park way back in 1981, and became a World Heritage Site in 2021.
No other protected area in Thailand has as big a variety of wildlife as Kaeng Krachan. Here, you can see everything from leopards, clouded leopards and bears to elephants, gibbons, deer, various species of deer, civets, mongooses and more. Obviously, given the dense forests, these mammals require work (and patience) to find.
Easier to spot are those animals in the air. This is one of the top birdwatching spots in Thailand, home to 480 species of birds, including seven out of the 14 hornbill species of Thailand and all seven broadbill species. Look out for buffy fish owls or white-fronted scops owls on tree stumps.
Ao Phang-Nga National Park
- Location: Phang Nga Province, Southern Thailand
- Closest city: Krabi (51.8 miles/83.5km), Phuket (53.8 miles/86.7km)
- Best for: Sea kayaking, limestone karst towers
- Entry fee: 300 THB for adults; 150 THB for children
Ao Phang-Nga National Park boasts the largest swathe of mangrove forest in Thailand. It also includes Phang-Nga Bay, world-famous for its dramatic limestone cliffs and karst islands scattered across its turquoise waters.
Kayak through narrow sea caves and hidden lagoons on the bay, or navigate your way down rivers twisting through the mangroves. The crystal clear waters of Phang-Nga Bay make for great paddling and snorkelling.
The limestone karst towers here are well known around the world, not least due to James Bond. The climax to Roger Moore’s The Man With The Golden Gun was filmed set here back in 1974, on the dual islands of Khao Phing Kan and Ko Ta Pu, which are now popularly called James Bond Island. This is a popular day trip location from Phuket, slightly north, and around an hour’s drive away.
Than Bok Khorani National Park
- Location: Krabi Province, Southern Thailand
- Closest city: Krabi (28 miles/45km)
- Best for: Kayaking and swimming
- Entry fee: 300 THB for adults; 100 THB for children
Than Bok Khorani National Park, between Krabi and Phuket) is a coastal beauty of mangrove forests, limestone mountains, caves, waterfalls and clear waters.
Dani Redd
Naturally, all this makes Than Bok Khorani a haven for kayaking. One of the best ways to see the caves, lagoons and mangroves of the area is with a paddle in hand. As you pass through the mangroves keep your eyes open for snakes - king cobras and reticulated pythons - in amongst the trees. If you’re lucky you may also spot gibbons, langurs, civets or pangolins. If that doesn't sound like your vibe, of course, you can just sit back and relax on a perfect sandy beach instead.
Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the paddling here is passing through caves, only to come out at secret lagoons - and have a swim, all to yourself.
Kui Buri National Park
- Location: Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, Western Thailand
- Closest city: Hua Hin (53 miles/85km)
- Best for: Elephant watching
- Entry fee: 200 THB for adults; 100 THB for children
Kui Buri National Park is one of the more recent national parks created in Thailand, having been established back in 1999, but it’s well known as the best place in Thailand to spot elephants.
Dani Redd
Remarkably, the Kui Buri National Park offers a 95% chance of sighting the animals in their dedicated viewing area. This park is a mountainous one, being part of the Tenasserim Hills which span both Thailand and Myanmar. The open grasslands and watering holes are the prime reason that wildlife spotting is easier here. There is an elephant population of around 320.
Take a safari in the viewing area (it costs 850 Baht per group) and you may also see gaurs, deer and jackals. The wildlife watching area is open from 2pm, with animals mostly active after 3pm.
Mu Ko Ang Thong National Marine Park
- Location: Surat Thani Province, Southern Thailand
- Closest city: Koh Samui (18.6 miles/30km)
- Best for: Snorkeling, kayaking, island hopping
- Entry fee: 300 THB for adults; 150 THB for children
The picture above should tell you everything you need to know about Mu Ko Ang Thong National Marine Park. “Ang Thong” means “golden basin”, and this archipelago of 42 islands is indeed a marine paradise. The park HQ is on Ko Wua Talap, which is the main island, with two white beaches and forest.
This is the dream that many people picture when they think of Thailand - sprawling turquoise ocean dotted with rugged islands, covered in green, dry evergreen forests. The adventurous will want to kayak through the emerald lagoons, snorkel among vibrant coral reefs, and hike to viewpoints like the Wua Ta Lap, which offer panoramic vistas of the surrounding islands.
This is the dream that many people picture when they think of Thailand...
You get a lot of day-trip opportunities here, typically for snorkelling and kayaking, and there are diving sites on the northern islands. The dive depth is around 10m, though visibility can be impaired by sediment from the Tapi River. In the water, if you get lucky, you may see green or hawksbill sea turtles.
Koh Samui, Thailand’s second biggest island, is nearby. It was a key destination in season three of The White Lotus - so Ang Thong may be busy in 2025.
Doi Inthanon National Park
- Location: Chiang Mai Province, Northern Thailand
- Closest city: Chiang Mai (67 miles/108km)
- Best for: The high spot of Thailand
- Entry fee: 300 THB for adults; 150 THB for children
Doi Inthanon is the highest mountain in Nepal (2,565m/8415ft) and is often shrouded in mist, giving this national park a mystical atmosphere.
Climbing to the summit of Doi Inthanon is not particularly challenging. It’s accessible by car or bike, right to the top of the mountain. There are two chedis (Buddist monuments) near the summit - Naphamethinidon, meaning 'by the strength of the land and air' and Naphaphonphumisiri, meaning 'being the strength of the air and the grace of the land'.
We’d recommend parking a few hundred metres below and walking from there.
While this means the area isn’t particularly wild, it is very accessible, making it an easy spot for a spectacular sunrise out over all of Thailand.
There’s more than just one, big mountain here, though. You can also hike through cloud forests, explore scenic trails leading to stunning waterfalls like the Wachirathan and Sirithan, or visit hill tribe villages like Mae Klang Luang, which has rice fields nestled in amongst the mountain slopes.
The park is another paradise for bird watchers, with over 360 species recorded amongst the trees. It has high humidity but cold weather - good hiking weather.
Erawan National Park
- Location: Kanchanaburi Province, Western Thailand
- Closest city: Kanchanaburi (42.5 miles/68.5km)
- Best for: Tranquil waterfalls
- Entry fee: 400 THB for adults; 200 THB for children
Erawan was Thailand’s 12th national park when it was founded back in 1975 and it is mainly visited for one reason - to see the seven-tier Erawan Falls.
The park and the falls are named after the three-headed white elephant from Hindu mythology, as the top tier of the Erawan falls is said to resemble the head of an elephant. You can make up your own mind on that one but certainly, this is one of the dreamiest swim spots in Thailand.
Beyond the falls, the park is a mix of deciduous forest and evergreen trees. There are limestone hills and some long caves to explore, with Wang Bah Dan - which has several chambers packed with stalactites and stalagmites - being a favourite for caving. A singular trip to Erawan Falls would take around an hour, so most people combine it with a visit to Phra That Cave, the Death Railway or hike the Hellfire Pass memorial trail, on a disused railway line carved out of rock.
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