Khao Yai National Park is one of the biggest national parks in Thailand. The park is known for its diverse wildlife, waterfalls, and hiking trails. It is located in central Thailand, only 3-4 hours train ride from Bangkok, and 2 hours train ride from Ayutthaya.
While it is possible to explore the park on the guided day tour from Bangkok, I recommend staying at least a night or two at this region to avoid rushing and lots of travel on the road.
In this article, I will share with you my personal experiences staying in Khao Yai, as well as the best areas and places to stay in Khao Yai and Pak Chong. Pak Chong is the gateway to Khao Yai National Park, and is home to a train station and bus station.
For more detail about things to do and itineraries in Khao Yai, you can check these articles:
- 14 Best Things to Do in Khao Yai National Park
- 2-3 Days In Khao Yai National Park Itinerary
- Getting to Khao Yai & Get Around
Here are the main content:
The 3 Best areas to Stay in Khao Yai
#1. Generally speaking, if you want convenient access to the train station, bus terminal, and the night market, it is best to choose to stay in Pak Chong. This town has all the tourist amenities, hotels, hostels, and restaurants. It is located 30 km away from the Khao Yai National Park.
#2. If you want to camp or stay in a simple bungalow and don’t mind the lack of tourist amenities, you can choose to stay inside the park. There is a campsite area with rooms and tents for rent. Booking online is quite difficult though national park’s official website or in person.
#3. You can also consider staying in a hotel on Thanaratch Road (or 2090), which connects Paking and Khao Yai National Park. There are several hotels and restaurants along the main road. Some popular tour agencies in Khao Yai, such as Greenleaf Tour, have accommodations located on this road.
My top hotel picks in Khao Yai:
- Luxury: InterContinental Khao Yai Resort by IHG
- Mid-range: Lala Mukha Tented Resort Khao Yai
- Budget: Chomklong Experience
Best places to Stay in Khao Yai National Park
1. Pak Chong
I stayed 2 nights in Pak Chong at More than Sleep Hostel, and I believed that Pak Chong is the best area to stay in Khao Yai National Park. This is because this town is home to a train station and a bus terminal, which is the closest train and bus stations to the national Park.
Many visitors come to Pak Chong from Bangkok and other destinations in Thailand by trains and buses. It is convenient to just walk or take a short tuk tuk ride from these stations to your hotel when arriving.
Pak Chong is the gateway to Khao Yai National Park, located 30 km away, around a 40 minute drive. From your hotel and guest house in Pak Chong, you can easily rent a scooter, take a guided tour, and hire a private driver to get to and explore the park.
Many visitors choose to take guided tours which is, in my opinion, the easiest way to explore the park. They will handle two ways to transfer, and organize everything for you to see the highlights of the park.
Popular tour agents in Khao Yai are Bobby’s Jungle and Greenleaf Tour can be booked easily through your accommodation or directly at the local travel’s agent website.
I had a good experience with the Greenleaf Tour. I took two tours from them. The half day tour to the Bat Cave at sunset to see millions of bats flying out of their cave for night hunting. The tour also took me to a natural spring, and an underground bat’s temple.
The full day tour to Khao Yai National Park is the most popular tour to book. In this tour, you will have a chase to spot many wild animals inside the park, including wild elephants, squirrels, hornbill, white handed Gibbons, scorpions, spiders, deers, snakes and many more.
In the full day tour, you can have the chance to trek to several waterfalls including Haew Narok Waterfall and Haew Suwat Waterfall. I was lucky to see two groups of wild elephants at different locations in the park at the end of the trip.
In addition to the national park, Pak Chong is a great base to see other attractions in the region including Pailo, Primo Piazza and PB Valley Khao Yai Winery. If you can drive, you can explore these areas on a scooter. Otherwise, there are many guided tours on travel platforms such as Klook or Viator.
Pak Chong is home to the night market, where you can try some local street food and buy some souvenirs such as Thai handicrafts and clothes. It is not as big as other night markets in Thailand, but a good place to hang out at night.
Pak chong is also home to a range of restaurants, cafes, bakeries, laundry shops, and groceries shops. It has a wide variety selection of hostels, and guest houses.
Where to stay in Pak Chong:
Chomklong Experience
This family-run hotel is a good value for money hotel located in Pak Chong near the river and is surrounded by nature such as Squirrels and birds.
It is close to 7-eleven and restaurants. It is a 5 minute tuk tuk ride from the train station and the night market. The owner can help with car rental and tours to the National Park.
More than Sleep Hostel
This hostel is popular for solo travelers and backpackers. It is located in Pak Chong very close to the night market and the train station. It offers both dorm rooms and private rooms, a shared kitchen area, and delicious breakfast.
I had a great stay at this hotel and will give more detail about my personal experience staying here at the end of this article.
2. Inside Khao Yai National Park
Staying inside the National Park is a convenient way to explore the park easily without traveling in and out the park many times. You can choose to camp or book bungalows inside the park. If you stay inside the park, you only need to pay the park entrance one time.
Khao Yai National Park has two main camp sites, Lam Ta Khong Campground and Khao Rom Viewpoint Campground. If you don’t have a camping tent and sleeping bag, you can rent it from the park.
Facilities on camping sites include a toilet, a shower, a convenience store, and a restaurant/cafe. Lam Takhong is set on the riverside, home to a coffee shop, and a bicycle rental area.
For a more comfortable stay, you can book bungalows in one of 4 zones in the park. Zone 1 and 2 are more conveniently located near the visitor center while zone 3 and 4 are further away.
If you want to stay inside the park, you can book it online or book it in person at the park but it can be risky if it is already fully booked.
3. Thanaratch Road & the North Entrance of Khao Yai National Park
Thanaratch Road is the main road connecting Pak Chong with the north entrance of Khao Yai National Park. There are several guest houses and hotels scattered along the main road and the area near the entrance to the park.
Several local attractions located on and close to Thanaratch Road including The Chocolate Factory, Primo Piazza, and PB Valley Khao Yai Winery.
Where to stay in the Thanaratch Road area:
Thames Valley Khao Yai
Thames Valley is located only 10 minutes drive from the north entrance of Khao Yai National Park. It is also close to Palio Khao Yai and Life Park. They have a beautiful ground area with a swimming pool, a restaurant, and a fitness center.
This is a kid-friendly hotel as well as a romantic place for couples. It is the perfect place for a weekend getaway from Bangkok.
Moosiyard Hometel Khaoyai
Moosiyard is good value for money for families and couples. It is located in a quiet location, off Thanaratch Road, close to Lam Takhong river.
Moosiyard is only a 5 minute drive from the national park. The hotel can help organize bike rental, car rentals, and excursions to the park.
Muthi Maya Forest Pool Villa Resort
Muthi Maya is a great hotel located within a 15 minute drive from Khao Yai national park, chokchai Farm and Granmonte Winery. The resort is well-maintained with excellent amenities. It is a great place for relaxing and is surrounded by nature.
4. Noen Hom & South Entrance of Khao Yai National Park
While Pak Chong and the Thanaratch Road in the North Entrance of Khao Yai National Park are more popular places to stay in Khao Yai, you can consider the lesser-known area at the South Entrance of the park, Noen Hom.
This is a less popular entrance to the park and is a quite remote location, so you’ll have less choice of restaurants and shops. It is best suited if you rent a motorbike or a car for exploration.
Where to stay in South Entrance of Khao Yai National Park:
B&B Forest Hill Khao Yai
This is a good value for money guest house located at the south of the Khao Yai National Park. They have a well maintained garden, an outdoor swimming pool, and spacious rooms. You can rent a car from the hotel. You can find a small local shop and convenience store near the hotel.
Saengcha Farm Resort
Saengcha is a good value for money accommodation located in a rural area, within easy drive to Khao Yai National Park. The hotel has a chocolate farm and a coffee shop selling coffee and delicious chocolate made from the farm. It is a great place to experience local and authentic Thai life.
Where did I Stay in Khao Yai? – My personal experiences
I stayed at More than Sleep Hostel for 2 nights. This hostel is located right on the main road of Pak Chong, within a 10 minute walk from the train station and the night market.
When I arrived at Pak Chong train station from Ayuthaya, I just needed to walk to my hotels, which saved me money on using tuk tuk and songthaews. It was also convenient when I left Khao Yai by taking a train from Pak Chong to Lopburi.
There are clusters of backpacker hostels on the main road where More than Sleep Hostel is located. There are Otteri laundry, convenience stores, and several local restaurants and cafes nearby.
I booked a dorm room, which was spacious and clean. There were both fans and air conditioning inside the room. The room had a big window and lots of natural lights. The room has thick curtain, so it can block the light. They also have private rooms with shared bath rooms.
The shared bathrooms are also big with separate bathrooms for females and male. It was clean and I didn’t have to wait to take a shower. They don’t have a lift, (which is normal in Thailand especially in the countryside), so you will need to carry a suitcase to your room.
The owner was very friendly, helped me book tours and organise transport for me to get to the tour agent. She also gave helpful information on how to get to Lopburi from Pak Chong.
The common areas are also spacious and clean on both the 2nd floor and on the kitchen area. The breakfast was included in the room rate. It had yummy porridge, sandwiches, orange juices, milks, and mixed fruits.
I would stay in this hotel again and recommend this for budget travelers and backpackers. If you are traveling as a couple or group of friends, you can choose a private room.
See more: Where to Stay in Thailand
I personally think Pak Chong is the most popular location to stay near Khao Yai National Park. This area has a wide range of accommodations, restaurants, and shops. It also offers easy access to train and bus stations. You can easily book a half day or full day tour to the park from this town.
You can consider staying inside the park, which is convenient to explore multiple days, and you don’t need to pay the entrance fee every time you enter the park. The downside is that it doesn’t have many choices of accommodation, just a camping site and basic bungalow.