National Parks of Thailand

Getting Closer to Nature Travel in Thailand

Thailand's lush countryside has a unique beauty, which is found  only in this part of the world. It is the part where exists the renowned and numerous national parks. The soothing climate and heavy monsoon allow the flora and fauna to flourish and produce an ideal environment for the different biomes to exist together and live in harmony, maintaining the ecological balance of nature. The parks are administrated by the National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department (DNP) of the Ministry Natural Resources and Environment. It took over the national parks from the Royal Forest Department of the Ministry of Agriculture. National parks in Thailand are defined as an area that contains natural resources of ecological importance or unique beauty and animals and plants and insects of special importance. Thailand currently has 127 national parks and 22 marine national parks, which makes it a place of beauty and perfection.  The different types of National Parks in Thailand are as follows:-

• Khao Yai 
  

This was the first officially recognized national park founded in 1961. Hidden deep within this beautiful park are a number of stunning waterfalls, the famous one being the Haew Suwat falls, which marks the aesthetic value of the park. The park can be found just a few hours, North West of Bangkok in the Sankambeng Mountain Range and is worth a visit during the Thailand trip. It covers an area of 2,168 square kilometers and with over 50 hiking trails varying from different levels of difficulty, Khao Yai is a great travel destination for these nature enthusiast. The largest waterfall in the park, Haew Narok Waterfall soars over 150 meters.

• Khao Sok 
  

This national park of Thailand is only accessible by road and is one of the best maintained parks in Thailand.  It proves to be a good midway point to stop over, during the long trip on your way to the islands in the south. In the middle of this park, there is a huge lake with many small estuaries, which rise and fall depending on the season's rainfall. The trekking is also an important feature of this national park. Monkeys, calls of over 200 species of birds, and elephants can be watched in their natural habitat without disturbing them. This national park also provides facilities for kayaking and other exciting adventures.