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The national parks in Thailand offer a stunning mix of rainforests, limestone cliffs, and turquoise seas, highlighting Southeast Asia’s natural beauty. These parks protect rare wildlife, coral reefs, and cultural sites, while offering experiences from trekking and wildlife spotting in the north to kayaking and snorkelling in the south. Whether it’s exploring waterfalls, caves, or marine ecosystems, each park provides a unique adventure. Thailand’s parks reflect the country’s commitment to sustainable tourism, allowing travellers to enjoy its diverse landscapes while contributing to the preservation of its rich natural heritage.
Top 10 National Parks In Thailand
Explore the best national parks in Thailand, where lush rainforests, wildlife, and marine beauty offer unforgettable adventures across diverse landscapes and protected natural wonders.
1. Khao Yai National Park
Photo: Vyacheslav Argenberg / Wikimedia Commons
Khao Yai is Thailand’s first national park, and it also holds UNESCO World Heritage status. It spreads over 2,000 square kilometres, reaching into four provinces northeast of Bangkok. The park was founded back in 1962, and it protects a wide mix of evergreen forest, open grassland, and a string of waterfalls. Visitors come for the wildlife, and there is plenty of it. Elephants roam here, along with gibbons, Asiatic black bears, and sambar deer. Birdwatchers count more than 300 species, and the hornbills are always a favourite. Trekkers often come across giant squirrels, porcupines, and macaques along the walking paths.
Location: Nakhon Ratchasima
Highlights: Haew Narok & Haew Suwat waterfalls, elephants, and hornbills
Activities: Trekking, wildlife safaris, waterfall visits
Suggested Read: Erawan National Park
2. Kaeng Krachan National Park
Photo: JJ Harrison / Wikimedia Commons
Kaeng Krachan is the largest national park in Thailand, covering close to 3,000 km² in Phetchaburi and Prachuap Khiri Khan. It touches the border with Myanmar and forms part of the Western Forest Complex, a major conservation area in Southeast Asia. The park has misty peaks, heavy rainforest, and big reservoirs. Wildlife is everywhere. People see elephants, leopards, langurs, gibbons, and hundreds of birds. Hornbills are common, but the rare Ratchet-tailed treepie is a special sight. Butterflies crowd the streams and campsites, bright and restless.
Location: Phetchaburi
Highlights: Elephants, hornbills, Panoen Thung viewpoint
Activities: Birdwatching, trekking, boating, butterfly spotting
3. Khao Sok National Park
Photo: Marcin Kaliński marcinkalinski / Wikimedia Commons
Khao Sok in Surat Thani province is home to one of the oldest evergreen rainforests on the planet. The park covers 739 km² and is known for its limestone cliffs, thick jungle, and the emerald waters of Cheow Lan Lake. This lake, formed by the Ratchaprapha Dam, has floating raft houses where travellers can spend the night and wake to mist drifting around the karst peaks. Wildlife is rich, with gibbons, wild elephants, dusky langurs, hornbills, and even the giant Rafflesia kerrii flower, which blooms at certain times of the year. Trails cut through the forest, leading to caves, waterfalls, and clear jungle pools.
Location: Surat Thani
Highlights: Cheow Lan Lake, Rafflesia flower, limestone cliffs
Activities: Jungle trekking, lake cruises, cave exploration, wildlife spotting
Suggested Read: Doi Inthanon National Park
4. Erawan National Park
Photo: Nina R / Wikimedia Commons
Erawan National Park in Kanchanaburi province is well known for the seven-tiered Erawan Falls, a waterfall system that has become one of Thailand’s favourite natural landmarks. The Erawan Falls have each level with green pools where people can swim. The higher tiers need some climbing, but the forest trail makes it worth it. The name comes from Hindu mythology. Locals say the top level looks like the head of Erawan, the three-headed elephant. The park is about 550 km² and has hills, caves, and stretches of forest. Macaques show up near the paths, and monitor lizards often sit by the water.
Location: Kanchanaburi
Highlights: Seven-tiered Erawan Falls, Phra That Cave
Activities: Swimming, trekking, caving, camping
5. Ao Phang Nga National Park
Photo: Deror Avi / Wikimedia Commons
Ao Phang Nga National Park in Phang Nga province is one of the most iconic Thailand national parks, covering around 400 km² of marine and coastal scenery. It is most famous for its limestone karsts that rise straight out of the emerald sea, forming views that look like postcards. The best-known landmark is Ko Tapu, widely called ‘James Bond Island’ after it appeared in the film The Man with the Golden Gun. The park also guards mangrove swamps, caves, and small islands. Kayaks and boats take visitors into hidden lagoons, called hongs by locals. In the mangroves, you see mudskippers, crabs, and birds, while the clear water holds plenty of marine life.
Location: Phang Nga
Highlights: James Bond Island, mangroves, sea caves, kayaking
Activities: Kayaking, island-hopping, photography, cultural visits
Suggested Read: Khao Yai National Park
6. Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park
Photo: Kittipong khunnen / Wikimedia Commons
Khao Sam Roi Yot means ‘Mountain of 300 Peaks,’ and the name fits. This coastal park in Prachuap Khiri Khan province is full of sharp limestone ridges, open wetlands, and deep caves. It was set up in 1966 as Thailand’s first marine national park, and people still come here for birds, beaches, and wide views. The best-known spot is Phraya Nakhon Cave. Inside is the Kuha Karuhas Pavilion, and at midday, sunlight pours through the roof and lights it up, a scene that has been photographed countless times. The marshes in the park are important for migrating birds, and species such as the purple swamphen are found here.
Location: Prachuap Khiri Khan
Highlights: Phraya Nakhon Cave, Kuha Karuhas Pavilion, wetlands, beaches
Activities: Hiking, caving, birdwatching, beach visits
7. Similan Islands National Park
Photo: KOSIN SUKHUM / Wikimedia Commons
The Similan Islands sit in the Andaman Sea off Phang Nga province and are known as one of Thailand’s most famous marine national parks. Spanning about 140 km², the park includes nine main islands and a handful of smaller islets, all noted for clear water, white sand beaches, and coral reefs that remain full of life. It was declared a national park in 1982, and soon after, the Similans gained worldwide attention as one of the best places on earth for diving. Under the surface, it is common to find manta rays, whale sharks, sea turtles, and plenty of reef fish.
Location: Phang Nga
Highlights: Diving, coral reefs, Sail Rock viewpoint
Activities: Snorkelling, scuba diving, island-hopping
Suggested Read: Khao Sok National Park
8. Kui Buri National Park
Photo: KOSIN SUKHUM / Wikimedia Commons
Kui Buri National Park in Prachuap Khiri Khan province, not far from Hua Hin, is one of the best places in Thailand to watch wild elephants in their natural surroundings. Created in 1999, the park covers nearly 969 km² of dry evergreen forest mixed with open grasslands. It lies within the Tenasserim Hills along the border with Myanmar, and its protected area supports elephants as well as gaurs, leopards, golden jackals, and many species of birds. Viewing points such as Huai Luek give visitors a strong chance to see elephant herds at dusk, making the experience more reliable than in many other national parks in Thailand.
Location: Prachuap Khiri Khan
Highlights: Wild elephants, gaurs, birdwatching
Activities: Safari drives, wildlife viewing, guided tours
9. Si Lanna National Park
Photo: Nejumy / Wikimedia Commons
Si Lanna National Park sits about 65 kilometres north of Chiang Mai and spreads across more than 1,400 km² of hills, rivers, and forest. It was established in 1989 and is counted among the larger national parks in Thailand. The park protects the headwaters of the Ping River and a mix of ecosystems, from evergreen to deciduous forest. Visitors often see macaques, civets, porcupines, and many birds, so it attracts people who want a quieter nature trip. Its best-known feature is Mae Ngat Somboon Chon Reservoir, where floating raft houses let guests sleep right on the water. People kayak, swim, or simply sit on the deck with the forested slopes around them.
Location: Chiang Mai
Highlights: Mae Ngat Reservoir, Mon Hin Lai Waterfall, caves
Activities: Raft house stays, kayaking, trekking, caving
Suggested Read: Mu Ko Chang National Park
10. Khao Lak–Lam Ru National Park
Photo: Vyacheslav Argenberg / Wikimedia Commons
Khao Lak–Lam Ru National Park in Phang Nga province combines waterfalls, forest, and coastline, and it is counted among the most scenic coastal national parks in Thailand. It covers about 125 km², stretching from the wooded slopes of the hills down to the Andaman Sea. Lam Ru Waterfall, with its five levels, is one of the main draws, and the trails leading to it run through evergreen forest where macaques, hornbills, and butterflies are often seen. Along the coast, spots such as Khao Lak Beach and Ton Chong Fa Waterfall give two very different experiences of sea and jungle.
Location: Phang Nga
Highlights: Lam Ru Waterfall, beaches, and forest wildlife
Activities: Hiking, beach visits, camping, wildlife watching
From jungle trails once used by elephants to coral reefs and quiet coastlines, the national parks in Thailand reveal a wide range of landscapes. Each park offers something unique—whether rich wildlife, dramatic rock formations, or peaceful waterways. Exploring them invites a slower, more immersive experience. Travellers who include these parks in their journey discover Thailand’s true beauty. Book with TripXL to catch each park at its most vibrant and alive.
Cover Photo: Kriengsak Jirasirirojanakorn / Wikimedia Commons
