Southeast Asia is a home of numerous fascinating national parks. From diverse geological terrains to rich collections of flora and fauna, these places let the visitors experience a side of the Earth that is untouched by humans.
Thailand’s famous national park, the Khao Sok, is one of those wonders. It is renowned not only for the natural scenery, but also for the stunning view and biodiversity.
Read also: Most Stunning National Parks in Southeast Asia
What Is Khao Sok National Park?
Khao Sok National Park is located in southern Thailand. It stretches over a vast land area of 739 square kilometres of Amphoe Phanom and Ban Takhun Districts in Surat Thani Province.
The park consists of a sprawling rainforest that is believed to have preceded the Amazon. This is a result of its stable equatorial position for the last 160 million years, which showered it with sustainable rainfall while the climate around the world is affected by ice ages.
In addition to the ancient forest, Khao Sok features a mountainous topography made up of towering limestone or karst mountains. The tallest peak towers at 960m above the sea level.
Khao Sok also features a body of water called the Cheow Lan Lake, which was created through the construction of the Ratchaprapha Dam, a hydroelectric dam project in 1982.
With tall mountains looming out from the surface, this lake has a jaw-dropping panorama that is comparable to the famous Halong Bay of Vietnam.
The Wildlife of Khao Sok
Khao Sok has been designated as an ASEAN Heritage Park (AHP) since 2021. According to the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) on their website, AHPs are “protected areas of high conservation importance, preserving in total a complete spectrum of representative ecosystems of the ASEAN region.”
Conservation is particularly important to protect the park’s biodiversity. It is a shelter to hundreds of animals from Asian elephants and mouse-deers to black magpie and great argus.
The park’s wild inhabitants also include rare species, such as the critically endangered Mekong giant catfish (Pangasianodon gigas). Despite reports of tiger sightings, it is believed that they live deeper in the inaccessible part of the rainforest.
Fauna diversity thrives in Khao Sok as well. There are tropical plants like bamboo, palm trees, and mangroves. The most unique of them is the largest flower and Surat Thani Province’s symbol, Rafflesia kerrii.
Things To Do In Khao Sok
Khao Sok National Park' entrance fees are ฿200 (around $5.45) for adults and ฿100 (around $2.72) for 3-14 years old children. Cheow Lan Lake has a different price of ฿300 (around $8.18) for adults and ฿150 (around $4.09) for children.
However, to fully experience the beauty of nature, visitors are recommended to book tours from various operators before arriving. The packages range from two to four days at the cost of around ฿14,000 (around $381.56) to ฿34,000 (around $926.98) per person.
The tours take visitors to trek through the rainforest. For fans of nocturnal wildlife, night safari can be an option to consider. However, touring beyond the park’s headquarters requires an obligatory guide’s assistance.
With the presence of Cheow Lan Lake and other waterways, visitors can also partake in water-based activities including swimming, bamboo rafting, and canoeing or kayaking.
Khao Sok is not as off-grid as it sounds. The headquarters area has restaurants, hotels, and exclusive lakeside floating bungalows ready to serve the visitors.
How to Visit Khao Sok
Some tour packages already include transfer to Khao Sok. However, the park is equally accessible through other means of public transportation, which can be an alternative for visitors who plan for private trips.
Four airports are located relatively close to the park: Surat Thani, Phuket, Krabi, and Koh Samui. Surat Thani Airport is the nearest, and Phuket Airport has direct overseas flight routes.
For land travel, there are sleeper trains from Bangkok that costs ฿107– ฿1839 (about $2.92 – $50.19). Minibus ruotes are also available in nearby towns where the airports are located.
| Routes | One Way Transfer (price per car) | Return transfer (price per car) |
| Phuket - Khao Sok | ฿4,500 ($122.75) | ฿9,000 ($245.50) |
| Krabi - Khao Sok | ฿4,500 ($122.75) | ฿9,000($245.50) |
| Surat Thani - Khao Sok | ฿3,500 ($95.52) | ฿7,000 ($191.03) |
| Koh Samui - Khao Sok | ฿5,500 ($150.18) | ฿11,000 ($300.35) |
| Don Sak Pier - Khao Sok | ฿4,500 ($122.75) | ฿9,000 ($245.50) |
The best way to visit faster is by private taxi. Depending on the distance and type of vehicle (Sedan, MPV/SUV, or Minivan), the price varies. For example, a trip from Surat Thani Airport will cost ฿1,900 (about $51.85) to the park's headquarters area.
Visitors who choose to visit Khao Sok without tours must consider their time. Public transportation typically makes detours and transfers other passengers at multiple hotels.
