Bangkok to Khao Yai: bus, train or car?

Bangkok to Khao Yai: the options compared

Four ways to reach Pak Chong, then the park.

The bus and minivan drop you in Pak Chong cheaply, but leave you 30 km from the park’s sights. A private car costs more, but it solves both the arrival and the getting around in one go. It is how most Thai visitors do it on a weekend from Bangkok.

Before you go: is the park open?

Khao Yai sometimes closes after heavy rain.

The park can close temporarily after heavy rain, when roads and trails become unsafe. Before booking, check the park’s official announcements or ask your accommodation: any closure in force is also flagged at the top of this page.

By bus or minivan to Pak Chong

The budget option, with departures all day.

Air-conditioned buses heading north-east leave Mo Chit bus terminal roughly every hour from dawn to evening and stop in Pak Chong. Minivans leave from the van terminal just opposite. Expect 3 to 3.5 hours depending on traffic, and about 150 to 250 THB.

• Tell the driver you are getting off at Pak Chong: buses carry on to Nakhon Ratchasima.
• Leave in the morning to arrive before lunch and have the afternoon there.
• Avoid Friday evenings: the way out of Bangkok is jammed.

In Pak Chong, taxis, songthaews and scooter rentals wait near the stop. Many places to stay offer pick-up: ask when you book.

By train to Pak Chong

Slow but scenic, for rail lovers.

North-eastern line trains leave Krung Thep Aphiwat and stop in Pak Chong after 3.5 to 5 hours. Tickets are cheap, from a few dozen baht in 3rd class. The train goes through Ayutthaya, so you can combine both stops.

The train only makes sense if you enjoy rail travel or are coming from Ayutthaya. To save time, the bus is faster.

By car: the best option

The only way to be free inside the park.

A car with driver links Bangkok and Khao Yai in 2.5 to 3 hours, for 2,200 to 3,500 THB per car. Renting a car is easy too: the main road is good and well signposted, and the park is made for driving, with car parks at every site.

• The driver waits at each stop: waterfalls, viewpoints, the visitor centre.
• You can leave at dawn, the best time to spot wildlife.
• You also see the Pak Chong area, with its vineyards and farms.

How to get around the park

About 30 km separate Pak Chong from the main sights.

A songthaew runs from Pak Chong to the northern entrance all day for a small fare, but it stops at the gate. The main sights, visitor centre, waterfalls and viewpoints, are still kilometres further in, with no public transport at all.

The entry fee is 400 THB per foreign adult, plus a small charge per vehicle, payable in cash. The ticket is valid for the day: keep it if you leave and come back. What to see and which trails to walk are on our Khao Yai page.

Where to stay and for how long

A day from Bangkok is short; two nights is ideal.

On a day trip you spend six hours on the road for a few hours in the park. With one or two nights you see the forest at dawn, do a night safari and enjoy the waterfalls without rushing. There are plenty of places to stay along the road from Pak Chong up to the park: see where to stay in Khao Yai.

• Two nights for a first visit.
• At least one dawn start, for gibbons and hornbills.
• A sweater for the evenings: it is cooler up high, especially from November to February.

How to get back to Bangkok

Same options as on the way out, from Pak Chong.

Buses to Mo Chit stop in Pak Chong all day, and trains head back to Krung Thep Aphiwat. Your accommodation can drop you at the stop or book a car to your Bangkok hotel or the airport.

Where next?

Khao Yai combines well with history and the north.

• For the temples of an old capital, on the same railway line: Ayutthaya.
• To meet elephants ethically: our guide to elephant sanctuaries.
• For more ideas from the capital: our day trips from Bangkok.

To link your stops, our itinerary planner works out the travel times.