{"id":2874,"date":"2016-06-06T13:13:21","date_gmt":"2016-06-06T13:13:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/thai\/?p=2874"},"modified":"2016-12-14T18:31:59","modified_gmt":"2016-12-14T18:31:59","slug":"national-parks-in-thailand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/thai\/national-parks-in-thailand\/","title":{"rendered":"National Parks in Thailand"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thailand is famous for its many islands<\/strong> (\u0e40\u0e01\u0e32\u0e30 g\u00f2r<\/em>) and its big cities<\/strong> (\u0e40\u0e21\u0e37\u0e2d\u0e07 meuang<\/em>) like Bangkok and Chiang Mai, but did you know that the country is also home to tons of beautiful national parks<\/strong> (\u0e2d\u0e38\u0e17\u0e22\u0e32\u0e19\u0e41\u0e2b\u0e48\u0e07\u0e0a\u0e32\u0e15\u0e34 \u00f9t-t\u00e1-yaan h\u00e0eng ch\u00e2at<\/em>)? As a matter of fact, there are a whopping 127 of them across the country. Of them, 22 are classified as marine national parks<\/strong> (\u0e2d\u0e38\u0e17\u0e22\u0e32\u0e19\u0e41\u0e2b\u0e48\u0e07\u0e0a\u0e32\u0e15\u0e34\u0e17\u0e32\u0e07\u0e17\u0e30\u0e40\u0e25 \u00f9t-t\u00e1-yaan h\u00e0eng ch\u00e2at taang t\u00e1-lay<\/em>). There are over 30 in the process of being created as well, which will push the number over 150. It may be hard to imagine when walking around the concrete jungle of Bangkok or the tourist traps of Phuket, but there are plenty of places in Thailand where wild animals such as tigers and elephants still roam free.\u00a0It would take a lifetime to explore them all, but here’s a quick look at three of Thailand’s national parks – one closer to Bangkok, one near Chiang Mai, and one in the south in between the coasts:<\/p>\n

Khao Yai (\u0e40\u0e02\u0e32\u0e43\u0e2b\u0e0d\u0e48)<\/h2>\n
\"Khao<\/a>

Khao Yai NP – by Pierre Wolfer from flickr.com.<\/p><\/div>\n

Khao Yai was the first national park in Thailand, established in 1962. It’s the third largest and definitely the most popular park in the country. The park was given UNESCO World Heritage Status in 2005 as part of the greater\u00a0Dong Phaya Yen\u2013Khao Yai Forest Complex, which is home to a whopping 800 species. This is one of the few remaining places in Thailand where you can still spot elephants in the wild. It’s also home to two species of gibbon, the rare Asiatic black bear, barking deer, and so much more. You can view an extensive list of the wildlife at Khao Yai here<\/a>. There are multiple day treks available in the park where you can spot wildlife, visit waterfalls, and do a bit of bird watching, for starters. The best time to visit is during the cool season from November-February. Check out this short video from NDTV to get a glimpse at Khao Yai NP:<\/p>\n