Thap Lan National Park

Thap Lan National Park, Part Of The UNESCO World Heritage Site Dong Phayayen Khao Yai Forest Complex (2005); Talipot Palm Forests · Na Di, Prachinburi

Thap Lan is one of the largest national parks in Thailand, a vast area of forested hills and plateau spanning Prachinburi and Nakhon Ratchasima provinces east of Khao Yai. Together with Khao Yai, Pang Sida, Ta Phraya and the Dong Yai wildlife sanctuary it forms the Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005 for its tropical forests and the wildlife they shelter. The park is named after the lan, the talipot palm, whose giant fan leaves were once used for writing Buddhist scriptures, and stands of these tall palms rise above the lowland forest in places. Most visitors come to camp by the Lam Plai Mat reservoir on the northern side, where tents face open water and forested hills and cool-season mornings bring mist. Deeper in, the forest shelters elephants, gaur, gibbons and hornbills, seldom seen, and it has been a front line in the fight against gangs logging Siamese rosewood. There are waterfalls and guided trails, but facilities are simple, public transport is thin and a car is essential.

Thap Lan, Na Di, Na Di, Prachinburi, 25220, Thailand

NO OPENING TIME HERE WAS CHECKED. The typical pattern: the park gates and headquarters admit day visitors from about 8 am to about 4.30 or 6 pm, with last entry in the afternoon, while campers with a booking stay overnight; roads through the park may be closed at night to protect wildlife. Guided trails leave in the morning and must usually be arranged the day before or early on the day. The national parks department has closed parts of many parks, including some trails and campsites, in the rainy season, and parks can close at short notice for fire, flood or wildlife reasons. The Abhaibhubejhr museum in Prachinburi keeps weekday and weekend hours that vary; check. The traps are arriving after the gate closes, turning up on a wet-season weekend to find the campsite or trails shut, and expecting to hire a guide on the spot in the afternoon. Confirm current times before relying on them.

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