Wildlife of Thailand

Thailand wildlife trips might go north or south, or do a mixture of the two. The north of Thailand is seen as less ‘touristy’ than the south and most elephant parks are in this area – many tourists fly into the city of Chiang Mai and go on into the countryside from here.

Those who travel south get national parks like Khao Sok, and Thailand’s best beaches. On snorkeling and diving trips off Phi Phi Island, or in the Similan and Surin Islands, you might spot a leopard shark – easier to spy than the clouded leopards on land. Even if you do not see one, there are plenty of colorful reef fish. The elephant is the national animal of Thailand and considered sacred in Buddhist iconography. Since ancient times, Thai people have had a close association with elephants, from their use as warriors on the battleground to serving as beasts of burden, transporting agricultural produce and felled logs from the forest.

Wildlife in Khao Yai National Park:

UNESCO-listed Khao Yai National Park is one of Thailand’s most visited. Whilst only 2.5 hours from Bangkok by road, it still has plenty of wild corners which make it an excellent birding destination – and a bat destination too. At sunset, tourists can watch at Khao Yai Bat Cave as millions of bats take to the sky for their evening’s hunt.

Wildlife in Khao Sok National Park:

Khao Sok National Park, which contains fragments of the some of the world’s oldest rainforest, has floating bungalows on its lake, so you can stay close to nature in comfort. “Khao Sok National Park is an amazing, beautiful, peaceful place,” says Dave Tucker, director of our partner the Beyond Tourism Company, who run some of our top wildlife trips to Thailand. “There are limestone islands coming out of the lake. You can sit on a floating balcony and watch the elephants coming out of the forest – it is nice.”

Wildlife in Kaeng Krachen National Park:

Other wildlife hotspots include Kaeng Krachan. The forests in Thailand’s largest national park stretch right up to the border with Myanmar (Burma). Whilst it’s a little more difficult to get here, there’s impressive jungle the deeper you go. Gaur (also known as Indian bison) and wild elephants are the largest treasures in an area that contains leopards, langurs, porcupines and civets, and even a handful of tigers.

From Bangkok, it is easy to take a tour to Khao Yai National Park either on a day tour or, for a real wildlife adventure, on a 3-day tour. In Khao Yai you have a chance to see: Asiatic elephants, White-handed gibbons, Indian bison, wild boar, Sambar and Barking deer, Pig-tailed macaques, Black giant squirrels, Great hornbills, reticulated pythons, and many more.

From Krabi, Phuket or Khao Lak, you can book a tour to Sok national Park. In Khao Sok you have a chance to spot: Asiatic elephants, Indian bison, wild boar, Sambar and Barking deer, Long-tailed macaques, plus the giant Rafflesia flowers.

And from Hua Hin, you can join a Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park to see Spectacled langurs, Long-tailed macaques, kingfishers, and waterbirds.