Khao Sok

Contents of this article8 sections

1. Getting there
2. Getting around
3. Where to stay
4. Things to see
5. Food
6. Evenings
7. Tips for travellers over 50
8. Best time to visit

Khao Sok National Park and its rainforest lie inland between the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand. It has two parts: the small village at the park entrance with hotels, restaurants and hiking trails, and Cheow Lan Lake, a reservoir with steep limestone cliffs and floating raft houses. The village and the lake are 67 kilometres apart, about an hour’s drive.

Most people come for two or three days, often as a side trip from Khao Lak, Phuket or Krabi. The best way is to combine the two: one night in the village, one night on the lake.

Getting there

Surat Thani is the quickest way in. The Phantip minivan leaves straight from the airport arrivals hall, about 250 baht to the station in the village or 300 baht to your accommodation. From Phun Phin railway station it takes about two hours. A taxi from Surat Thani airport to the village costs 1,900 baht.

From Khao Lak it takes one to two hours, and buses start at about 8 euros. From Krabi many minivans run every day, and depending on the transport and how many changes you make, the journey takes two to five hours. From Phuket a taxi is the comfortable option, about 2.5 hours for 2,700 to 3,800 baht.

Buses and vans stop at the junction on Route 401, 1.8 kilometres from the park entrance. Many places to stay will pick you up there.

Getting to the lake is harder. Public buses do not go to the Ratchaprapha boat pier. The easiest way is to book the lake tour with transfer through your hotel, or to take a taxi.

Getting around

In the village you walk to most places, though the hotels are up to four kilometres from the entrance. On the lake, only longtail boats run, leaving from the Ratchaprapha pier. In high season, from mid-November to April, boats are often in short supply. So book the lake tour in advance.

Where to stay

In the village there are many places to stay and eat, often close to the park entrance, plus good mobile signal and Wi-Fi.

On the lake you sleep in raft houses. The national park runs four of them itself, and there are many private ones. The simple raft houses have a shared bathroom and a fan, and usually only have electricity in the evening until 22:00 or 23:00. Better houses have a private bathroom and air conditioning, which is especially worth having from February to May. Mobile signal on the lake is only patchy.

Things to see

Entry fees and guides

For foreigners the park costs 200 baht, children aged 3 to 14 pay 100 baht. For the lake you pay an extra 300 baht, children 150 baht (as of June 2026). Bring enough cash.

Without a guide you may only walk a few trails near the park entrance. You book guides through your hotel or an agency. A half day costs from 600 baht, a full day from 1,200 baht, each for one to two people.

Cheow Lan Lake

The lake was created by the Ratchaprapha Dam. The best-known photo spot is the three rocks of Khao Sam Kloe, about 35 to 40 minutes by boat from the pier. Many tours visit Diamond Cave, a cave about 100 metres long where you need a torch. Coral Cave is in the Khlong Saeng protected area and costs 200 baht extra.

If you stay two nights on the lake, you may see wild elephants on the shore with a bit of luck.

Hiking trails at the park entrance

The Ton Kloi trail is seven kilometres long, and you walk the first 2.9 kilometres without a guide. It is about four kilometres to the Sip Et Chan waterfall, and after a short stretch on the boardwalk you need a guide.

On the Orchid Trail the Rafflesia sometimes blooms, one of the largest flowers in the world at up to 80 centimetres. It usually blooms around February. The trail is ten kilometres long and climbs to 600 metres.

Night safari

The night safari takes place only at the park entrance, usually from 19:00 to 21:00 with a guide. With a torch you mostly see frogs, lizards and, with luck, snakes.

Food

There are no restaurants in the park itself, but plenty in the village, only a few hundred metres from the entrance. The raft houses on the lake have their own kitchens, and meals are often included in package deals.

Evenings

Khao Sok is quiet. In the village there are a few bars, and on the lake the raft house restaurant usually closes after dinner. Boats only run between sunrise and sunset, and you may not paddle a kayak at night either.

Tips for travellers over 50

On the lake, always wear a life jacket in the boat and when kayaking. People have drowned there. The walkways of the raft houses are old and uneven in places, so watch your step when getting on and off.

Some trails are strenuous. The climb to the Kri Sorn viewpoint is 1.5 kilometres, steep with scrambling sections, and not for people who are not steady on their feet. When booking, ask how much walking a tour involves.

In the rainy season the trails are muddy, and you need shoes with good grip. Only visit Nam Talu Cave in the dry season and only with a guide: eight people died there in a flash flood in 2007.

Best time to visit

January to March is driest. From the end of April to the beginning of December it rains regularly, most of all from May to October. High season is between mid-November and April, when the lake and trails are crowded. It is quieter in May and June and in September and October, but wetter. The park authority closes some caves and trails for a few months every year. You can see the monthly figures on the weather page for Khao Sok.

Khao Sok combines well with Khao Lak or Koh Samui. What you need before you fly is covered in Entry to Thailand 2026.