Thap Lan National Park

Thap Lan covers around 2,240 square kilometres across Prachinburi, Nakhon Ratchasima and Sa Kaeo, making it the second largest national park in Thailand, and it forms part of the Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex inscribed by UNESCO in 2005. Its name comes from the lan palm, Corypha lecomtei, a large fan palm that once covered much of this country and survives here in the biggest remaining stand - the palms flower once at the end of a long life and then die, and their leaves were historically used for palm-leaf manuscripts. The forest holds elephants, gaur, and a tiger population monitored as part of the wider complex. It is far less visited than neighbouring Khao Yai, with rougher roads, fewer facilities and limited accommodation. A long-running dispute over redrawing the park boundary to formalise land occupied by settlers has been contested publicly and is unresolved; parts of the park have been subject to encroachment.

What you actually see

• The lan palm forest - the largest surviving stand of the fan palm.
• The scale - Thailand's second largest park, part of the UNESCO complex.
• The wildlife - elephants, gaur and monitored tigers.
• The quiet - far fewer visitors than Khao Yai next door.

When to go

November to February for the cool dry season. Roads within the park are rough and difficult in the rains. Accommodation is limited - book park bungalows or camping in advance.

Honest expectations

Basic facilities and rough internal roads; a high-clearance vehicle helps. Wildlife sightings are far from guaranteed. Encroachment and the boundary dispute have affected parts of the park. Foreign entry fees are higher than Thai.

Nearby

Khao Yai National Park is north-west; Pang Sida is south-east in Sa Kaeo.