Tag: khao yai

10 Unique things to do in Bangkok Thailand

1) Visit the Abandoned Airplane Graveyard

When will you ever have a chance to explore an abandoned Boeing airplane ever in your life? Well now you get to have your chance. It is not a place where you have to secretly crawl through a fence or climb over one. It is as simple as giving 200B to the family who lives at the grounds. While 200B may seem like too much for a place that is supposedly abandoned, perhaps you can treat it as a donation to the family.

Address: 13.764812 100.652406, Khwaeng Hua Mak, Khet Bang Kapi, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10240, Thailand

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2) Walk around Khlong Toey Market

If you want to get off the tourist path and experience real local life, visit Khlong Toey Market. Immerse yourself in the sights and smells and enjoy every moment of it. Besides selling the usual produce, you can also find eels, turtles, ant eggs, water bugs, silkworms and snails.

Hours: 6 am – 2pm

Address: 1 Kasem Rat Rd, Khwaeng Khlong Toei, Khet Khlong Toei, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10110, Thailand

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3) Eat insects at Insects in the Backyard

If you are afraid to eat insects, maybe this restaurant will change your mind. Insects in the Backyard transforms your everyday insects such as ants, silkworms, bamboo worms and crickets into fine dining dishes. Every dish is carefully thought out and incorporates the insects in a tasteful way. Not only did they look creepily nice, they tasted great as well. Do not let the idea of insects scare you away from trying them.

Hours: 2pm-11pm , closed on wednesdays

Address:  Chang Chui Market – 460/8 Sirindhorn Rd, Khwaeng Bang Phlat, Khet Bang Phlat, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10700

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4) See animals at the animal section of Chatuchak Market

Chatuchak market is known for being one of the world’s largest weekend markets. It is easy to get lost in rows and rows of stalls. But, if you manage to make your way to the animal section, you will be rewarded with interesting sights. Snakes, rodents, dogs, cats, tortoises, beavers, lizards, rabbits – you can find almost any animal that they think are capable of being pets.

Hours: Weekends 9 am – 6 pm

Address: Kamphaeng Phet 3 Rd, Khwaeng Lat Yao, Khet Chatuchak, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10900, Thailand

5) Try to get in Sathorn Unique Tower

I have always liked going to abandoned places and after watching the show “The Promise”, I really wanted to see the tower. I read online that you could bribe the security guards to go inside but recently however, this practice has stopped. Also, some said that you could try jumping from a nearby building to get in but, I didn’t have the guts to do it. So if you are daring enough to take the plunge, you might be able to get in. If not, you’ll just be like me – admiring from the outside.

Address: 266/14-15, Soi Siam Square 3, Rama 1 Road, Pathumwan, Khet Pathumwan, Bangkok, 10330, 10330, Thailand

6) Take a picture at the Abandoned Train Cemetery

Follow the tracks moving north from Bang Sue Station and you will reach the cemetery. To get there, you will have to cross the train tracks and that is an adventure by itself. Make sure to look out for trains coming from either direction and make your way quickly over. Also, climb over the fence if you want to take a closer look but be careful of anyone patrolling the area.

Address:104/35 Soi Liap Thang Rotfai, Bang Sue, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10900, Thailand

7) Eat Goong Ten at Rod Fai Night Market Srinakarin

Goong Ten literally translates to “dancing shrimps”. The name is aptly given as the shrimps will move in your mouth because you will be eating them alive. You will be scared at first but the shrimps die pretty quickly after they are taken out of the water – so don’t worry too much about them moving around too much.

Hours: 5pm – 1am , closed on mon and tue

Address: ถนน ศรีนครินทร์ Khwaeng Nong Bon, Khet Prawet, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10250, Thailand

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8) Feed the catfishes in the Chao Phraya River

I really don’t know how many catfishes there are in the Chao Phraya River but I think they might have an overpopulation problem. It is easy to purchase fish food at the piers and you should be able to feed them anywhere along the river.

9) Eat Wattana Panich the “oldest” soup in Bangkok

This stall is about 60 years old and they have retained their soup in the wok every single night instead of throwing it away. While this may sound strange and maybe unhygienic, it is believed by the Chinese that the longer a wok has not be washed, the tastier and more flavorful the dish will be. We have tasted their beef soup and it tastes delicious.

Hours: 9 am to 9 pm (Closed on the last Monday of every month)

Address: 336-338 Soi Ekkamai 18, Sukumvith 63 Rd, Khlong Toei Nuea, Wattana, Bangkok 10110

10) Visit the Slums

Khlong Toey Slums

Bang Sue Slums

Khlong Toey is one of the largest slums in the city. On the way to the train cemetery, we also discovered slum-liked settlements near Bang Sue train station,

Many of the people live illegally in these squatter settlements and most don’t own the homes they live in. In the 1950s, cheap labor was in demand and many people relocated to the capital. A rental system was established where the people moving in could settle on land at a low cost. However in the 1970s, landowners favored building condominiums and new developments and ceased to provide low housing costs. They also stopped collecting rent and without a payment system, these illegal squatter settlements continued to grow.

These people live in tin-roofed homes over polluted and stagnant water. The areas have also become more and more populated with houses being crammed right next to each other.

Do visit the slums to experience how some people can still be living in such conditions despite being in a modern and developed city like Bangkok.

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Top 9 things to do in Khao Yai Thailand

Khao Yai is often dubbed as the Switzerland of Thailand. Reasons being the cooler weather and picturesque surroundings. Here are the top 10 things to do in Khao Yai.

1) Khao Yai National Park

Go trekking in the jungles of Khao Yai national park and have an adventure you will never forget. Meet wildlife such as deer, woodlouse, leeches, monkeys and even wild elephants if you are really really lucky. Also, visit Haew Suwat Waterfall, the largest waterfall in the park. This waterfall was used in a scene with Leonardo DiCaprio in the movie “The Beach”.

Address: Hin Tung, Mueang Nakhon Nayok District, Nakhon Nayok 26000, Thailand

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2) Ban Mai Chay Nam Restaurant

This is one unique restaurant you will never forget. Besides being a restaurant, it is also a museum that has a collection of antiques, old chinaware, creepy looking dolls, old toys, figurines, statues, arcade machines etc. You can also have a go at playing the pinball machine and air hockey. Besides that, they serve delicious food. So many things to see and so many things to do!

Hours: 10 am – 10 pm

Address: 21, Mittaphap Road, Tambon Pak Chong, Amphoe Pak Chong, Nakhon Ratchasima, 30130, Thailand

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3) Mawmuek Cafe

If you love cats, you will absolutely love this place. For a small token such as buying a drink or a souvenir, you are allowed entry into the cafe. Besides playing with them, you can also purchase wet cat food to feed them. You will definitely have a great time here!

Hours: Tues – Fri 10:30am – 6pm, Sat – Sun 9:30am – 7pm, closed on Mon

Address: 146/1 ม .4 Palio Khaoyai ถนน ธนะรัชต์ Tambon Mu Si, Amphoe Pak Chong, Chang Wat Nakhon Ratchasima 30130, Thailand

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4) Primo Piazza

Primo Piazza combines stunning elegant Italian architecture with the beautiful backdrop of the mountains of Khao Yai. Get a chance to interact with the sheep and alpacas in this cozy farm by feeding them pandan leaves. While the alpacas are not allowed to roam freely perhaps due to their temperament, the sheep are able to do so. Besides visiting the animals, have a great time using the architecture to take beautiful photos.

Hours: 9 am – 6 pm

Address: 861 Moo 6, Thanarat Road Tambol Nong Nam Daeng Pak Chong District, Nakhon Ratchasima 30130

5) GranMonte Vineyard and Winery

We booked a tour with GrandMonte Vineyard and it was really fun and educational. Perhaps we went in the month with the highest rainfall thus we were the only participants for the tour and we were pretty happy about it. Our guide spoke English very well and she went though the different types of wine produced and the processes they have to undertake. While wine making isn’t something that is uncommon, what makes this place so special is that they found a way to make wine in a country that does not have a climate that is thought of as being suitable for making wine. Do visit them to learn how they did it.

Address: 52 MOO 9, Payayen, Pansuk-Kudkla Street, Nakhon Ratchasima, 30320, Thailand

6) Midwinter Green

Midwinter Green is a restaurant that looks like a magical castle. You will definitely feel like a prince or princess your own fairy tale once you step foot into the restaurant. Not only is the decor absolutely stunning, the food served was really scrumptious. Get really to be swept away by this amazing restaurant.

Hours: 10 am – 10 pm

Address: 10 88/88 Soi Ban Sai Thong Mu 24 Soi 2, Nong Nam Daeng, Pak Chong District, Nakhon Ratchasima 30130, Thailand

7) Wat Bu Pai

We initially did not plan to go here. But, on out way to Mister Mushroom, we passed by this temple and we were so impressed by the statue that we decided to stop and it was a great decision to do so. Coming here gave us a glimpse of local life. It was not a touristy destination and we did not see any other tourists. Besides visiting the beautiful temple, we walked through a local market that was right next to it. They had various amulets and trinkets, food, produce, clothes and even a blown up bouncy castle. If you want to visit a destination that is off the beaten path, make a trip here.

Address: 105 moo 5 Tambon Wang Nam Khiao, Amphoe Wang Nam Khiao, Chang Wat Nakhon Ratchasima 30370, Thailand

8)Mister Mushroom

Mister Mushroom is a hidden shopping paradise in Khao Yai. There are just so many mushroom related products that you can easily spend an hour deciding what to buy back. They have spreads, snacks, tea, moisturizers and even ice cream – all made from mushrooms. Even though they do not advertise any tours, if you are interested to see how the mushrooms are grown, just ask the staff if they are available to give you a tour of the farm when you are there.

Hours: 8 am – 5 pm

Address: 155 Moo 2, Sukklao, Tambon Tha Samakkee, Wang Nam Khieo, Nakhon Ratchasima 30370

9) The Chocolate Factory

The Chocolate Factory is a chocolate lover’s dream come true. Not only can you buy chocolate products and eat chocolate cakes, you can even dine in their restaurant which serves an array of western and Thai cuisine.

Hours: Mondays – Thurs 9:30 am – 9 pm, Fri – Sun 9:30 am – 10 pm

Address: Pak Chong, Pak Chong District, Nakhon Ratchasima 30130, Thailand

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Ban Mai Chay Nam Novelty Restaurant by the river in Khao Yai

Ban Mai Chay Nam is a restaurant, a museum and a hotel all rolled into one. Located in Khao yai which is just a 3 hour drive from Bangkok, this unique restaurant is one that you cannot miss.

Just a few steps into the restaurant and we knew this place was really special.  

The restaurant is filled with interesting, weird and old things in every nook and cranny, you will never spend a bored second here. There are old chinaware, creepy looking dolls, antiques, old toys, figurines, statues, arcade machines etc.

If you thought that everything is old and just for display – you thought wrong. Some of the arcade games such as Air Hockey and Family Guy Pinball are still playable. If you do not have enough coins, you can proceed to the counter to make an exchange.  

Besides playing the games, you get to take awesome pictures as well!

We had so much fun walking around and exploring the place that we forgot we were there for the food in the first place.

The first dish we got was shredded pork with rice cooked with coconut milk and papaya salad. The sticky rice was fragrant and it went well with the crispy and salty pork. The papaya salad was sweet, spicy, salty and sour all at the same time. It was really balanced out.

The second dish was grilled catfish with sweet fish sauce and neem. I have never tried neem before and was curious to try it. I must say, the taste is an acquired one. When you first eat it, it presents a mild taste but as you chew, it becomes more and more bitter. The neem is best enjoyed with a bite of the catfish and sauce.

Before you leave, remember to take a picture on the wooden bridge over the beautiful river.

If you want to experience something unique in Khao Yai, do head over to Ban Mai Chay Nam. A word of advice was given to us by one of the locals, they said that the restaurant is best enjoyed at night as it could get really hot in the day because of the zinc roofs. Have fun eating, playing and taking pictures!

Hours: 10 am – 10pm

Address: 21 หมู่บ้านเกาะแก้ว Pak Chong, Nakhon Ratchasima 30130, Thailand

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Complete guide to Khao Yai National park

I’ll be writing about how to get to Khao Yai National Park, getting around in the park, accommodation, food and activities to do there

ACCOMMODATION

There are two types of accommodations in the park. You can either camp in tents or book rooms or whole lodges.

You don’t have to book in advance if you want to camp in the park. You can either bring your own camping gears or rent it.

On the other hand, if you want amenities like a bathroom and bed, it would be advisable to book in advance as it can sometimes get crowded on the weekends or peak periods. However booking a place to stay in the park can be quite difficult especially if you live outside of Thailand. Here is the step by step guide to booking a room or lodge.

1) Go to http://nps.dnp.go.th/reservation.php

You will need to register for an account first. The website can be displayed in either Thai or English

2) Search for Khao Yai National park and input the days you want to stay. Be aware that the booking should not be done more than 60 days in advance and you can’t book for more than 3 nights in a row.

There are a total of 4 zones to choose from. Please refer to the map below for the location of the zones in the park.

You can book a place for 2,4,6 and even up to 36 people.

3) Select the lodging you want and proceed. The website is sometimes very strange and you may get a timed out connection even though you have selected it quickly. When you have managed to get through, they will give you 2 days to make payment. The easiest way is to do a bank transfer.

I found it impossible to input the comp code, ref 1 and ref 2 as the amount of space given for the description didn’t allow me. I suggest just including as many numbers as you can and make sure to take a screenshot.

4) I was a little worried about whether they would receive the money. Do send them the screenshots of the completed transitions through email and they would verify it.

5) Lastly, once they have verified that you have paid, you are supposed to return to the portal to print out something. But unfortunately, when I tried, I couldn’t find the booking anymore and I had to resort to printing out the emails to show that the booking was confirmed. Luckily, they accepted it.

The room

I booked a room for 2 in Zone 4 Thanarat Lodge. There was ample space for parking.

The room was simple with blankets and towels provided. The curtains were not working well and there was a dresser.

The toilet was spacious with a working water heater.

Unfortunately, when we came back to the room at night, there seemed to be a power trip and we lost all electricity to the room. The fan wasn’t working anymore and we couldn’t charge anything. Luckily, the temperature at night was about 24 degrees Celsius and it wasn’t too unbearable. All in all, the room would be able to provide all the basic necessities you would need if a power shortage does not happen.

GETTING IN

There are two entrances into the park, Pakchong entrance gate and Nern Hom entrance gate.

The entrance fee is 400 Baht per person. If you go out of the park, you may need to pay the entrance fee again, thus staying in the park for at least one night is advisable.

The park is pretty big and it is advisable to drive your own car or a motorcycle. If you do not have your own transport, hitchhiking is possible.

FOOD

Getting food in the park is easy. You can find canteens at the visitor centers and at other main attractions.

ACTIVITIES

Trail 6

Behind the map, there is a list of nature trails you can do. Trails 1-5 are listed in front and unfortunately I did not take a picture of the back. You can go to the visitor center for more information. We decided to do the hardest trail which is trail 6 starting from the visitor center to Haew Suwat Waterfall. The trail is 8km, should last about 5 hours(we took about 6 hours) and it requires a guide.

At the visitor center, you can get all the information you need on the trails, night safari (more about this later on), accommodation and where to buy leech socks!

We were required to purchase leech socks. The leech socks were worn over our socks and they were quite comfortable.

Our guide was assigned to us almost immediately and here was us just starting on the trail.

5 mins in and we have spotted a leech. I always thought that leeches were black but our guide told us the leeches in the park were all brown.

Our guide was very friendly and informative. He could speak a little bit of English and we could speak a little bit of Thai. He told us his name was Kai and that in Thai it meant chicken

We saw various types of fungi, big and small.

Kai was very helpful in spotting vegetation and animals we would otherwise not have spotted. Starting from the left, a hanging branch that has water inside, a wasp nest and a woodlouse.

We stopped to hear monkeys and birds. We wanted to spot elephants but the closest we got was just hearing them in the distance.

Sometimes the trail would be relatively flat and easy, other times it was really difficult. Not to mention, we were there during the rainy season and the ground was extremely muddy and slippery.

Holding on to the plants and using my trusty stick to navigate.

Crossing over streams.

Climbing over obstacles.

Steep and muddy terrain.

Along the way, we would stop at markers along route 6 to tell us how far we have already gone.

Towards the end of the trail, we’ve reached Pha Kluai Mai Waterfall, a smaller waterfall compared to Haew Suwat Waterfall. Nonetheless, it was very impressive.

After another 1km of trekking, we reached our destination, Haew Suwat Waterfall. If you find that trekking 8 km is too tough, you can just take about 10 mins to climb down the stairs.

While high rainfall in August made it harder to get through the forest, the waterfalls were at their fullest and it was an impressive sight.

Night Safari

We were really excited to go on the night safari tour. Even though it started to rain heavily, it didn’t dampen our spirits. The guide came ready with ponchos for us to wear. As the tour progressed, the rain got heavier and heavier and soon it was really cold as the winds were really strong and we couldn’t open our eyes. We really wanted to see the elephants but we only saw deer.

Even though we didn’t see much on the trip, it was an enjoyable experience!

VIEWPOINTS

View of Sai Sorn Reservoir.

Viewpoint near the Pakchong Entrance Gate.

ANIMALS

Deer are easily spotted everywhere in the park.

Monkeys on the road.

Again, we were hopeful to see wild elephants in the park after watching so many videos of elephants terrorizing cars.

We had a great time in Khao Yai National Park. Feel free to ask me anything regarding the park and I’ll do my best to answer your questions!

Address: Hin Tung, Mueang Nakhon Nayok District, Nakhon Nayok 26000, Thailand

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The Chocolate Factory @ Khao Yai

Everyone needs chocolates in their lives. And where better to get your chocolate fix then to visit The Chocolate Factory at Khao Yai.

They have a great selection of brownies, cookies, chocolate bars, cakes and others to take away with you.

Watch how they prepare the chocolates! It’ll make you want to eat them even more.

Get your fill of cakes and chocolates.

They even have a restaurant on the second level.

Mushroom ravioli – creamy light and very mushroomy.

Charcoal grilled Australian rib eye steak with peppercorn sauce – so tender and juicy.

Giant river prawn with brown rice – it looks like a lobster but it’s a lot tougher.

Choco banana – what could go wrong when you mix bananas and chocolates?

The Chocolate Factory at Khao Yai had so many things to eat that we visited the place twice! We would have loved to try more of the food there though we just didn’t have the time. We hope you will enjoy this place as much as we did.

Hours: Mondays – Thurs 9:30 am – 9 pm, Fri – Sun 9:30 am – 10 pm

Website: http://www.chocolatefactory.co.th/

Address: 352 หมู่ 2 Mu Si, Pak Chong District, Nakhon Ratchasima 30130, Thailand

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Mawmuek Cafe @ Khao yai

Mawmuek Cat Cafe is situated in a Tuscan themed village in Khao Yai. The village is a picturesque shopping district that is filled with restaurants, cafes, souvenirs and many opportunities to take beautiful pictures. However, the highlight of this place is definitely this cat cafe that sits quietly in the village. 

The Cafe is divided into two sections – a cafe section and a play area for the cats. There is no specified entrance fee but in order to play with the cats, you would just have to purchase either a drink or a souvenir. You may also purchase wet cat food to feed the cats. Look at how excited they are to see the food!

I tried to be fair by trying to feed most of the cats there. But, some cats were just more aggressive and they will push their way through. Haha

Look at how cute their paws are.

There were a variety of cats there like scottish folds, bengals, persians, short hairs and garfields? When the food was finished, most of them returned to their chilled state. They went back to either lazing around or sleeping. If you were looking to play with them, they would be rather uninterested. It is best to make use of your time there by sitting quietly and immersing yourself with their everyday lives.

This was the cutest cat we saw just because it loved to sleep on its back and it looked really funny.

If you happen to visit Palio Village in Khao Yai, don’t just spend your time shopping or eating! You have to stop by Mawmuek cafe, I promise you will have a great time here!

Hours: Tues – Fri 10:30am – 6pm, Sat – Sun 9:30am – 7pm, closed on Mon

Address: 146/1 ม .4 Palio Khaoyai ถนน ธนะรัชต์ Tambon Mu Si, Amphoe Pak Chong, Chang Wat Nakhon Ratchasima 30130, Thailand

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