Khao Laem National Park

Khao Laem National Park is a protected area in western Thailand that includes forested mountains and the shoreline of Khao Laem Reservoir (Vajiralongkorn Reservoir). The park conserves forest and freshwater habitats near the Myanmar border.

The area was set aside for conservation to protect watershed and forest values associated with the reservoir and surrounding highlands; management focuses on habitat protection and regulated visitor use. The reservoir itself was created by damming a major river to support hydroelectricity and water storage.

The park lies in western Thailand along the eastern shore of a large reservoir formed by a downstream dam, in a border region adjacent to Myanmar.

• Location and landscape: Located in western Thailand near the border with Myanmar, the park includes a large reservoir shoreline and adjacent forested mountains.

What to See#

• Khao Laem Reservoir: Khao Laem Reservoir (also known as Vajiralongkorn Reservoir) forms a large water body within the park and is used for boat-based recreation and shoreline wildlife viewing.
• Forested hills and viewpoints: Forest-covered hills and ridgelines provide viewpoints and trails into interior forest and are home to native flora and fauna of western Thailand.

Khao Laem National Park, declared in 1991, covers about 1,500 square kilometres between Thong Pha Phum and Sangkhla Buri, and roughly a quarter of it is water: the reservoir formed in 1984 when the Vajiralongkorn (Khao Laem) Dam closed the Khwae Noi. Route 323 to the Myanmar border runs through the park, so most of its sights are easy to reach on the way to Sangkhla Buri.

The main walk is at Kra Teng Jeng waterfall, which drops through 23 small tiers spread over more than 2 km of forest, a few kilometres from the park headquarters; a trail follows it upstream. Smaller falls include five-tiered Pha Tak and Kroeng Kra Wai. The highest summit, Khao Khiao-Khao Yai, rises to 1,767 m, and on cool-season mornings the valleys fill with the “sea of mist” that draws Thai visitors to the viewpoints along the road.

The reservoir is best seen from a boat. Dead tree stumps break the surface in the shallows, raft houses float along the shore, and around Sangkhla Buri the ruins of a temple flooded by the dam rise from the water when the level drops in the dry season. Birdwatchers have recorded about 250 species in the park, and lar gibbons live in the forest.

Khao Laem National Park is reached by road from the nearest provincial towns. From Kanchanaburi city, expect a multi-hour drive west; from Bangkok it becomes a full-day drive. Local minibuses and private transfers operate to towns near the park, where longtail boats or park boats can be hired to explore the reservoir inlets.

Road conditions inside the park can be rough; a high-clearance vehicle is useful in the wet season. Visitors planning boat trips should arrange launches from official piers and check weather forecasts before leaving shore.

• Arrive early in the morning to catch low-angle light on the reservoir and to avoid afternoon heat and insects.
• Hire a local longtail or park-licensed guide if planning to boat into the forested inlets - the coves are maze-like and guides know where wildlife concentrates.
• Bring a lightweight rain jacket in the wet season; sudden storms funnel through the surrounding ridges and turn tracks into mud quickly.