Ton Sak Yai National Park Park

Address: Ton Sak Yai National Park, Uttaradit Province, Thailand

Hours: Daylight hours (park entrance)

Admission: Entrance free; conservation fees or camping permits may apply locally

This forest park, home to the world’s biggest teak tree, lies about 60km east of Uttaradit. It makes an excellent focus for a day exploring the undulating hills of Uttaradit Province, especially as it can be combined with a visit to nearby Sirikit Dam. The route there leads past small villages and rice fields set between low hills, with very little traffic along these minor roads.

‘Sak yai’ means ‘big teak’, and the teak trees in the park look very healthy and mature, though one stands out from the crowd. Proudly claimed to be the biggest teak tree in the world, it is not so much its height as its girth that is surprising. The tree once measured 47 metres tall, but the top was blown off in a storm about a decade ago and it is now down to 37 metres. Its circumference just over a metre from the ground is just under 10 metres, meaning it would take several people holding hands to encircle it.

The tree’s age is estimated at around 1,500 years, which must make it the oldest living thing in the country. Sadly you cannot get right up to it, as it is fenced off by a viewing platform that runs all the way round. If trees could only talk, what tales would this one tell?

Ton Sak Yai is best reached by road from Uttaradit town (roughly 1-2 hours depending on trailheads); local buses and songthaews serve parts of the route but a private car or hired driver is more convenient for reaching park entrances.

• Talk to the park office in Uttaradit city before heading into deeper trails-routes can be poorly marked and seasonal access varies.
• Best to hire a local guide for tree and wildlife identification; the forest contains stands of very old dipterocarps.
• Avoid the mid-monsoon months (Aug-Sep) when trails can become dangerously slippery and rivers rise quickly.