Kuiburi National Park is the best place in Thailand to see wild elephants. Established in 1999, it is located in Prachuap Khiri Khan province and covers more than 969 km². It provides a natural habitat for a wide variety of animals and plants. Elephants are the stars of the park; over 300 of them live here. You can also see macaques, deer, gaur, gibbons, and (less frequently) bears. The Kaeng Krachan Forest Complex, which includes Kaeng Krachan National Park, Kuiburi National Park, Chaloem Phrakiat Thai Prachan National Park, and Mae Nam Phachi Wildlife Reserve, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since July 2021. This is a testament to its biodiversity and beauty. The best time to see elephants is in the late afternoon around 4 pm when they come to feed or bathe in the rivers. The park rangers are in constant contact with your guide in the jeep. This allows them to locate elephants and increase your chances of a sighting. For this reason, elephant viewing tours by jeep are only offered in the afternoon. Should you occasionally encounter wild elephants crossing the road in front of the jeep during your tour of Kuiburi National Park, you will most often see them at the following locations: the large meadow of Pong Saladai (where I saw them myself), the Payang Ranger Station with its waterhole, and Phu Yasai. It is important to know that an elephant sighting is not guaranteed, although the probability is higher here than in any other national park in Thailand. You will only observe the elephants from a safe distance and will not have any contact with them. We are not in a sanctuary with domesticated elephants, but rather in a reserve where they roam freely and where you will occasionally see them passing by. Please note that flash photography is prohibited (it can frighten the animals).

Park entry costs 200 THB per adult and 100 THB per child for foreigners, and 40 THB per adult and 20 THB per child for Thai citizens. 4x4 elephant-watching tours are offered from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM. The tour costs 850 THB per vehicle (maximum 6 people) and lasts approximately one hour. Advance booking is not required. I recommend arriving around 3:30 PM, as this is the best time to visit the park and see the wild elephants.

Kuiburi National Park is located 85 km south of Hua Hin and 60 km north of Prachuap Khiri Khan. To get there, you either need a transfer or you can book a tour through a travel agency that organizes tours from Hua Hin. My hotel in Sam Roi Yot offered me a transfer back to Prachuap Khiri Khan city center after my visit for 800 baht.

How to get there

How do you get to Kuiburi National Park? Kuiburi National Park is located 85 km south of Hua Hin and 60 km north of Prachuap Khiri Khan. You will need a transfer or can book a tour through a travel agency that organizes tours from Hua Hin. My hotel in Sam Roi Yot offered me a transfer back to Prachuap Khiri Khan city center after my visit for 800 THB.