Khao Sok National Park
🇹🇭 Thailand
🐒 Crab-eating Macaque Jungle TrailsKhao Sok National Park sits in southern Thailand, protecting an ancient tropical rainforest of dense jungle, sheer limestone cliffs, and winding rivers. This rugged inland terrain stands apart from coastal reserves through its uninterrupted canopy and deep-valley ecosystems, which shelter a rich array of specialized regional wildlife.
8.990° N 98.588° E
Wildlife
⭐ Iconic Species
★ 
Crab-eating Macaque
Macaca fascicularis
★ 
Asian Elephant
Elephas maximus
★ 
Dusky Leaf-monkey
Trachypithecus obscurus
📊 Most Spotted
Emma Gray's Forest Lizard
Calotes emma
Spotted Forest Skink
Sphenomorphus maculatus
Phuket Pricklenape
Acanthosaura phuketensis
Wagler's Pit Viper
Tropidolaemus wagleri
White-rumped Shama
Copsychus malabaricus
Western Mangrove Cat Snake
Boiga melanota
Northern White-lipped Frog
Chalcorana eschatia
Common Tree Frog
Polypedates leucomystax
Flat-tailed House Gecko
Hemidactylus platyurus
Ochraceous Bulbul
Alophoixus ochraceus
Common Water Monitor
Varanus salvator
Black-eared Barbet
Psilopogon duvaucelii
⭐ Iconic Species
★ Crab-eating Macaque
Macaca fascicularis
★ Asian Elephant
Elephas maximus
★ Dusky Leaf-monkey
Trachypithecus obscurus
📊 Most Spotted
Lar Gibbon
Hylobates lar
Northern Pig-tailed Macaque
Macaca leonina
Himalayan Striped Squirrel
Tamiops mcclellandii
Gray-bellied Squirrel
Callosciurus caniceps
Gayal
Bos frontalis
Black Giant Squirrel
Ratufa bicolor
Wild Boar
Sus scrofa
Common Palm Civet
Paradoxurus hermaphroditus
Diadem Roundleaf Bat
Hipposideros diadema
Indochinese Ground Squirrel
Menetes berdmorei
Robinson’s Banded Langur
Presbytis robinsoni
Sambar
Rusa unicolor
📊 Most Spotted
White-rumped Shama
Copsychus malabaricus
Ochraceous Bulbul
Alophoixus ochraceus
Black-eared Barbet
Psilopogon duvaucelii
Oriental Magpie-Robin
Copsychus saularis
Pearl-necked Dove
Spilopelia chinensis
Orange-bellied Flowerpecker
Dicaeum trigonostigma
White-nest Swiftlet
Aerodramus fuciphagus
Greater Coucal
Centropus sinensis
Asian Brown Flycatcher
Muscicapa latirostris
Stripe-throated Bulbul
Pycnonotus finlaysoni
Great Hornbill
Buceros bicornis
Large-billed Crow
Corvus macrorhynchos
📊 Most Spotted
Emma Gray's Forest Lizard
Calotes emma
Spotted Forest Skink
Sphenomorphus maculatus
Phuket Pricklenape
Acanthosaura phuketensis
Wagler's Pit Viper
Tropidolaemus wagleri
Western Mangrove Cat Snake
Boiga melanota
Flat-tailed House Gecko
Hemidactylus platyurus
Common Water Monitor
Varanus salvator
Many-lined Sun-skink
Eutropis multifasciata
Tokay Gecko
Gekko gecko
Banded Keelback
Rhabdophis nigrocinctus
Clouded Monitor
Varanus nebulosus
Red-tailed Green Ratsnake
Gonyosoma oxycephalum
📊 Most Spotted
Northern White-lipped Frog
Chalcorana eschatia
Common Tree Frog
Polypedates leucomystax
Asian Painted Frog
Kaloula pulchra
River Toad
Phrynoidis asper
Common Indian Toad
Duttaphrynus melanostictus
Alpine Cricket Frog
Fejervarya limnocharis
Penelope's Hill Frog
Clinotarsus penelope
Green Paddy Frog
Hylarana erythraea
Poisonous Rock Frog
Odorrana hosii
Marbled Tenasserim Frog
Amolops panhai
Red Stream Frog
Limnonectes doriae
Blyth's River Frog
Limnonectes blythii
Recent sightings in Khao Sok National Park
LIVEiNaturalistAnimal Events
1Limestone Karst Birdwatching
The towering limestone cliffs create ideal nesting sites for rupicolous birds, especially during the dry season when visibility improves.
2Cheow Lan Lake Sunset Cruises
The lake's calm waters reflect the karst formations at dusk, attracting insectivorous bats and nocturnal frugivores for feeding frenzies.
3Rainforest Frog Choruses
The onset of the monsoon triggers explosive breeding events in temporary pools, creating a symphony of calls across the forest floor.
Sighting Calendar
Average chance of spotting the park's most-spotted species, month by month
- 1Limestone Karst Birdwatching
- 2Cheow Lan Lake Sunset Cruises
- 3Rainforest Frog Choruses
Sighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
Essentials
Climate
What visitors saw
We spotted a tarantula sleeping in its perfectly webbed nest, lots of monkeys and their babies, beautiful butterflies, a Great Hornbill, and a lot of Wagler’s palm pit vipers sleeping in trees (which are apparently endemic to Southeast Asia).
We saw long and pig tail macaques, gibbons, buffalo, barking deer, scorpions and flocks of the incredible greater hornbill, which have a two meter wingspan!
Way up in the trees we saw a few monkey and hornbill silhouettes, but too far away to get good photos. (Don’t worry, we were more successful on Outing Three.) No elephants, though.
The next morning, I properly explored the main trail, leading to the “waterfall.” Again, I spotted langurs, various skinks and lizards, and macaques.
Quick answers
What animals can you see in Khao Sok National Park?
The most likely sightings are Emma Gray's Forest Lizard (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers), Crab-eating Macaque (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers), Spotted Forest Skink (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Dusky Leaf-monkey (seen by about 60% of wildlife watchers), Phuket Pricklenape (seen by about 60% of wildlife watchers) — among 1079 recorded vertebrate species, based on citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to visit Khao Sok National Park for wildlife?
March has the highest combined sighting rate for the park's top species in our month-by-month GBIF data. The full sighting calendar on this page shows each species' best months.
Can you see Crab-eating Macaque in Khao Sok National Park?
Yes — about 80% of wildlife watchers report a Crab-eating Macaque sighting in Khao Sok National Park, based on 192 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Asian Elephant in Khao Sok National Park?
Yes — about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Asian Elephant sighting in Khao Sok National Park, based on 28 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Dusky Leaf-monkey in Khao Sok National Park?
Yes — about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Dusky Leaf-monkey sighting in Khao Sok National Park, based on 121 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Where Wildlife Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife?Biodiversity
Very goodHow rich is the wildlife?
Sighting
Very goodHow likely to see animals?
Experience
GoodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
