Khao Yai National Park
🇹🇭 Thailand
🐦 Moustached Barbet Echoes Khao YaiKhao Yai National Park sits in central Thailand, part of the tropical dry forest belt, with rolling hills, teak and dipterocarp woodlands, interspersed with grassland savanna and seasonal streams. It stands out for its mosaic of forest and open grass, offering clearings where large mammals roam.
14.325° N 101.513° E
Wildlife
⭐ Iconic Species
★ 
Asian Elephant
Elephas maximus
★ 
Great Hornbill
Buceros bicornis
★ 
Northern Pig-tailed Macaque
Macaca leonina
📊 Most Spotted
Sambar
Rusa unicolor
Indian Muntjac
Muntiacus muntjak
Lar Gibbon
Hylobates lar
Oriental Pied Hornbill
Anthracoceros albirostris
Malayan Porcupine
Hystrix brachyura
Vogel’s Pit Viper
Trimeresurus vogeli
Common Water Monitor
Varanus salvator
Black Giant Squirrel
Ratufa bicolor
Moustached Barbet
Psilopogon incognitus
Asian Fairy-bluebird
Irena puella
Large-billed Crow
Corvus macrorhynchos
Red Junglefowl
Gallus gallus
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
Sambar
Rusa unicolor
Indian Muntjac
Muntiacus muntjak
Lar Gibbon
Hylobates lar
Malayan Porcupine
Hystrix brachyura
Black Giant Squirrel
Ratufa bicolor
Finlayson's Squirrel
Callosciurus finlaysonii
Asian Jackal
Canis aureus
Gayal
Bos frontalis
Gray-bellied Squirrel
Callosciurus caniceps
Pileated Gibbon
Hylobates pileatus
Common Palm Civet
Paradoxurus hermaphroditus
Southern Serow
Capricornis sumatraensis
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
Oriental Pied Hornbill
Anthracoceros albirostris
Moustached Barbet
Psilopogon incognitus
Asian Fairy-bluebird
Irena puella
Large-billed Crow
Corvus macrorhynchos
Red Junglefowl
Gallus gallus
Yellow-browed Warbler
Phylloscopus inornatus
Ashy Woodswallow
Artamus fuscus
Gray-eyed Bulbul
Iole propinqua
Green-eared Barbet
Psilopogon faiostrictus
Puff-throated Bulbul
Alophoixus pallidus
Pearl-necked Dove
Spilopelia chinensis
Ashy Drongo
Dicrurus leucophaeus
📊 Most Spotted
Vogel’s Pit Viper
Trimeresurus vogeli
Common Water Monitor
Varanus salvator
Emma Gray's Forest Lizard
Calotes emma
Spotted Forest Skink
Sphenomorphus maculatus
Flat-tailed House Gecko
Hemidactylus platyurus
Water Dragon
Physignathus cocincinus
Asian Gliding Lizard
Draco maculatus
Oriental Whipsnake
Ahaetulla prasina
Yellow-headed Temple Turtle
Heosemys annandalii
Tokay Gecko
Gekko gecko
Many-lined Sun-skink
Eutropis multifasciata
Oldham's Leaf Turtle
Cyclemys oldhami
📊 Most Spotted
Mortensen's Frog
Sylvirana mortenseni
Common Indian Toad
Duttaphrynus melanostictus
Spot-legged Tree Frog
Polypedates megacephalus
Khorat big-mouthed frog
Limnonectes megastomias
Alpine Cricket Frog
Fejervarya limnocharis
Mukhlesur's Narrow-mouthed Frog
Microhyla mukhlesuri
Arcuate-spotted Pygmy Frog
Microhyla heymonsi
Asian Painted Frog
Kaloula pulchra
Berdmore's Chorus Frog
Microhyla berdmorei
Sapgreen stream frog
Sylvirana nigrovittata
Tonkin Bug-eyed Frog
Theloderma stellatum
Capped Frog
Limnonectes gyldenstolpei
Recent sightings in Khao Yai National Park
LIVEiNaturalistAnimal Events
1Elephant Migration
Large herds of Asian elephants traverse open grasslands and salt licks, offering unparalleled viewing opportunities.
2Hornbill Courtship Displays
Great Hornbills perform dramatic aerial displays and nest in emergent trees, drawing birdwatchers at dawn.
3Gibbon Morning Choruses
Lar Gibbons vocalize in dawn choruses from high canopy, creating iconic jungle soundtracks heard across valleys.
Sighting Calendar
Average chance of spotting the park's most-spotted species, month by month
- 1Elephant Migration
- 2Hornbill Courtship Displays
- 3Gibbon Morning Choruses
Sighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
Essentials
Climate
What visitors saw
Pied hornbills On our way back to the visitor center, we saw three more hornbills – much closer than the first encounter.
We saw some other cool creepy crawlies, but the anxiety of another leech attack (haha) hastened our walk and we soon found ourselves back at the centre, where we enjoyed an ice cream and some cold drinks to cool off whilst we watched some giant squirrels in the rafters.
Two Days at Khao Yai National Park – PigFish by theschneiduks in Thailand on Posted on May 17, 2026 May 13, 2026 So, two of the things we really wanted to do while in Thailand was (1) see at least some new places, and (2) see wild elephants.
What we spotted: - Gibbons: We were lucky enough to see both blonde and black Gibbons swinging high in the trees. - Hornbills: These massive birds are iconic to Khao Yai. - Macaques: They are everywhere!
Quick answers
What animals can you see in Khao Yai National Park?
The most likely sightings are Northern Pig-tailed Macaque (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers), Sambar (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers), Indian Muntjac (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Lar Gibbon (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Oriental Pied Hornbill (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers) — among 1070 recorded vertebrate species, based on citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to visit Khao Yai National Park for wildlife?
February 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 Asian Elephant in Khao Yai National Park?
Yes — about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Asian Elephant sighting in Khao Yai National Park, based on 210 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Great Hornbill in Khao Yai National Park?
Yes — about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Great Hornbill sighting in Khao Yai National Park, based on 1,442 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Northern Pig-tailed Macaque in Khao Yai National Park?
Yes — about 80% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Pig-tailed Macaque sighting in Khao Yai National Park, based on 570 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Where Wildlife Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife?Biodiversity
ExcellentHow rich is the wildlife?
Sighting
ExcellentHow likely to see animals?
Experience
ExcellentHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
