Dong Phayayen–Khao Yai is a vast protected landscape in northeastern Thailand, stretching about 230 kilometres from Khao Yai National Park in the west to Ta Phraya National Park beside Cambodia in the east. The UNESCO property covers 615,500 hectares and is made up of five nearly contiguous protected areas: four national parks—Khao Yai, Thap Lan, Pang Sida and Ta Phraya—and Dong Yai Wildlife Sanctuary. Calling it one “park” can obscure how it is actually managed and visited.
The World Heritage listing dates to 2005 and recognizes the complex principally for its biodiversity. The component areas are linked by forest and ecological processes, but they are not one continuous visitor circuit with a single gate or timetable. Khao Yai receives considerably more visitors than the eastern components, UNESCO notes, while other areas are managed primarily for conservation. Travelers should identify the particular park or sanctuary they intend to enter before planning a route.
