Photo Trip Report: Camping Thailand's Northwest

[KhunLA]

How that EcoFlow River working out for y'all ?

[joelle]

- Did you have to pay entrance fee to the national parks or was it included in the camping prices ?
- On the camping sites what facilities are there?

[buksida]

How that EcoFlow River working out for y'all ?

Ordered it while on this trip so haven't tested yet. Will do for our NY camp trip where there is literally no power or phone signals.

- Did you have to pay entrance fee to the national parks or was it included in the camping prices ?
- On the camping sites what facilities are there?

Yes, farang fees all the way, there is no getting around it now, the pink ID card is useless. There was a bright side though which I'll get to shortly. The national parks had full facilities, clean toilets (mostly) a little snack shop, and often a restaurant or coffee shop at the bigger ones.

...

It was time to break camp, drive down the mountain and head north, stopping at a botanical garden on the way. Tonight, we would meet up with a few pals who were riding up at Thap Salao reservoir. The campsite looked a bit barren and hot at 3pm, but the temperature soon dropped, and we enjoyed another fantastic lakeside sunset that evening.

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To follow: Khlong Lan National Park

[Bamboo Grove]

Great photos again.

[migrant]

How do you find the campgrounds? Is there a guide to camping in Thailand or do you just stick to the national parks?

[Dannie Boy]

How do you find the campgrounds? Is there a guide to camping in Thailand or do you just stick to the national parks?

Maybe you could pinch one for the caption competition?


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[Ratsima]

Thanks for all that. Amazing photos. Well done.

I'd like to think that's what I'd be doing if my wife weren't such a workaholic.

[migrant]

How do you find the campgrounds? Is there a guide to camping in Thailand or do you just stick to the national parks?

Maybe you could pinch one for the caption competition?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Been running around but should have one up soon.

[Big Boy]

[buksida]

How do you find the campgrounds? Is there a guide to camping in Thailand or do you just stick to the national parks?

Mostly Google Maps, just zoom in on the area you're looking for and search for campsites, we then read the reviews. Was using more national parks on this trip though as they're way cheaper to camp in.

[buksida]

Another day, another campsite, so we motored north to the Khlong Lan Waterfall National Park in Kamphaeng Phet province.

I have tended to avoid national parks in Thailand over the years due to the dual pricing principle, but when camping in them, it can often work out cheaper even with the ‘farang tax’ since they charge a flat fee of 30 baht per person to stay in a tent whereas the private campsites charge anything from 100 to 350 per head per night. So the mrs and I can camp in a national park for two nights for less than 400 baht. They also have tents and gear to rent for those without their own kit. Needless to say, camping in Thailand has become very popular because its virtually free for Thais.

There is also absolutely no way a farang is getting in for the Thai rate unless they have a Thai ID card with the biometric chip (not the pink one), which the authorities are well aware is impossible to get. Since Covid, the junta has slapped signs at every park enforcing this so I gave up trying after the first one. However, most parks away from the tourist centers were 100 to 200 baht to enter, and the rangers were very friendly, some even apologising to me for charging the tourist rate, seeing that it was clearly obvious I lived here.

This park was spotless, with nice camping grounds, so we stayed for two nights. The waterfall was very impressive and one of the largest I’ve seen in Thailand. I couldn’t resist a dip in the chilly pool below the cascade.

Another tip for camping in national parks is to arrive early when they’re usually empty and avoid weekends when they’re usually rammed. Thais tend to rock up late to these places, often after dark, when watching them trying to put a tent up is hilarious. The sites can fill up quickly as this site did, but we had already secured a private corner to camp on the riverside.

To follow: Khlong Nam Lai waterfall

[buksida]

On day two, after a sunrise dip, we took a hike up to a lookout over the falls before driving north for half an hour to see the Khlong Nam Lai waterfall, which we could enter using the same park tickets. This was also very photogenic and less touristy than Khlong Lan, with another super clean and quiet campsite.

To follow: Tak

[buksida]

We headed to our sixth campsite at the Lang Sang National Park near Tak. This place was very quiet, and we had the waterfalls to ourselves. A couple of campers in converted pickup and minivan motorhomes turned up after dark. I had a quick dip and shower in the deserted falls before decamping and heading into Tak town to resupply and have a welcome night in a hotel after a week in a tent. 

Tak isn’t a large city, so traffic was light, and life was at a much slower pace than the rat race in Hua Hin. We spent a day doing laundry, recharging devices, and catching up on internet stuff before heading out to the night market walking street, which had the usual selection of unhealthy, heart-attack inducing, deep-fried and sugar-laden Thai market food.

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To follow: Mae Pink National Park

[PeteC]

Is that a foot/bike bridge only?

[buksida]

Yep, the car bridge is about 500 meters further up river.