Real 2026 prices in baht across every category — from the petrol there and back to a ฿0 campsite, a ~฿400 park entry to a Thanarat Road resort costing thousands a night, a winery tasting, Farm Chokchai and a farm steak dinner. Three worked daily budgets, full 2-day and 3-day cost examples, and eight tips that actually cut spend.
The first thing friends ask before a Khao Yai trip is "how much will this set me back?" The honest answer: it mostly comes down to the car. Khao Yai is a place you drive — both inside the national park and along Thanarat Road, where the cafes, farms and wineries are spread out with no public transport running between them. What surprises most people is how gentle the entry costs are: park entry is just ~฿40 for Thai nationals (~฿400 for foreigners), Farm Chokchai entry around ฿120, and a winery tour such as PB Valley about ฿350 including a tasting. For attractions this good, getting in is easy on the budget.
Where the budget really moves is on two things: the car and your accommodation. Self-drive and split between three or four people and the per-head car cost drops a lot; hire a car with a driver for the day and it climbs sharply. Accommodation runs the full range too — from camping inside the park at ฿0–300, to a few-hundred-baht Pak Chong guesthouse, to a Thanarat Road resort at several thousand baht a night. Get those two decisions right and you can dial the whole trip up or down.
All prices on this page are compiled from typical current market rates in 2026 and are intended as planning ranges, not guarantees. Rates climb sharply in the cool season (Nov–Feb) and on long weekends, when both resorts and campsites get busy and pricey — so check rates and book ahead. The park entry fee, farm and winery tour costs and car-rental rates should all be confirmed before you go.
Includes accommodation, food, a shared car and entry costs · self-drive or take the train to Pak Chong
| Option | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Self-drive — petrol there and back from Bangkok | ~฿800–1,500 | Sedan, ~200 km each way · cheapest split 3–4 ways |
| Tolls + Motorway 6 | ~฿100–200 | Round trip · via Mittraphap Road to Pak Chong |
| Car rental (sedan, per day) | ~฿1,200–2,500 | Pick up in Bangkok or Pak Chong · petrol on top |
| Chartered car/van + driver (per day) | ~฿2,500–4,000 | No driving yourself · good if you have no car |
| Day tour from Bangkok | ~฿1,500–3,000/person | Car + guide · book via Klook |
| Train/van to Pak Chong + local transfer | ~฿120–250 + local transport | The NE line to Pak Chong station is a pleasant ride, then charter a songthaew/taxi up to the park |
| Type | Per night | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Camping in the park (Pha Kluai Mai / Lam Takhong) | ฿0–300 | Own tent ~฿30/person · tent rental ~฿150–300 · book via DNP |
| Guesthouse / hostel in Pak Chong | ฿400–900 | Simple private room near the market / train · good value |
| Small resort on Thanarat Road | ฿1,000–2,200 | Small resort with style, near the park gate + cafes |
| Mid to upper-range resort | ฿2,200–4,500 | Mountain/grassland views, pool, breakfast included |
| Upscale resort / glamping | ฿4,500–10,000+ | Upscale Thanarat Road resorts + air-conditioned glamping tents |
See the hotels we have shortlisted in the Khao Yai / Korat zone: 10 best hotels in Nakhon Ratchasima (Khao Yai & Korat)
| Level | Per day/person | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Market / local eateries in Pak Chong | ฿150–350 | Pak Chong market, pad mee Korat ฿40–60 / som tam + grilled chicken / roadside custard apple + sweet corn |
| Cafes + casual restaurants | ฿400–800 | Mountain-view cafes on Thanarat Road, lunch + drinks ~฿250–400 |
| Farm steak / winery restaurant (per meal) | ฿400–800/person | Farm Chokchai Steakhouse / VINCOTTO at GranMonte / Great Hornbill Grill at PB Valley |
| Resort / fine dining (per meal) | ฿800–2,000+/meal | Resort dining rooms with mountain views + Khao Yai wine |
What to eat: Khao Yai food guide — the dishes to try · Khao Yai cafes · Pak Chong & Korat local food
| Attraction | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Khao Yai National Park (Thai nationals) | ~฿40 | Children ~฿20 · pay once, visit all day · small extra fee for a vehicle |
| Khao Yai National Park (foreigners) | ~฿400 | Children ~฿200 · covers waterfalls, viewpoints, grasslands, trails |
| Haew Suwat / Haew Narok Waterfalls (in park) | Included in park entry | Haew Narok closed/dangerous in heavy rain · you need a car to reach them |
| Night safari (wildlife drive) | ~฿300–500/truck | Book at the visitor centre · per-truck price, split between you · check times first |
| Farm Chokchai (entry) | ~฿120 | Children ~฿70 · farm tour / animal feeding cost extra · book ahead, tours run on a schedule |
| PB Valley winery tour + tasting | ~฿350 | ~75-min tour + 3 Thai wines · book via Klook |
| GranMonte winery tour + tasting | ~฿300–500 | ~1.5-hr tour + ~4 wines · do not drink and drive — use a driver/tour |
| Themed cafes (Primo Piazza / Palio) | Free–฿200 | Primo Piazza entry ~฿100–200 incl. feeding the alpacas · Palio is free to enter |
| Phimai Khmer temple (Korat day trip) | ~฿20–100 | Prasat Hin Phimai entry in the low hundreds · ~1.5–2 hr north-east |
Plan the days: all Khao Yai attractions · Khao Yai National Park guide · Khao Yai wineries
Excludes a chartered driver · based on typical 2026 prices · car cost assumes self-drive split 4 ways
| Item | Budget Backpacker |
Mid-range Mid-range |
Comfort Comfort |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation (1 night) | ฿0–500 camping/guesthouse |
฿1,000–2,200 Thanarat resort (split 2) |
฿2,500–5,000+ upscale resort (split 2) |
| Food (2 days) | ฿350–700 Pak Chong market |
฿800–1,500 + a cafe/steak meal |
฿1,800–4,000 resort/winery meals |
| Car (petrol+tolls / split) | ฿300–500 self-drive split 4 |
฿400–700 self-drive/rental split |
฿1,500–3,000 chartered driver / split |
| Park entry + waterfalls | ฿40–400 Thai/foreigner |
฿40–400 + night safari split |
฿400–700 + night safari |
| Winery/farm/themed cafe | ฿100–300 free cafe + 1 stop |
฿350–700 Farm Chokchai/tasting |
฿700–1,500 tour + full tasting |
| Souvenirs / extras | ฿100–250 custard apple/corn |
฿200–500 wine/farm souvenirs |
฿500–1,500+ wine/spa |
| 2-day total (approx.) | ~฿900–2,650 | ~฿2,800–6,000 | ~฿7,400–15,700+ |
Approximate figures, subject to season · the car is much cheaper split between several people · the comfort tier depends on the resort and whether you charter a driver — the ~฿400 foreigner entry is what widens the lower band versus Thai nationals.
Day 1 cafes/wineries · Day 2 a full park day + night safari · Day 3 Farm Chokchai or a Phimai day trip
| Item | Budget Backpacker |
Mid-range Mid-range |
Comfort Comfort |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation (2 nights) | ฿0–1,000 (camping/guesthouse) |
฿2,000–4,400 (resort, split 2) |
฿5,000–10,000+ (upscale resort, split 2) |
| Food (3 days) | ฿500–1,000 (market/local) |
฿1,200–2,400 (+steak+cafes) |
฿2,700–6,000 (resort/winery meals) |
| Car for 3 days (split) | ฿450–800 (self-drive split 4) |
฿700–1,400 (rental / split) |
฿3,000–6,000 (chartered driver / split) |
| Park entry + night safari | ฿140–700 (Thai/foreigner+safari) |
฿300–900 (+ night safari) |
฿600–1,200 (full set) |
| Winery/farm/Phimai | ฿200–500 (1–2 stops) |
฿600–1,400 (farm+tasting+Phimai) |
฿1,200–2,500 (full tours) |
| Souvenirs / extras | ฿150–400 (custard apple/souvenirs) |
฿300–700 (wine/souvenirs) |
฿700–2,000+ (wine/spa) |
| 3-day total (approx.) | ~฿1,440–4,400 | ~฿5,100–11,200 | ~฿13,200–27,700+ |
Approximate figures · on long weekends and through the cool season (Nov–Feb), resorts and campsites spike in price and are hard to book — reserve ahead.
Khao Yai is driven, and the distances inside the park and between cafes/farms add up. Budget enough for petrol — there are stations along Mittraphap Road and in Pak Chong, but none inside the park, so always fill up before you head up. See getting around Khao Yai.
The Pak Chong market, local eateries, the park entry counter and many campsites take cash, while resorts, cafes and wineries take transfers / PromptPay / cards. Keep some cash on hand, especially for the park entry and the market.
Mobile signal is good in Pak Chong town and along Thanarat Road, but patchy in parts of the park, so download offline maps first. International visitors can compare plans in the Thailand eSIM / SIM guide.