Bo Keao Silvicultural Research Station (Bo Keao Pi

Bo Keao Silvicultural Research Station — better known to visitors as the Bo Kaeo pine forest — is a Royal Forestry Department station in Hot district whose real draw is its scenery rather than its science. Rows of tall pines, planted decades ago to trial cool-climate species, have grown into a shady, photogenic plantation often likened to Korea’s Nami Island, and it has become a popular picnic and photo stop on the road south from Chiang Mai.

Walking and driving tracks wind between the pines, which stand in neat avenues across the hillside. The station still carries out forestry research, but most people come simply to stroll among the trees, lay out a picnic on the needle-carpeted ground, or camp overnight in the cool highland air. The sound of birdsong and wind through the pines gives it a calm, almost alpine feel quite unlike the lowland forests elsewhere in the north.

The quiet, orderly setting is a refreshing contrast to busier tourist attractions and a favourite weekend escape for Thai families. Morning mist among the pines is especially atmospheric, and photographers come for the long, straight avenues of trees receding into the haze.

The station sits about two hours’ drive south of central Chiang Mai on Route 108 in Hot district, best reached by car or motorbike. Bring warm layers for the cooler highland temperatures, plus food and water, as facilities are limited. Camera enthusiasts should pack equipment for the pine avenues, and anyone planning to camp should come prepared, as it can get cold at night.