Bo Keao Silvicultural Research Station (Bo Keao Pine Forest)

Bo Keao Silvicultural Research Station — known to almost everyone as the Bo Kaeo pine forest — is a Royal Forestry Department plantation on the Hot–Mae Sariang road (Route 108) in Chiang Mai’s Hot district, about 19 km past Ob Luang National Park. Straight, shaded avenues of pine — planted decades ago to trial cool-climate species for the paper industry — have made it a popular photo and picnic stop nicknamed “Thailand’s Nami Island,” after the poplar-lined paths on the Korean island it’s often compared to. Entry costs 20 THB for adults (10 THB for children and students, free for seniors 60 and over), plus a vehicle fee.

The plantation covers roughly 2,072 rai, and walking and driving tracks wind between rows of pine and trial eucalyptus planted across the hillside decades ago. The station still runs its original silviculture research, but most visitors come simply to stroll the pine avenues, lay out a picnic on the needle-carpeted ground, or pitch a tent for the night — camping costs 30 THB per person. Birdsong and wind through the pines give the place a cool, almost alpine feel that’s genuinely unlike the lowland forest most of the rest of Chiang Mai province sits in.

Insider Tip: The photographers who nicknamed it “Thai Nami Island” shoot at sunrise, when mist still hangs low between the trunks. Arrive by 7am, before the tour vans and the flatter midday light.

Morning mist among the pines is the atmosphere most photos chase, and the long, straight rows receding into haze photograph well any time the light is low. It’s a favourite weekend escape for Thai families precisely because it’s quiet and orderly compared with busier stops — a public restroom block and a police checkpoint doubling as a tourist-information point sit near the entrance, along with a few small restaurants and shops.

Watch out: Nights get properly cold up here even in the hot season — this is highland pine forest, not the tropical lowland most nearby attractions sit in. Bring a jacket if you’re camping, and cash: a rural government-run site like this isn’t set up for cards.

The station is roughly two hours’ drive south of central Chiang Mai city via Route 108, best reached by car or motorbike; call 0 5324 8604 or 0 5324 8607 for current conditions before a long drive out. It’s open daily 08:00–17:00.