Khao Yak

Khao Yak is a hillside inside Ta Phraya National Park, part of the Sankamphaeng mountain range where it meets the Dangrek hills along the Thai-Cambodian border in Sa Kaeo province. Elevations across the park run from around 200 to 580 metres, and Khao Yak’s forested slopes sit near the main entrance, roughly 5 km in — close enough for a half-day visit rather than a serious trek.

The name points to a specific feature: a weathered relief carved into a large rock face near the park entrance, locally described as a ruesi (hermit or sage) figure, worn by centuries of exposure but still distinct enough to make out. Beyond it, trails move through dry dipterocarp forest typical of the eastern border ranges, opening onto viewpoints — Pha Daeng and the Thiu Khao Banthat lookout among them — that look out over folded ridgelines running toward Cambodia. Birdlife is active in the cooler hours, and the forest smells strongly of dry leaf litter through the hot season.

Insider Tip: Ask at the park gate which trail leads to the carved rock relief — it isn’t always signposted separately from the main viewpoint trails, and rangers can point you to the shortest route.

Because Khao Yak sits inside the national park boundary, visiting means paying the standard park entrance fee — 200 THB for foreign adults, 40 THB for Thai adults, half those rates for children — rather than a ticket for this one feature alone. That fee also covers the park’s other trails and viewpoints on the same visit.

Watch out: This is genuine border country. Ta Phraya National Park runs along the edge of Cambodia, and some trail sections require checking current access with park staff before setting out, particularly away from the main visitor routes.

The park entrance lies about 100 km east of Sa Kaeo town, a drive of roughly two hours with no public transport option; renting a car or arranging a driver from Sa Kaeo or the nearer town of Ta Phraya is the only practical way in. Combine the visit with Khao Loan Castle, the Khmer ruins a short drive away in the same district.