Phu Toei National Park

Phu Toei is Suphan Buri’s only national park and one of central Thailand’s least-visited protected areas — a quiet destination that rewards those willing to make the journey. Established in 1998 as Thailand’s 86th national park, it covers around 317 square kilometres of Dan Chang district, where its forests reach the provincial borders with Kanchanaburi and Uthai Thani.

The park’s highest point is Khao Thewada (1,123 m), the tallest summit in Suphan Buri province, reached on a short but steep trail through pine and dry-evergreen forest. Two-needle mountain pines cover the upper slopes alongside cycads thought to be 200 to 300 years old. The forest supports leopards, serows, barking deer and wild boar, though sightings take patience and an early start.

Two waterfalls sit within the park: Namtok Taphoen Khi, the larger cascade, and its smaller neighbour Taphoenkhi Noi, both at their best between September and December after the rains. A Karen community has lived inside the park boundaries for generations, and their village can be reached on foot from the trail network. Two limestone caves — Taphoen Ngoen and Taphoen Thong — hold stalactites and stalagmites worth exploring with a torch.

A more sombre point of interest is the memorial shrine near the crash site of Lauda Air Flight 004, which came down in the forest in May 1991 with 223 people on board. The site is signposted and draws a steady trickle of visitors paying their respects.

Insider Tip: Skip the main Khao Thewada trailhead on weekends, when cool-season day-trippers from Bangkok fill the car park by mid-morning. A weekday start gets you the summit view — and a fair shot at spotting barking deer — largely to yourself.

Campgrounds are available; book ahead during the cool-season peak, and bring your own tent or rent one at headquarters. The entrance is reached via Highway 340 and then Highway 322 from Suphan Buri town — there is no public transport, so a private vehicle or chartered songthaew is essential. The cool season, November to February, brings the most comfortable conditions for hiking; expect the Khao Thewada trail to be muddy and leech-prone just after the rains.