Visit Kui Buri National Park

September 24, 2018.
Tags: Hua hin


Hua Hin might not be a nature wonderland like some of the tropical islands of Thailand but nearby this seaside city, there are plenty of avenues to experience nature in its glory. Hua Hin is set up for people to take it easy and enjoy the simple pleasures of life. The city has all the amenities that make urban life rich and interesting but that doesn’t mean visitors who are searching for a more natural connection have anything to worry about.

Khao Sam Yai Rot National Park and Phu Noi Beach are excellent examples of the rich natural diversity that is easily accessible from Hua Hin but there is still more where that came from. The national animal of Thailand is the elephant and one of the best places to see these graceful creatures is in Kui Buri National Park, which is only an hour and half away from Hua Hin.

Kui Buri National Park is the home to many elephants and other wild animals such as the gaur, tapir, bears, deer and other fauna. The Kui Buri region is now well-known for its elephant population but things were slightly different not too long ago, until everything changed one day.


The History of Kui Buri National Park

For decades leading into the mid-90s, people had started moving further into the jungles of the Kuiburi district. These people were settling new villages and clearing jungle lands for pineapple fields. Elephants were already natives to this land and soon found themselves running into human settlements all the time. The elephants would end up destroying human property and especially farms, where they would eat the produce grown there.


These incidents escalated conflict between humans and elephants and some of these resulted into fatal acts of violence. In 1997, two elephants were killed in Kuiburi, one was poisoned and the other was shot and burnt. The story shook the country and it elicited action from His Majesty King Bhumibol, who declared that elephants needed to have enough food and space in the forest.

According to the King’s wishes, the Kui Buri National Park was formed in 1999 and the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation and local communities worked together to set up food plots for elephants and ensure nobody encroached upon the area any longer. Human and elephant conflict has been steadily dropping since then and now the elephants roam free in this area.

Wildlife Spotting and Visiting the National Park

You can always hire a tour company to give you an all-inclusive day trip to Kui Buri National Park. This would include transport to and from the park, a guided tour and perhaps some snacks and concessions along the way.


If you wish to drive there on your own, head to the Kui Buri Visitor Centre. The Visitor Centre is a good place to get some information or rent tents or even the park bungalow. If you wish to simply spend the day sightseeing then proceed directly to the Huai Luek Wildlife Station. The Huai Luek Station is north of the visitor centre and it is where you can employ a guided tour of the park in a safari vehicle. The wildlife watching area is open in the afternoon and it is best to visit around 2 PM when the animals there are most active.
Visitors to Kui Buri generally agree that you are very likely to see elephants when you visit the park and the opportunity to see some of the other rare animals such as the mouse deer and golden jackals is too good to pass up.

Hua Hin is a great place for a long-term rental and you can always find one that suits your needs best at 
Rental For The Holidays. You can visit any of the stunning national parks or beaches in the province from your comfortable nest in Hua Hin.