Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park

Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, Thailand

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Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park, located about 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Hua Hin in Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, is Thailand’s first marine national park and covers 99 square kilometers (61 square miles) of dramatic limestone mountains, freshwater marshes, and coastline along the Gulf of Thailand. Its name means “Mountain with Three Hundred Peaks,” referring to the striking grey limestone range that rises over the park’s wetlands, which include Thailand’s largest freshwater marsh and serve as a crucial Ramsar-listed breeding habitat for rare birds. Established in 1966, the park is famous for its spectacular Tham Phraya Nakhon cave, where sunlight streams through a large natural hole in the ceiling to illuminate a tiny pavilion (Sala Royal Pleasure House) and allow vegetation to grow inside, creating a surreal interior. Visitors can explore other caves like Tham Sai and Tham Kaeo filled with stalactites and stalagmites, hike forest trails for panoramic mountain views, take boat rides to limestone islands for birdwatching, or relax on pine-lined beaches like Hat Sam Phraya and Hat Laem Sala. The park is easily reachable by car from Hua Hin or by bus/train to Pranburi followed by a local songthaew, making it an accessible natural wonder blending geology, wildlife, and culture.