Summarize this article with:
Almost everyone who visits the land side of Khao Sok sleeps in one place: Khlong Sok, called Khao Sok village. It is a strip of guesthouses, small restaurants and travel agencies on route 401, at the park entrance at kilometre 109. You do not need a car here: you walk between your room, the ticket office and the trailhead.
The village is a base, not a sight. What it gives you is the park's ticket office, guides who take you into the rainforest, bamboo raft and kayak trips on the Sok river, and the minivans that connect to Surat Thani, Krabi, Phuket and the lake side.
What there is in the village
Guesthouses and small hotels, restaurants along the road, a handful of shops and several travel agencies that sell the same treks as the agencies online — the difference is that you can ask what group size you are joining. Rubber trees and jungle stand behind the buildings; the Sok river runs along the village.
The park's ticket office and the trailhead are at the end of the village road. Everything on the land side starts from there: the Sok river, the Bang Hua Raet waterfall and the longer hikes.
Plan the lake from here, but sleep on the right side
Cheow Lan Lake is not next door: the lake entrance at the Ratchaprapha dam is about 65 to 67 km away by road, and it has its own fee zone. If your main goal is the lake — a raft house night or the morning mist — you lose a good hour each way by sleeping in the village.
Most visitors do both: two nights in the village for the rainforest, then one night on the lake, with transport arranged locally. Our itinerary walks through how that works in two or three days.
The trailhead is not at your guesthouse
The park's ticket office and the start of the trails are at the end of the village road, not in the middle of the strip. Walk the road once when you arrive to get your bearings — and note that after the first stretch, longer hikes need a guide.
Trek and river trips that start in the village
See all tours
Hike + night safariKhao Sok: Full-Day Rainforest Hike and Night Safari
- Full-day rainforest hike
- Night safari added, as named in the listing
Best for: Active visitors who want a long day in the forest and a walk after dark.
Check price & availability →
Night safariKhao Sok: 2-Hour Night Safari Guided Jungle Walk with Pickup
- 2-hour guided jungle walk after dark
- Pickup included, as named in the listing
Best for: Visitors who want to see the forest at night with a guide.
Check price & availability →Last verified 29 September 2026
Sources and further reading
Frequently asked questions
No. The village (Khlong Sok) is the settlement at the park entrance on route 401, where the ticket office and the guesthouses are. The national park itself is the 739 km² protected rainforest behind it, with trails starting at the end of the village road.
No. The village is small, the ticket office and the trailhead are a walk away, and minivans connect it to Surat Thani and the surrounding towns. A car only helps if you want to reach the lake side at the Ratchaprapha dam on your own schedule.
Yes, at the park's ticket office at the trailhead. Foreign visitors paid 300 THB for an adult and 150 THB for a child in September 2026, cash, on a ticket valid 24 hours. Fees can change, so confirm on arrival.
