Often referred to as
the Switzerland of Thailand.
Two hours north-east of Bangkok, the land rises into the hills that surround Khao Yai National Park — Thailand's oldest national park and, together with the surrounding forest, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The elevation brings something rare for this part of the world: cool mornings, mist over the hills, and air that feels genuinely different from the capital.
Locals and visitors have taken to calling it Thailand's Switzerland — a nod to the cooler climate, the green hills, and the handful of European-style vineyards that have made this one of Southeast Asia's most unexpected wine regions. Khao Yai National Park itself is formally twinned with the Jungfrau-Aletsch region in the Swiss Alps, and a Swiss-Thai Friendship Trail runs through the park — the comparison has real roots, not just marketing.
