Opening hours, entry fee and time needed
06:00–18:00
Free
30–60 min
Long cool-season holidays
7 days ahead
When to go
this week
Tap a day card to see that day’s weather, rain, haze and hourly forecast
Best time to go Fine all day little rain through the day · light drizzle possible at times
Holiday — traffic on the way up and parking fills fast; leave early
Hour by hour
Green band = hours used for the score
Best time to go Best window 06:00–16:00 Little rain · light drizzle possible at times
Holiday — traffic on the way up and parking fills fast; leave early
Hour by hour
Green band = hours used for the score
Best time to go Fine all day little rain through the day · light drizzle possible at times
Thick morning fog with visibility under 1 km — use headlights and drive slowly
Holiday — traffic on the way up and parking fills fast; leave early
Hour by hour
Green band = hours used for the score
Best time to go Best window 06:00–12:00 Little rain
Thick morning fog with visibility under 1 km — use headlights and drive slowly
Hour by hour
Green band = hours used for the score
Best time to go Best window 06:00–11:00 Little rain
Thick morning fog with visibility under 1 km — use headlights and drive slowly
Hour by hour
Green band = hours used for the score
Best time to go Fine all day little rain through the day · light drizzle possible at times
Thick morning fog with visibility under 1 km — use headlights and drive slowly
Hour by hour
Green band = hours used for the score
Best time to go Fine all day little rain through the day
No warnings today — normal road and weather conditions
Hour by hour
Green band = hours used for the score
Starry sky
How likely
Scored from cloud cover at every level and tonight’s moonlight — the darker the sky, the clearer the Milky Way · tap another night below for the next 7 nights
Khao Kho Royal Palace
Khao Kho Royal Palace, Sadoa Phong, Khao Kho, Phetchabun.
- Morning mist
- Sunny but cool
- Evening light on the hills
Sea of mist some mornings, Nov–Feb
- Palace viewpointLayered hillsMorning
- Pine gardenLight through pinesAfternoon
Gallery
Photos from Wikimedia Commons and contributors · full credits inClassic page
Good to know here
Cover shoulders and knees
May close without notice
Steep and winding
- Come early for mist
- Dress modestly
- Add the Sacrifice Memorial and the wind farm
Adults 0 THB · Time needed 30–60 min
Long cool-season holidays
- Kids Yes
- Seniors Yes; drive to the palace
- Wheelchair No data; sloping gardens
- Pets Not appropriate
- Khao KhoCafés and strawberry farms
- Phetchabun townSweet tamarind
- Dress modestly
- Follow staff instructions
- Do not enter restricted areas
- Keep noise down
- Steep winding road
- Cold mornings; bring a jacket
Best months
Tap a month on the wheel to see weather, rain, haze and crowds from 10 years of records
Best time · Nov–Feb is cold, with morning seas of mist
Watch out · Steep road · may close without notice
15°Jan
16°Feb
19°Mar
20°Apr
20°May
20°Jun
20°Jul
20°Aug
20°Sep
19°Oct
17°Nov
15°Dec
Oct by the records 19–24°C · avg rain 156 mm (22 rainy days) · clear 5 days · avg PM2.5 9
The story of this place
Khao Kho Royal Palace stands on Khao Ya (also spelled Khao Ya with a different Thai vowel) in Sadoa Phong subdistrict, Khao Kho district, Phetchabun, about 50 km from Phetchabun town. The last climb is steep and winding, on the same road as Wat Khong Niam, a popular sea-of-mist viewpoint.
Read more 6 more paragraphs
The palace was built as a tribute to King Bhumibol for overnight stays when he inspected royal projects and visited people in Khao Kho and nearby provinces. According to phetchabun.org it took about seven months and some 26 million baht, coordinated by Gen. Pichit Kullavanijaya and designed by M.L. Tridhosyuth Devakul, and was completed on 25 February 1985. No date for its opening to the public was found.
It is a semicircular concrete building of 15 rooms, an unusual form for a royal residence, set among flower gardens, pines and viewpoints over layered hills and the Khao Kho community; some mornings bring a sea of mist. Visitors see only the exterior and gardens, not the interior.
The palace sits on a former battlefield: fighting began on 20 November 1968, and from 1968 to 1982 the Khao Kho forest was a stronghold of the Communist Party of Thailand, with fighting across the Phitsanulok–Phetchabun–Loei border; the Pha Mueang Phadet Suek 1 and 2 operations came in 1981 and Pha Mueang Kriang Krai ended the fighting in 1982. After the war Khao Kho became a minor district on 21 August 1984 and a full district in 1991, and Khao Kho National Park was declared on 18 May 2012.
Nearby are the Khao Kho Sacrifice Memorial on the summit, whose foundation stone was laid on 17 September 1983 and which King Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit opened on 20 February 1984, honouring civilians, police and soldiers killed in 1968–82; the Phra Borommathat chedi on the Khao Kho summit, built in 1996 for the Golden Jubilee; the Than Itthi arms museum; and Si Dit waterfall, a former communist camp.
The palace grounds open about 06:00–18:00 and are free, but may close without notice when a royal is in residence. Dress modestly, covering shoulders and knees, and follow staff instructions. Cavalry-unit guesthouses and a campsite are nearby. November–February is cold, so bring a jacket.
From Phetchabun take Highway 21 north about 13 km to the Nang Ngua junction, turn left onto Route 2258 for about 30 km to Khao Kho, or use Route 2196; the final stretch is steep, so the car needs a strong engine and good brakes.
- 20 Nov 1968Fighting begins at Khao Kho
- 1981Pha Mueang Phadet Suek 1 and 2 operations
- 1982Pha Mueang Kriang Krai ends the fighting
- 17 Sep 1983Sacrifice Memorial foundation stone laid
- 20 Feb 1984King and Queen open the memorial
- 21 Aug 1984Khao Kho minor district created
- 25 Feb 1985Khao Kho Palace completed
See 3 events
- 1991Khao Kho becomes a full district
- 1996Phra Borommathat chedi built on the summit
- 18 May 2012Khao Kho National Park declared
Check-ins & visitor photos
Arrived? Check in, collect a stamp and tell others what it is like right now
Check your location first, so you do not fill in the form for nothing
Location must be on and within 1 km · One check-in per place per day · come back on other days to check in again
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How to get there
Steep final stretch; use low gear
Highway 21 → 2258 · Fuel
Highway 21 → Nang Ngua junction → Route 2258, or Route 2196
In front of the palace
Khao Kho or Phetchabun town
Good
06:00–18:00
around 50 km fromPhetchabun town
Khao Kho Palace
0 THB
Stays near Khao Kho Royal Palace
Approx. nightly price for 2 adults (next week) · final price depends on your dates
FAQ
Before you goKhao Kho Royal Palace
Answers travellers want before they go — a one-minute read
Can I go inside?
No; exterior and gardens only
Is it free?
Yes
What are the hours?
About 06:00–18:00; may close during royal stays
When was it built?
Completed on 25 Feb 1985 after about seven months
Is there a sea of mist?
Some mornings, Nov–Feb
Ready to go to Khao Kho Royal Palace?
Best day this week: Thursday 29 Oct · Check in when you arrive to collect a stamp