Siamdasada Khaoyai Prachinburi — a boutique resort in wide lakeside grounds at the foot of Khao Yai, with cycling all day
If you want the Khao Yai feeling without fighting for a room around Pak Chong every weekend, cross over to the Prachinburi side — Siamdasada Khaoyai is a 4-star boutique resort in Noen Hom, at the southern foot of Khao Yai, that bills itself as “The Natural Essences Resort”. It's 96 rooms in two-storey buildings spread across wide grounds, with a lake at the centre, two outdoor pools and cycling paths to ride all day. It's about 140 km from Bangkok — a little over two hours by car — and prices start at around ฿1,800/night.
The first thing guests always mention is the sheer size of the grounds. Siamdasada Khaoyai isn't a single block — it's a wide park of two-storey buildings with a lake in the middle, lawns, trees and cycling paths threading through it. Many reviews say a morning walk or ride around the lake was their favourite part, with the cool air of the Khao Yai foothills making it feel like a real break without going anywhere.
The location is in Noen Hom, on the Prachin–Khao Yai road — the southern foot of Khao Yai, about 140 km from Bangkok, a little over two hours by car. It's a setting that gives you the Khao Yai atmosphere without the crowds on the Pak Chong side. Prachinburi town and Chao Phraya Abhaibhubejhr Hospital are roughly 20–30 minutes away by car, and waterfalls and viewpoints on this side of the park are a short drive off. The key point: it suits guests arriving by car, since the resort is spread out and not in town.
Rooms come in several types — Deluxe Room, Deluxe Pool Access, Junior Suite, Bali Suite, Triangle Suite Lakeside and the lakeside villas. Rooms are spacious, with large beds, balconies, flat-screen TVs, fridges and well-laid-out bathrooms, and most reviews call them clean, modern-looking and easy on the eye. The Pool Access rooms let you step straight down to the pool from the balcony, while the lakeside villas have the best views in the resort.
"Spacious room, big bed, balcony looking out to the hills. Huge resort — easy to cycle around the lake, the kids spent all day in the pool, friendly staff and a tasty breakfast. Great value."
Worth knowing before you book: service can be slow at times because the place is understaffed, and dining options on-site are fairly limited. Bloom is the main restaurant and the kitchen closes fairly early (many reviews say around 7 pm), so if you arrive late or want a full dinner, plan ahead or bring something with you. Some villa-zone rooms also draw comments about sparse furniture, no sofa, dim lighting and weaker-than-expected water pressure.
Another point that comes up in reviews: because it sits in gardens against nature, insects or the odd centipede can find their way into rooms, and some rooms in the deeper zones don't ventilate well, picking up a faint musty smell in the rainy season. That's normal for a resort set in foothill gardens, but if you're sensitive to it, ask for a frequently used room near the main zone. Overall, if you can take these in stride, most of the experience stays clearly positive.
Overall, Siamdasada Khaoyai scores around 8.5–8.9 out of 10 on the booking platforms from dozens of real reviews, with location and cleanliness rated especially high. It's not a private-villa luxury resort in the tens of thousands, but measured on its wide grounds, the lake, two outdoor pools, clean modern rooms and the Khao Yai atmosphere — at a starting rate of around ฿1,800, rising by season and room type into the high thousands and up past four thousand for suites and villas — it's a well-judged pick for a family or a couple wanting a quiet Khao Yai stay.
A tip drawn from the reviews: travelling as a family, take a Pool Access room so the kids can get straight into the water; for the best view, aim for a lakeside villa; arriving by your own car makes getting around easiest since the resort is large and out of town; pack a late-night snack or check the kitchen's closing time; and in the rainy season ask for a main-zone room that ventilates well.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Very large grounds with a lake — cycle and walk all day
- ✓ Spacious, clean rooms with large beds and garden/hill-view balconies
- ✓ Two outdoor pools, great for families with children
- ✓ Friendly staff and a well-reviewed breakfast
- ! Limited dining options; kitchen closes fairly early
- ! Service slow at times due to understaffing
- ! Some villa-zone rooms have sparse furniture and dim lighting
- ✓ Khao Yai atmosphere on the quieter Prachinburi side
- ✓ Clean, modern-looking rooms with easy-on-the-eye decor
- ✓ Good for families and groups, with activities on-site
- ✓ Easy self-drive from Bangkok — a little over two hours
- ! Weaker-than-expected water pressure in some rooms
- ! Deeper-zone rooms ventilate poorly, musty in the rainy season
- ! Set in nature, so insects or centipedes can get into rooms at times
- 💡If you like a relaxed dinner or tend to arrive late — Bloom is the main restaurant and the kitchen closes fairly early → plan dinner ahead or bring a snack, and check the kitchen's closing time.
- 💡If you're sensitive to insects or musty smells — it sits in nature-side gardens, and some deeper-zone rooms ventilate poorly in the rainy season → ask for a frequently used main-zone room with better airflow.
- 💡If you don't have your own car — the resort is large and out of town, so getting around is less convenient than an in-town stay → plan transport, or choose a town hotel if you're not driving.