A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Gold Coast vs. Khao Sok National Park for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Gold Coast or Khao Sok National Park?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Should I visit Gold Coast or Khao Sok National Park? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.

Where Should I go: Gold Coast or Khao Sok National Park?

Gold Coast

The Gold Coast is one of Australia's premier destinations. Famous for gorgeous beaches, warm weather, watersports, and plenty of activities for all ages, millions of tourists from Australia as well as everywhere in the world flock to this region every year. With beaches, national parks, theme parks, shopping and dining, nice resorts, boating, fishing, diving, theme parks and more, the Gold Coast offers something for everyone.

Khao Sok National Park

In the south of Thailand, visitors will find a gorgeous getaway of pure nature. The Khao Sok National Park is a jungle reserve that covers over 700 square kilometers, and described as one of the most beautiful wildlife reserves in the country.

Many say this jungle is over 160 million years old making it one of the world's oldest rainforests. The lush environment of limestone, waterfalls and thickets of vegetation will make any wanderer eager to discover more. Keep your eyes peeled for bears, boars, gaurs, tapirs, gibbons, deer, marbled cats, wild elephants and more. Look to the sky for over 300 species of bird and 38 different types of bats.

You'll find the best time to book is from December to April, better known as the dry season. From June to October there is significantly more rain and the threat of monsoons. Not only does it rain on your parade, but also it causes the leeches to emerge.

To enter the park is a 300 baht fee for foreigners, 150 for children, and 40 for Thai citizens. If someone tries to sell you a ticket for more than that, simply buy one at the park entrance. When planning your stay remember that your entrance fee is only valid for 24 hours. If you're staying multiple days, you'll need to pay up front. Often if you're with a tour, the entrance fee is included in the tour price, but you should inquire about this to make sure.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Australia, The Best 10-Day Tours in Australia, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Chiang Mai, and The Best 10-Day Tours from Bangkok.

When comparing the travel costs between Gold Coast and Khao Sok National Park, we can see that Gold Coast is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Even though Gold Coast is in Pacific and Khao Sok National Park is in Asia, both of these destinations have relatively similar prices of travel. Generally, the levels of luxury and expenses are the same for these cities even though they are geographically far apart.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Gold Coast Expensive? and Is Khao Sok National Park Expensive?.

When is the best time to visit Gold Coast or Khao Sok National Park?

Gold Coast has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, but Khao Sok National Park experiences a warm climate with fairly sunny weather most of the year.

Should I visit Gold Coast or Khao Sok National Park in the Summer?

Both Khao Sok National Park and Gold Coast during the summer are popular places to visit. The summer months attract visitors to Gold Coast because of the beaches, snorkeling, the hiking, the city activities, and the family-friendly experiences. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Khao Sok National Park year-round.

Gold Coast is around the same temperature as Khao Sok National Park in the summer. The daily temperature in Gold Coast averages around 25°C (77°F) in January, and Khao Sok National Park fluctuates around 28°C (82°F)in July.

In Khao Sok National Park, it's very sunny this time of the year. It's quite sunny in Gold Coast. In the summer, Gold Coast often gets more sunshine than Khao Sok National Parkin July. Gold Coast gets 256 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Khao Sok National Park receives 206 hours of full sun.

Khao Sok National Park gets a good bit of rain this time of year. It rains a lot this time of the year in Gold Coast. Gold Coast usually gets less rain in January than Khao Sok National Parkin July. Gold Coast gets 167 mm (6.6 in) of rain, while Khao Sok National Park receives 284 mm (11.2 in) of rain this time of the year.

Should I visit Gold Coast or Khao Sok National Park in the Autumn?

The autumn attracts plenty of travelers to both Gold Coast and Khao Sok National Park. The hiking trails, the city's sights and attractions, and the shopping scene are the main draw to Gold Coast this time of year. Khao Sok National Park attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate.

In the autumn, Gold Coast is cooler than Khao Sok National Park. Typically, the autumn temperatures in Gold Coast in April average around 22°C (71°F), and Khao Sok National Park averages at about 27°C (81°F)in October.

In Gold Coast, it's very sunny this time of the year. Gold Coast usually receives more sunshine than Khao Sok National Park during autumn. Gold Coast gets 214 hours of sunny skies, while Khao Sok National Park receives 181 hours of full sun in the autumn.

Khao Sok National Park receives a lot of rain in the autumn. Gold Coast gets a good bit of rain this time of year. In April, Gold Coast usually receives less rain than Khao Sok National Parkin October. Gold Coast gets 101 mm (4 in) of rain, while Khao Sok National Park receives 351 mm (13.8 in) of rain each month for the autumn.

Should I visit Gold Coast or Khao Sok National Park in the Winter?

The winter brings many poeple to Gold Coast as well as Khao Sok National Park. Many travelers come to Gold Coast for the museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine. The warm climate attracts visitors to Khao Sok National Park throughout the year.

In July, Gold Coast is generally much colder than Khao Sok National Parkin January. Daily temperatures in Gold Coast average around 15°C (59°F), and Khao Sok National Park fluctuates around 27°C (80°F).

The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Khao Sok National Park. People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Gold Coast this time of the year. In the winter, Gold Coast often gets less sunshine than Khao Sok National Parkin January. Gold Coast gets 226 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Khao Sok National Park receives 287 hours of full sun.

Gold Coast usually gets more rain in July than Khao Sok National Parkin January. Gold Coast gets 70 mm (2.8 in) of rain, while Khao Sok National Park receives 42 mm (1.7 in) of rain this time of the year.

Should I visit Gold Coast or Khao Sok National Park in the Spring?

Both Khao Sok National Park and Gold Coast are popular destinations to visit in the spring with plenty of activities. Many visitors come to Gold Coast in the spring for the beaches and the activities around the city. Plenty of visitors come to Khao Sok National Park because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year.

Gold Coast is cooler than Khao Sok National Park in the spring. The daily temperature in Gold Coast averages around 21°C (69°F) in October, and Khao Sok National Park fluctuates around 29°C (83°F)in April.

It's quite sunny in Khao Sok National Park. The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Gold Coast. Gold Coast usually receives around the same amount of sunshine as Khao Sok National Park during spring. Gold Coast gets 259 hours of sunny skies, while Khao Sok National Park receives 249 hours of full sun in the spring.

It rains a lot this time of the year in Khao Sok National Park. It's quite rainy in Gold Coast. In October, Gold Coast usually receives less rain than Khao Sok National Parkin April. Gold Coast gets 103 mm (4 in) of rain, while Khao Sok National Park receives 157 mm (6.2 in) of rain each month for the spring.

Typical Weather for Khao Sok National Park and Gold Coast