We can’t imagine a more jarring contrast to one of the world’s premier protected natural areas than this wacky open-air shopping centre. Modelled after a Tuscan village, Palio is indicative of what the Khao Yai area has increasingly become over the last decade or so: a weekend playground for upper-middle-class Thais. Inside, you’ll find shops, cafes, bars and hordes of Thais taking photos of each other with digital SLRs. There’s plenty to eat, and on weekends, live music until 9pm.
