Southern Thailand and the Malay Peninsula have long been a crossroads of human migration, making them one of the most complex archaeological regions in the world. Excavations in various sites have uncovered multiple layers of human occupation, spanning different historical periods and cultures.

Evidence of prehistoric cave paintings and burial sites raises intriguing questions about the ancient inhabitants of the region. While it remains uncertain whether humans lived in what is now Khao Sok National Park during prehistoric times, the area’s dense forests, abundant wildlife, and numerous caves suggest it could have supported early human life. Some scholars believe that Stone Age people may have thrived in these rugged lands until relatively recently.

Khao Sok was likely home to nomadic forest-dwelling tribes, similar to the Mani people, who are among the last hunter-gatherer communities still surviving in Thailand’s Trang mountains and near the Malaysian border. The existence of a land bridge between Borneo and Khao Sok during the last Ice Age strengthens the theory that prehistoric humans once inhabited this rainforest, much like the ancient populations discovered in Borneo’s Niah Caves, where remains date back 37,000 – 50,000 years.

The first recorded human settlements in Khao Sok date back to the late 18th century, during the reign of King Rama II. When Burmese forces attacked the coastal towns of Takuapa, Takua Thung, and Thalang (Phuket), groups of survivors fled inland, seeking refuge deep within the forests. Some eventually settled in Khao Sok, where they adapted to the environment by hunting, fishing, and foraging for wild fruits and vegetables. Over time, they began clearing land for rice and crop cultivation, taking advantage of the region’s fertile soil and ample rainfall.

Word soon spread about Khao Sok’s natural wealth—rivers filled with fish, forests teeming with wild deer, cattle, and boar—and more settlers arrived, establishing a lasting human presence in this pristine rainforest.