Go

Close to Prachuap Khiri Khan town is the lesser known Khao Lan waterfall.

Part of the Huai Yang National Park, Khao Lan is just one of the five major waterfalls of this park, which runs from the lower hills to the mountains on the border with Burma. Highway 4 south from Bangkok leads one along many easily accessible waterfalls. Khao Lan is just 14 kms off the highway but a total different world.

From the highway, one turns land inwards until a small roundabout, take the left road and continue along this road as it gradually deteriorates. We take a wise decision to park near a banana plantation, about a km short of the end of the road. The last km is a very steep washed out road, to be tackled only with a 4WD. A total of possibly 14 km from the highway.

At the end of the road is a national park office though their role seems to be insignificant. The track along the stream to the 5 levels of the waterfall is (contrary to the access road) well maintained, Khao Lan is another beautiful walk, not too strenuous (we are after all in Thailand) but natural enough to ensure the experience.

Despite the well maintained trails, the place is deserted. Another great piece of the amazing country to relax. Pack a lunch at the main highway near the turnoff, the well signposted Coffee and Go is good place and different to the usual Thai roadside restaurants.

Overnite stays can be done in Prachuap itself, a nice relaxful seaside place.

From a distance ...

Namtok Ngao waterfall is located just outside of Ranong town, heading southwards. It is not to be missed as this cascade spectacularly falls over the cliffs, just a couple of kilometers from the main road (see photo above).

Especially spectacular towards the end of the monsoon, they are still very discernible from the road at any time of the year.

Getting close up is possible by getting entry to Namtok Ngao National Park. Another good source of information is here.
Mostly covering the main mountain ridge, there are a few other waterfalls in this national park, but none as easy accessible as Ngao. That said, the waterfall is something to be seen from a distance, rather than up close where the specific spectacularity fades. Such that a nearby treeless hill (Phu Khao Ya) actually acts as an attractive view point of the Ngao waterfall, 10 kms away!

There is a hot spring not too far away from the main road in the same Namtok Ngao National Park, Porn Rang. Having been spruced up to the tune of $1 million (source), it's a very entertaining place to take a soak and enjoy the scenery. And the national park plays host to Pu Chao Fa a rare freshwater crab (source). Another great fact.

Massage please

Don't enlarge this picture!

About 10 km south of Suk Samran, on Thailands Highway 4 between Ranong and Takua Pa, just north of a bridge, an attentive passer-by will see a wearied and worried signboard, pointing inland, inwards to Suan Mai waterfall, part of Sri Phang Nga National Park, home to many new and unknown waterfalls.
The small road first passes some kampong houses, crosses a bridge and slowly climbs up through rubber and palm oil plantations, interspersed with some durian orchards, ripe for the picking.
The road deteriorates, then improves. After deteriorating again, one needs to continue going straight in a sharp left hand corner. The road gets steep and enters a protected environment with what was once a parking area before a steep hairpin to an office with some tired looking government staff.

After stepping out of the car, one hears the rushing stream. Following a wide track and then a smaller track along a waterpipe, the 10 minute ‘trek’ ends at the foot of a nice 20 m high waterfall, Suan Mai.

Beneath the fall is a great pool to cool off and swim up for a natural back massage. Another nice find.

The surroundings are still very natural and pristine, despite the relative accessibility of these falls from the highway.


Interesting background knowledge is the website of the Andaman coast community tourism. It highlights some lesser well known waterfalls near Kuraburi. Other than this mention there is not much other information on the internet, it's very far away from anything remotely touristic, but as said a great find.

Gem hunting

Khao Lak, north of Phuket, Thailand, seems to be well-known for it’s coast line, but surprisingly the coast is haphazardly developed to the extent that development kills the exact source of it's charm. Sure there are signature resorts, but outside of this, the tourist ghetto’s are over optimistically hoping to cash on the non-existent tourist. Maybe in some times of the year, the plethora of rooms are full and the trade for suits infinitive, but otherwise it’s all dread and drudgery, alas.

So why the trade has failed to see the gems within eyesight is a mystery? Khao Lak’s coast has a series of waterfalls just beyond the main drag with it’s line of tourist business.

At the northern end, you’ll be able to visit the easily accessible Bor Hin waterfall. Just north beyond the Royal Bangsak Resort, look for the huge school on the mountain side of the road and take the first turn inland. The small road winds itself through rubber and palmoil plantations and ends after 2 km directly at the foot of the falls.

In front of you, you can see the waterwall, with a number of channels, the water sliding down about 20m. It seems to have seen better times, management is non-existent, despite it being a nice location. Some refuse has gone awol, but is not an eyesore.

Along the roadside a track takes you to the top of the falls. Possibly going even higher would bring one to more falls and / or swimming holes, but as it was rainy season, the rocks were particularly slippery.Bor Hin definitely does not see many tourists and info on the internet is scarce. In fact there is hardly anything beyond the odd mention. Gran moskys has an entry on waterfalls on the Khao Lak coast reachable by bicycle.

Plunge jacuzzi

View from the old road

Ease of access is key to most Thai waterfalls, but seldom is access so guaranteed as to Punyaban (or NamTok SetTakuat, source) which falls nearly onto highway 4, just north of Ranong town.

In the sharp U shaped turn, the old bridge and both banks are used to create a park like area with the 50 m waterfall as natural backdrop. Near the parking areas are two small restaurants as well as amenities block (or two). One can walk below to the stream level and safely go up to the base of the waterfall.

Strongly recommended is to take the nature trail path on the north side. Steep, it’s well laid, though not often utilized. The educative element has slightly became a victim of time, the trail itself climbs beyond the lip to a smaller fall and beyond this to a 10 m fall.

View towards Myanmar

With a beautiful view as well as the solitude gained so close to the mad world as represented by a major highway, this area above the larger waterfall entices one to become one with nature and plunge in the natural rock jacuzzi’s or get immersed under the falls them selves.

Up beyond the main waterfall are some great skinny dip pools.

More info can be obtained from cathy and gary's travel page entry on Punyaban. Note that the waterfall i s just 10 minutes drive north of Ranong town, it counts 3 levels but only 20m height. Their end note:

'Punyaban Waterfall - Beautiful Place'

Others mention the nature trail heads back down on the other side.

Lonely Planet rates Punyaban as no. 5 of the 11 things to do in Ranong.

Interestingly the blog waterfallsonstamps names Punyaban as one of his 9 stamps of waterfalls from Thailand (from 1980, 2 THB!).

Anyway, Punyaban is definitely a contender for top 10 waterfall position in Thailand.

Just one of the pools waiting for you to quit your sweaty clothes!