Kaeng Krachan Park Closes Waterfall After Tourist Injury

Picture courtesy of Daily News

Kaeng Krachan National Park in Phetchaburi, has announced the closure of the Mae Kradungla Waterfall following an incident involving a 23-year-old tourist who slipped and fell, sustaining injuries that left him injured and unable to move. Park authorities emphasised that the area remains under development and is not yet ready or open for tourism.

The incident which occurred at around 14:25 on 23 October 2025, when the park received a report from the head of the Khao Phu Phlu Ranger Unit about the injured visitor. Rescue operations were immediately coordinated between park officials and the Sawang Sanphet Foundation rescue team from Phetchaburi province. The rescue was challenging due to the site’s isolation, lack of mobile phone signal and rough dirt roads. After several hours of difficult terrain, rescuers successfully transferred the injured man to hospital for treatment.

Park Chief Atthapong Phao-on stated that the area around Mae Kradungla Waterfall is still being surveyed and developed into a proper tourist site. He added that the waterfall lies about seven kilometres from the Khao Phu Phlu ranger station, a distance that poses a significant safety risk given the lack of infrastructure and communication access. The park currently has an insufficient number of staff to safely manage visitor activity in such remote terrain.

Following the incident, the park issued an official ban on all public access to the waterfall until further notice. The decision aims to prevent further accidents while authorities complete the necessary assessments and improvements. The park’s management stressed that visitors should avoid entering undeveloped zones for their own safety, as these areas do not yet meet official tourism and safety standards.

Park officials confirmed that despite limited resources, two park rescuers, supported by the Sawang Sanphet Foundation, managed to evacuate the injured tourist after a five-hour operation through difficult forest paths. The incident underscored the challenges of conducting rescues in remote areas without communication coverage.

Kaeng Krachan National Park plans to expedite work to make Mae Kradungla Waterfall a safe, regulated attraction. Once development is completed and safety measures are in place, the park intends to reopen the area to visitors under proper supervision and national park regulations.

Key Takeaways

• A 23-year-old tourist was injured after slipping at Mae Kradungla Waterfall on 23 October 2025.

• Kaeng Krachan National Park has banned access to the site, citing safety and ongoing development.

• Authorities plan to upgrade the area to meet tourism and safety standards before reopening.

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  Adapted  by  Asean  Now from Dailynews 2025-10-26