Thi Lo Su Waterfall In Tak

[tariq]

Hi

I may be planning a trip to the above after Sonkran and wanted any useful info.

I'll be driving there from Kampaengh Phet in a 4x4.

I have the following questions:

Is it far from KPP and how long to drive there (aprox)?

How long would you recommend is needed to see the falls and what else is there to do there?

Are there plenty of hotels around?

My GF just told me her frind said there have abeen a lot of fatal accidents around the falls but wasn't sure what caused them - is this true?

We'll have 2 kids with us aged 10 and 15 - is it suitable for young visitors?

Many thanks as ever for any replies.

Tariq

[Reasonableman]

The Track to the main viewing point is fine, but the "trail" gets pretty rough the higher you go, so do take care. Wear some stout shoes, bevause it is stony, and a bit wet and slippery in a couple of places. There are swimming pools with small waterfalls, but keep a close eye on the kids, cos the pools are deep and cold. Suitable for kids if you keep an eye on them. They may need some help in a few awkward spots along the trail. Lots of butterflies and fish. Nice trip for a few hours' walk. Can't recall traveling times, sorry.

[rakman]

According to google maps, it's a long trip. 369 KM, 7 hrs. Probably more like 14 depending on stops and traffic. While it's about 60 km as the crow flies, I don't see any direct roads or goat trails, so it's up around to Mae Sot and then south around the Myanmar border. I don't see a path from the south. There could be some short cuts that would shorten the triip, but I don't see them on the satellite view.

Mae Klong is along the way, maybe a hotel there.

Probably very pretty though. Travel is an adventure. Have fun.

[vacationman]

Hello,

We have been to Thi Lo Su Waterfalls Twice and loved it.

We went both times right after the rainy season ended.

This is the best time to see the most Water.

The ride from Mae Sot is a long ride. It's approx 169 km if I remember correctly

and took us almost 5 hours due to the road conditions.

Many places to stay in Umphang it will be no problem.

Best way to go to waterfalls is to take a 2 hour Raft ride down the river and

then the last 30 minutes on the Big Red 4x4 Trucks.

Cost will be 2,500 baht for Raft and Truck waterfalls and then a truck ride back to town.

They kind of have a Taxi Mofia invloved with the Waterfalls.... they will probally force you to

use one of their Trucks to go to the falls and the price is pretty much FIXED.

We asked at about 5 or 6 places with everyone quoting a minimum of 2,500 baht.

Worth it if you have a family of 4 going.

Was at the falls can be very strong in places sooo please keep an eye on your kids.

Would recommend that YOU go in the water first to make sure the area is safe.

Have fun.

The mountains are really incredible in that area.

[tariq]

Hi

Thakds fro the replies and very useful info. I've just looked at the route on google mapy and it seems a long way round to go. All the way up to Tak, then across to to mae Sot and then down to Umphang...just as you say Rakman.

I can see route 1116 comes west for a while towards route 1090 but then it shoots back up north. Does anyone know of a rout that links these two roads? I could only see dense jungle/ forest areas

I think I'm in for a long, long drive!

Thanks

Tariq

[vacationman]

Hello Tariq,

There's only ONE way IN and ONE way out and that's via 1090 Mae Sot to Umphang.

and yes it is a very very LONG RIDE.

[ITGabs]

I did it in a motorbike with my gf, I love it, from mae sot to umphang, the road go 40% in the top of the mountains espectacular views, with some small towns with very nice people (natives) the taste of the food it's amazing, if you see stands around the road stop and buy freshy old organic style directly from mother nature, I don't know but the taste is incredible sharp (I can't to explain in another way) Maybe in the future I will move there, I love that mountains...

have 2 another waterfall close to umphang (in the first 60 kilometers from mae sot have 3 more, but really are more like rivers than waterfall xD) that you can go in motorbike, are a bit fare and you need to ask to the locals since the roads ara like mazes between orchads and small villages.

for go to Thi Lo Su is around 55 kilometers from Umphang and that roud it's really bad, and in the entrance to the nacional reserve you only can go in a 4x4 car, the price for go full day from Umphang to Thi Lo Su renting a 4x4 car with driver is 1500 bath flat price not discount at all, we ask in 4 parts and all the same, take car if have so much rain, you can easily get stuck in some of the bad parts of the road.

Another thing, check the beds!!!! 50% of the hotels are infested with bed bugs, not only the cheap one, new hotels have too.

In Umphang town in the corner next to the temple have two german guys that make nice farang/thai food at good price, usually you can met the few backpackers that go to Thi Lo su there in the afternoon, very few farangs go there, 420 kilometers plus 2400 curves and many problems in the road only for go and come back from a waterfall in the middle of the mountains it's only for adventures or people that love the nature, Mae sot is nothing spectacular neither, cross to Myanmar for the day to get the 15 30 or 90 days visa is not so nice since the queue for comeback, is annoying!! 1 or 2 hours, full of refugees and poor people trying to go inside Thailand plus the stress, the hot sun, and the bad clean habits of Myanmar people, really it's feel like you left a kind of Jail, you can try it to by pass the queue when you asking (sure you need to ask since it is not clear at all) but if the people in the queue complain to the officer you need to wait as all the rest, so that was my experience, still Myanmar have very nice temples, I like the Myanmar girls too some of them are very beutifull