Waterfalls in Thailand: Erawan, Thi Lo Su, Chiang Mai and When to Go
Eight waterfalls compared on access, fee and season. Only Erawan has day tours here: 20 listings, from under 60 to more than 120 EUR, typically 120 to 250.
Of all the waterfalls worth a trip in Thailand, one has day tours on this site, and it is the one you can reach from Bangkok: Erawan, with 20 tours from under 60 to more than 120 EUR. The others are real, and some beat it for scale or for climbing, but they sit in Chiang Mai, Tak and Khao Yai and none had a tour in our catalog on 22 October 2026. So this page does the other job. It compares waterfalls in Thailand on what decides a visit: whether there is a fee, how you get there, which months the water runs and when a closure is likely. It will not tell you that every fall is open all year, because they are not. Erawan has its own page for the park and its tours.
A word on size. Websites call Thi Lo Su the biggest waterfall in Thailand and quote 300 m or more. Wikipedia lists about 250 m by 450 m and says the figures are approximate, because the fall has never been surveyed. We found no measured height from any authority for the falls on this page, so the table below leaves heights out and describes each fall by what you actually do there.
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Waterfalls Travel Experiences in Thailand
Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, Mae Klong Railway Market and Erawan Falls Day Trip
Motor boat and train rides, admission to Erawan and travel accident insurance come with a private licensed guide, in a standard vehicle or a luxury VIP van.
Erawan Falls Day Tour from Bangkok with Hotel Pickup, Fruit and Soi Rambuttri Option
Hotel pickup, entrance fees, an English-speaking guide, water and fruit are included, with Soi Rambuttri as the alternative meeting point. All sales are final.
Erawan Falls, Don Rak War Cemetery and River Kwai Bridge Day Trip by Private Car
A 7:00 AM hotel pickup in a private air-conditioned car, with fuel, parking and tolls covered; lunch is not included. Back at the hotel around 6:30 PM.
Erawan Falls, Hellfire Pass and Death Railway Train Day Tour from Kanchanaburi
Starts and ends on Maenamkwai Road in Kanchanaburi; lunch, a life jacket, a towel and all fees and taxes are included, with guiding in Thai and English.
Erawan Falls, JEATH Museum and Kwai Bridge Group Day Trip from Bangkok
Group day from Bangkok leaving between 6:30 and 7:15, with an English-speaking guide, JEATH Museum and park entry fees paid, and up to 15 travelers per booking.
Erawan Falls, Srinakarin Lake and Train Ride Day Tour from Kanchanaburi
Pickup is from Kanchanaburi hotels, and the train ride, park entry fee and drinking water are included. Meals are paid separately and groups top out at nine.
Flexible Small-Group Erawan Falls and Tham Krasae Day Tour with a Local Guide
Customizable within the day's schedule, with a Thai- or English-speaking local guide; lunch, bottled water and all fees and taxes are covered in the price.
Private All-Inclusive Erawan Falls, Long-Tail Boat and River Kwai Day Tour
Pickup at 7:00 AM and back around 6:30 PM, with a long-tail boat ride and JEATH museum; lunch, water and entrance fees included. English or Mandarin guide.
Private Day Trip from Bangkok: Erawan Falls, Rescued Elephants and Kwai Bridge
Lunch, bottled water and all entrance fees come with this private 12-hour day, which adds a visit to rescued elephants to the falls, the railway and the bridge.
Private Day Trip from Bangkok: Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, Kwai Bridge and Erawan
Private 7:00 AM transfer from a Bangkok hotel with a licensed English-speaking guide, water and insurance, returning around 6:00 to 6:30 PM; sales are final.
Private Erawan Falls and Rescued Elephant Visit from Bangkok, Lunch Included
Private day with an English-speaking driver, lunch, bottled water, expressway fees and every entrance fee covered. Specialized infant seats are available.
Private Erawan Falls, Bamboo Rafting and Death Railway Day Tour from Bangkok
Hotel pickup in central Bangkok, a Thai lunch and an English-speaking local guide in a private air-conditioned car, on a day that also includes bamboo rafting.
Private Erawan Falls, Death Railway Train Ride and Muang Mallika Tour from Bangkok
Private van from Bangkok with an English-speaking guide, a train ticket, lunch at a local restaurant and travel accident insurance for up to nine travelers.
Private Erawan Falls, River Kwai Boat Ride and Bridge Day Tour from Bangkok
Leaves at 7:00 AM with a private guide, car and boat, simple Thai lunch, admission and accident insurance all included. Pickup is from city-center hotels.
Private Erawan Falls, Wat Tham Khao Pun and Long-Tail Boat Day Tour, VIP Van Option
Hotel pickup in downtown Bangkok, admission to three sites, a 45-minute long-tail boat ride and travel accident insurance for each traveler are all included.
Private Erawan Falls, Wat Tham Phu Wa and Wat Tham Sua Temple Day Trip from Bangkok
A private, unhurried day that pairs three hours at Erawan with cave and hilltop temples; licensed guide, insurance, fuel, tolls and admissions are covered.
Private Hellfire Pass, Death Railway Walk and Erawan Falls Day Tour from Bangkok
Hellfire Pass museum and walking trail, the Tham Krasae railway walk and Erawan Falls on one private day; lunch, water and all fees and taxes are included.
Private Kanchanaburi Day Tour from Bangkok: JEATH Museum, River Kwai and Erawan
A 7 AM hotel pickup in a private air-conditioned car with an English-speaking guide, a Thai lunch and all entrance fees, returning to the hotel at day's end.
Small-Group Erawan Falls, Skywalk and Kwai Bridge Day Tour from Bangkok
TripGuru small-group day from Bangkok with hotel pickup or an MBK meeting point; the Skywalk and park entry fees are paid separately. Maximum 9 per booking.
Small-Group Erawan Falls, Tham Krasae Cave and Death Railway Train from Bangkok
Group of up to 13 meets at BTS Wongwian Yai, Asia Hotel, Korean Town or Khaosan; lunch is included but park entry and the train ticket are paid extra.
Ratings collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
Why Thai waterfalls differ: rock and monsoon
Two things shape every fall in this country: the rock and the monsoon. Erawan's tiers and pools are cut in limestone, and limestone is also what guides describe at the Sticky Waterfall north of Chiang Mai, where the rock is climbable. The monsoon does the rest. Rain falls from May to October, heaviest in September and October at Erawan, and Thai guides put full flow between July and November. The flow thins in the dry season: at Erawan the rain is lowest from December to February, while the guides put the dry spell in the north at March to May. Fires and fine dust can close a park for a day, as happened at Erawan on 21 April 2026. A fall that matches the postcard in October can be a trickle in April.
Erawan sits about 3 hours 45 minutes from Bangkok by road: 2.5 hours to Kanchanaburi by one tour listing, then 65 km on. Chiang Mai and the Doi Inthanon falls are about 580 km north of the capital in a straight line, and Thi Lo Su lies by the western border in Tak. Khao Yai is northeast of Bangkok and the closest of the rest: Viator lists three Khao Yai trips for Haew Narok, all from Bangkok, and none is on this site.
Eight waterfalls in Thailand compared
| Waterfall | Province | What the sources say | Getting there | Tours on this site |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erawan | Kanchanaburi | Seven tiers, about 1.5 km of path, swimming allowed | Bus 8170 from Kanchanaburi, 60 THB. Gate 300 THB for foreign adults | Yes, 20 tours |
| Huai Mae Khamin | Kanchanaburi | Seven tiers. Foreign adults pay 300 THB | Same province as Erawan | No |
| Thi Lo Su | Tak (Umphang) | About 250 m by 450 m, never surveyed | 4WD or pickup from Umphang. Private cars stop at the car park | No |
| Mae Ya | Chiang Mai (Doi Inthanon) | Wide fall, more than 30 steps by one guide's count | Inside Doi Inthanon National Park | No |
| Wachirathan | Chiang Mai (Doi Inthanon) | Falls beside the park road | Inside Doi Inthanon National Park, on the road | No |
| Bua Tong, the Sticky Waterfall | Chiang Mai | Limestone you can climb | Day trips from Chiang Mai exist, but not on this site | No |
| Haew Narok | Khao Yai | The highest fall in the park | Viator runs trips from Bangkok | No |
| Haew Suwat | Khao Yai | One guide says swimming is banned | Same park as Haew Narok | No |
Seven of the eight rows say no in the last column. That is a fact about our catalog, not about the waterfalls: Viator sells dozens of Chiang Mai trips that stop at the Sticky Waterfall or on Doi Inthanon, and we have not loaded them. When we do, they will get pages like Erawan's. Until then this page is the honest map, and the only prices we have are Erawan's.
The north: Chiang Mai, Doi Inthanon and the Sticky Waterfall
Mae Ya and Wachirathan on Doi Inthanon
Both falls are inside Doi Inthanon National Park near Chiang Mai. Mae Ya is the wide one in the picture, a staircase of more than 30 steps by one guide's count. Wachirathan lies beside the park road, which makes it among the least effort of any fall in the table. The Sticky Waterfall is a different idea: you walk up wet limestone. Chiang Mai is the base for all three.
In our read, flash floods and falls while taking photos are the usual risks at Thai waterfalls. Treat a rain forecast as a reason to move the day.
Which waterfall for whom
If you have one day and start in Bangkok, the choice is Erawan, and it is a long day. If you want scale and have time, Thi Lo Su is the fall the guides point to, and the approach is part of the trip. If you want to climb, the Sticky Waterfall. If you want a park with several falls in one drive, Doi Inthanon or Khao Yai.
Pick the fall for what you want to do there, then let the season choose the date.
Khao Yai and Thi Lo Su: the two with conditions
Khao Yai has several falls, and the picture shows Nang Rong, a smaller one. The two names that matter are Haew Narok, the highest in the park, and Haew Suwat, where one guide says swimming is banned.
Thi Lo Su asks for more planning. It is reached by 4WD or pickup from Umphang, private cars are stopped at the car park, and the same guide lists it closed from June to September. The size of about 250 m by 450 m is approximate, and the claims of 300 m are not measurements.
Erawan, the only Thai fall with day tours here
Erawan is the fall most travelers can fit in from Bangkok, and the one we can price: 20 tours from under 60 to more than 120 EUR, four shared and sixteen private, nearly all of them 12 hours with the River Kwai bridge or the Death Railway on the way. The gate fee is 300 THB, and some tours leave it out. The bus route, the rules and the closure history are on the Erawan Falls Tours page.
Rain, edges and common sense
In our read, two warnings matter more than any others: water that rises fast after rain upstream, and people falling near edges while they take photos. Both apply to every fall in the table, including the climbable ones. Look at the sky over the hills as well as over the pool, and leave a stream you cannot see the bottom of. The park rules that exist are posted at the gate. Erawan has a 300 THB gate and rules of its own, set out on the Erawan page.
When each waterfall is at its best
Peak months are the best ones for a visit, not simply the ones with the most water.
| Month | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erawan, Kanchanaburi Rain from May to October, heaviest in September and October. The cool season is November to January, per Wikipedia. We found no source for the flow of the falls. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| Northern and north-eastern falls Guides give full flow from July to November and a dry spell from March to May. After heavy rain, flash floods are the risk. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| Thi Lo Su, Tak One guide lists it closed from June to September, so the usable window opens in October. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
Flow and closures from Thai guides and press. Months are our judgment: for Erawan, Best means cool and not too wet, and its flow is not measured.
What Thai waterfall tours cost
Thailand's median, in the 120 to 250 EUR band, is the fourth highest of the 21 countries on this site, behind Iceland, the United States and Croatia, which sit in the same band. The reason is the mix: 16 of the 20 Thai listings are private. Fifteen are priced per person and only the Erawan day, at 120 to 250 EUR, quotes one price for the whole group. The cheapest seat costs under 60 EUR. At Erawan the entry fee, lunch and a train ticket can each be extra, so compare the "not included" lines and not the headline. On 22 October 2026 no other Thai waterfall had priced listings here.
Questions about waterfalls in Thailand
Which Thai waterfalls can you swim in?
Erawan allows swimming in its pools, according to the park information site. At Haew Suwat in Khao Yai one guide says swimming is banned. Rules differ from park to park and change, so read the signs and ask at the gate. Rain raises the risk: Thai press reported swimming banned at Erawan in October 2017 after high water.
Which Thai waterfalls are open in the rainy season?
Most are open, and most run fullest from July to November. The hard ones are the exceptions: one guide lists Thi Lo Su closed from June to September, and parks can restrict levels after heavy rain. Dry-season closures happen too: Erawan shut for about a day on 21 April 2026 because of fire haze.
Can I see a Thai waterfall as a day trip from Bangkok?
Yes, Erawan, on a 12-hour tour from under 60 EUR or by a bus chain that takes about 5 hours 50 minutes each way. Viator also runs trips from Bangkok to Haew Narok in Khao Yai. Chiang Mai and Tak are too far for a day: Chiang Mai is about 580 km north in a straight line.
How much does it cost to enter a Thai waterfall?
The only tariff we have is 300 THB for foreign adults at Erawan and Huai Mae Khamin, from thainationalparks.com and a Thai guide in 2026. Thai nationals pay far less. Fees change and other parks differ, so confirm at the gate. A tour may include the fee, leave it out, or add a train ticket on top.
Is Thi Lo Su the biggest waterfall in Thailand?
It is often called that, but no measured figure backs it. Wikipedia lists roughly 250 m by 450 m and says the fall has never been surveyed, while other guides quote larger numbers. Treat the superlative as marketing, and the 4WD approach and the closed months as the facts that matter.
Ready for Erawan?
The park, the fee and the 20 tours are on one page.
Data verified on . Tour prices and ratings read from 20 listings on 22 October 2026. Falls, fees and seasons from Wikipedia, thainationalparks.com, Thai press and travel guides.