Waterfalls Around Chaiyaphum
Tat Ton, Tat Fa, Thep Prathan + Rainy-Season Swimming Spots

🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026

When it comes to nature trips around Chaiyaphum, waterfalls are the reason people drive out of town. The rainy season (roughly June to October) is when the water is highest and the falls look their best — green rock terraces, clear pools you can actually wade into. Some are barely 20-odd kilometres from town; others sit deep inside the parks up on the Phanghoei range, right where the krachiao flower fields bloom. We've ordered them from closest to town outward, to make planning a route easier.

Tat Ton Waterfall — Closest to Town, Swimmable Year-Round

Tat Ton Waterfall sits inside Tat Ton National Park, about 21 kilometres from Chaiyaphum town. It's the one locals visit most often because it's close and has water flowing almost all year. The top is a wide rock platform around 50 metres across, running about 300 metres along the stream with big shady trees on both banks. The water slides down the rock and drops over a cliff about 6 metres high, spanning the full 50-metre width — in the rainy season the whole cliff turns into a curtain of water.

• Distance — about 21 km from Chaiyaphum town, roughly a 30-minute drive on good road the whole way
• Opening hours — daily, 08.00–18.00
• Entry (Thai rate) — adults 40 THB, children 20 THB, car around 30 THB
• Swimming spots — you can swim in the pools on the rock platform above the falls; pick a spot the rangers allow where the water isn't deep

Tat Fa Waterfall — A Natural Rock Slide

Tat Fa Waterfall is also within Tat Ton National Park, but about 18 kilometres east of the park headquarters, in the Ban Na Wang area of Na Siao subdistrict. What sets Tat Fa apart is its surface: the rock is fairly smooth and slanted with few ledges, so the water slides across the whole width like a long natural slide. It's especially full in the rainy season — the sheet of water across the cliff looks far better than in the dry months.

• Location — inside Tat Ton National Park, about 18 km east of the park headquarters; the last stretch is a narrow road, so ask the rangers for directions first
• Best time — the rainy season, when water fills the cliff and you see a sheet of water sliding across the whole rock face
• Watch out — the rock is very smooth and slippery; take care walking on it and wear rubber shoes with grippy soles

Thep Prathan Waterfall — Just Before Pa Hin Ngam

Thep Prathan Waterfall is in Ban Rai subdistrict, Thep Sathit district — a medium-sized fall surrounded by intact forest, about 7 kilometres before you reach Pa Hin Ngam National Park. It's fairly flat, with big boulders forming a wide platform that steps down in low tiers. It makes a good stop on the way up to Pa Hin Ngam or the krachiao flower fields.

Sai Thong & Chuan Chom Falls — Inside Sai Thong National Park

Sai Thong National Park covers the Phanghoei range across Nong Bua Rawe, Thep Sathit, Phakdi Chumphon and Nong Bua Daeng districts — a large stretch of forest with both waterfalls and krachiao flower fields (here called the Bua Sawan fields). Early in the rainy season, the main waterfall has two tiers you can walk between.

Sai Thong stands out because you can pair it with the Pha Sawan and Pha Ham Hot viewpoints and the krachiao flower fields on a single trip. Plan it for early in the rains and you'll get both full waterfalls and the krachiao in bloom at the same time.

Full in the Rains — but Watch for Flash Floods

The rainy season is when Chaiyaphum's waterfalls look their best, but it's also when flash floods are the biggest risk. Floodwater comes fast and hard, sometimes when the sky right above the waterfall isn't even raining. Before you get in, always read the signs and listen to ranger announcements first.

• Watch the water level and colour — if it starts turning muddy red or you see branches and leaves floating down, get out immediately; that's a sign a flash flood is coming
• Only swim where the rangers allow it; don't climb over above the falls or get into pools deeper than you can handle
• Rock platforms are very slippery in the rains — wear rubber shoes with grippy soles, not flat-soled flip-flops
• Keep valuables in a waterproof bag, and never leave small children to swim alone
• Leave the park before dark — the forest roads have no lights and rain makes visibility poor

A 2-Day Waterfall Route

With two days you can cover both the falls near town and the ones deep in the forest. Splitting the zones across separate days makes for easier driving, since Pa Hin Ngam and Sai Thong are in a different direction from Tat Ton.