📝 Written 2 Jul 2026 · ✅ Fact-checked 3 Jul 2026 · prices and schedules can change — check with the operator before booking
If you're in Chanthaburi and want a nature spot without heavy hiking, Namtok Phlio is usually the first name people recommend. It's easy to reach — the path from the car park to the falls is flat and shaded, and not too long, so kids and older visitors can walk it comfortably. When you reach the falls, you'll find water cascading down into clear, tiered pools surrounded by dense green forest — a scene that feels calmer and cooler than many waterfalls that require scrambling over rocks.
Another draw here is the school of large carp swimming in circles around the pool, plus the Alongkorn Chedi and a pyramid-shaped chedi by the water dating back to the reign of King Rama V, so you get both a nature spot and a slice of history in one place. On this page we'll review the experience in depth — both the parts that make people fall in love with it and the parts you should keep in mind before visiting.
Namtok Phlio, in Namtok Phlio National Park (Namtok Phlio, Chanthaburi)
The experience here starts with parking in the lot in front of the park, paying the entry fee at the checkpoint, then walking in along a shaded path that runs beside the stream. The distance is short and almost entirely flat, so it suits anyone who doesn't want a strenuous hike — families with kids and older visitors included. Along the way you'll hear the sound of rushing water before you reach the falls themselves, and you'll pass a clear stream where fish are visible swimming here and there. Once you reach Namtok Phlio, you'll see water cascading down into a wide, tiered pool — the water is clear enough to see the bottom and the rocks, and it's the spot most people choose to sit, rest, and take photos.
The thing people talk about most is the school of carp — large numbers of big fish swimming in circles in the pool. They're protected fish that are used to people, so they swim in close enough to see clearly. Another spot not to miss is the Alongkorn Chedi and the pyramid-shaped chedi by the water, built during the reign of King Rama V in memory of Queen Sunandha Kumariratana, which means you get both nature and history in one walk. The waterfall itself has multiple tiers — the lower tier is the easiest to reach and the busiest, while the upper tier requires a bit more walking uphill but is quieter with fewer people.
Things worth knowing before you go: park entry fees are different for Thai and foreign visitors — Thai adults pay around 40 baht, foreign adults around 200 baht, and it's usually collected in cash at the checkpoint. Another thing many people don't know is that feeding the fish is banned inside the park, since it affects the ecosystem and the fish's health — some areas have warning signs and staff keeping an eye out, so you should just observe the fish rather than tossing food into the pool. Next, water levels depend on the season — from roughly June to November, after the rainy season, the pool is full and the water flows strongest and looks best, while in the dry season the water level drops and some angles look less impressive. Finally, long weekends and the rainy season in Chanthaburi draw quite a crowd, so the car park and the lower walking path can get packed — go on a weekday morning if you want a quieter atmosphere.
- A short, flat, shaded path that's easy walking for all ages — great for families and older visitors
- Crystal-clear water you can see the bottom of, with a school of large carp swimming close by in the pool
- You get both the waterfall and an old riverside chedi from the reign of King Rama V in one place
- About 30 minutes from Chanthaburi town — an easy half-day trip out and back
- Foreign visitors' park entry fee is several times higher than for Thais, usually paid in cash on the spot
- Feeding fish is banned inside the park, which may disappoint visitors who intended to do so
- Water levels drop in the dry season, and long weekends/rainy season bring crowds that can pack the car park and lower path
💡 Know before you go: Namtok Phlio
Namtok Phlio National Park entry fee is around 40 baht for Thai adults, 20 baht for children, and around 200 baht for foreign adults, 100 baht for children. It's usually collected in cash at the checkpoint, so bring cash set aside.
The park is open for visits during the day, roughly 08:00–16:30. Go in the morning through early afternoon to leave enough time to walk and see everything before staff begin closing the area in the evening.
Feeding the carp in the pool is strictly banned inside the park, as it affects the ecosystem and the fish's health. There are warning signs and staff keeping watch — just observe the fish, which are easy to see clearly anyway.
The pool is fullest and the water flows strongest and most beautifully after the rainy season, roughly June through November. In the dry season the water level drops and some angles look less impressive — avoid the tail end of the dry season if you want to see the pool full.
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Visiting Chanthaburi — where should you stay?
Namtok Phlio is just half an hour from Chanthaburi town, so staying in the old riverside quarter or around Chao Lao Beach makes for an easy drive out and back. Compare well-located places to stay and their prices right here.
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