Umphang
Tak's Deep Forest, Base for Thi Lo Su

🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026

First thing to understand: Umphang isn't the kind of place you pull over, snap a photo, and drive on. It's a destination you commit to. The district sits right on the Myanmar border, ringed by a huge stretch of forest that's protected as a wildlife sanctuary. Getting there means tackling Route 1090 from Mae Sot, the road people call the 1,219 curves. Nearly everyone driving it for the first time says it's more tiring than they expected — but once you arrive, the fatigue disappears.

How to get to Umphang: the 1,219-curve road

The main route is Highway 1090, Mae Sot–Umphang, roughly 164 km. Don't let the distance fool you, though — it's a mountain road snaking along the ridgeline with about 1,219 curves, so it takes at least 4 hours to drive. A sedan can handle it if the car is in good shape, but you'll need low gear to help with braking on the long descents, and you should check your brakes and tyres before setting off.

• Self-drive — the most freedom, but you need to be confident driving mountain roads. Leaving early is better, since afternoons can bring fog or rain.
• Songthaew/van from Mae Sot — these run from morning until midday, around 150–200 THB per seat. Good if you'd rather not drive yourself.
• Tour/package — the easiest option for Thi Lo Su and rafting, with transport, lodging and meals included, starting around 2,990 THB per person. You don't have to plan the whole trip yourself.

Thi Lo Su Waterfall: the reason everyone comes

Thi Lo Su sits inside the Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary — a huge limestone waterfall at around 900 metres above sea level. The curtain of water spans roughly 500 metres wide and tumbles down several hundred metres in tiers. Standing in front of it, you understand right away why people call it one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Thailand. In mid-morning the sun throws a faint rainbow across the spray, and that single view makes a full day of travel feel worth it.

From the sanctuary office you ride another 25 km or so on a track that only 4WD vehicles are allowed on, then walk about 1.5 km through the forest to reach the falls. The trail isn't very steep and most people manage it fine, but comfortable walking shoes make all the difference.

• Sanctuary entry fee — Thai adults 30 THB, children 20 THB · foreign adults 400 THB, children 200 THB · 60 THB per car.
• Open season — the route into Thi Lo Su closes during the rainy season (roughly June–August) to let the forest recover and for safety. It reopens around 1 September and runs through May.
• Best water — just after reopening, around October–December, the water is still high and the curtain is at its fullest. Later in the season the flow eases off but it's still lovely.

Rafting the Mae Klong headwaters

The other thing people rarely skip in Umphang is rubber-rafting the headwaters of the Mae Klong. You launch from near Umphang town and float downriver through banks that are still wild. Along the way you'll pass small waterfalls spilling down the cliffs — Thi Lo Jor and Sai Rung ("Rainbow") Waterfall, which throws a rainbow when the light is right — plus a hot spring in the middle of the forest, and the striking high rock faces of Pha Pheung and Pha Lueat.

How rough the rapids get depends on the water level. If you want genuinely thrilling rapids you'll want to go when the water is high, but if you're with family and just there for the scenery, you can pick a calmer stretch. There are several rafting operators in Umphang, and many are bundled into the packages run by the riverside resorts.

Doi Hua Mot: wake up to the sea of fog

Doi Hua Mot is a bald peak with no tall trees to block the view, which makes it one of the best 360-degree viewpoints in Umphang. People like to head up before dawn, around 5 to 6 a.m., to catch the sunrise and the fog that fills the valley below. On a good morning it spreads out as a wide white sea as far as you can see.

If you come during the rainy season, around July–August, Doi Hua Mot bursts with pink balsam flowers across the meadow, which is why people call it the Pink Mountain. It's a quiet corner that not many people have reached, because Thi Lo Su is closed then so the crowds stay away — yet Doi Hua Mot and its flower fields are at their best.

Umphang town: where to stay, what to eat

Umphang town itself is small and quiet, and it works well as a base before you head out to the waterfall and the rapids. Most places to stay are riverside resorts or forest-and-mountain homestays, and the prices are easy on the wallet. You can wake up early, walk the morning market and grab a meal before heading out.

Food in Umphang isn't flashy — mostly made-to-order shops and stalls at the morning market — but that's exactly the kind of meal that fills you up before a long day out. Eat a hearty meal first, because there's little to eat along the waterfall route or out on the rapids; most people carry the boxed meals their resort packs for them.

3-day, 2-night Umphang plan

Because it's a long way out and the activities eat up time, you should give Umphang at least 3 days and 2 nights so you're not rushing. Here's a plan that works well for a first visit.