Um Phang Thailand Travel guide
Um Phang Thailand Travel guide
Umphang is the southernmost district of Tak Province, Thailand at the Thai-Myanmar border. It is also the name of the town center of the district.
Neighboring districts are (North from clockwise): Amphoe Phop Phra; Amphoe Khlong Lan and Amphoe Pang Sila Thong of Kamphaeng Phet Province; Amphoe Mae Wong and King Amphoe Mae Poen of Nakhon Sawan Province; Amphoe Ban Rai of Uthai Thani Province; and Amphoe Thong Pha Phum and Amphoe Sangkhla Buri of Kanchanaburi Province. The western edge of the district has a long boundary with Burma (Myanmar). Surrounded by national parks and wildlife reserves, it is one of the least accessible district in Thailand. Nevertheless, it has one major tourist attraction, Thi Lo Su Waterfall , the largest waterfall of Thailand.
From Mae Sot to Umphang it’s a roller coaster ride,
up and down steep valleys and ever winding roads. Pictured below is a Karen refugee village at app.. half distance.
Thailand, several NGO’s and EU agencies give a helping hand to the Karen. Many of them probably live better here than many Thai’s elsewhere.
Umphang is squeezed between Mao Sot and Tak province and probably one of the best great outdoor destination in Thailand but it is only very difficult accessible since the forestry department of Thailand in Bangkok refuses to extend the road from Kampheng Phet near Nakhon Sawan in central Thailand to Umphang.
That means a almost 500 km detour which naturally most people try to avoid since the road from Mae Sot down to Umphang is simply dangerous.
Just to put this into context, this is not what I am thinking, I simply don’t know, I am a foreigner. This is what the local people told me.
Umphang town is a small village of maybe 3,000 people, mainly Karens, Mons, and Thais. There are no banks or moneychangers in Umphang, that means take enough cash with you.
The 3 – 5 hour ride from Mae Sot to Umphang leads through terraced paddy fields, banana groves, fruit plantations, remote villages and Karen refugee villages or camp.
Most people come to Umphang to do the rafting trip down the Mae Klong River, passing small rapids and a incredible mountain – limestone – waterworld. Visit Karen villages, caves, hot springs, and the greatest waterfall – Thee Lor Sue Falls- in Thailand and maybe in Asia at all.
Great landscape waterfalls like the cascades of the Thee Lor Sue Water Fall in the mountain jungle of the border region between Thailand and Myanmar or
Burma at Umphang.
Its a very living waterfall with a magic touch. A real great outdoor adventure watching this pond less waterfall jumping over the limestone rock.
Namtok Pha Charoen
One of the most beautiful cascade Waterfall in Thailand is the Namtok Pra Charoen Waterfall a few km south of Mae Sot.
is a real spectacular 97-tiered Thai waterfall around 35 kilometers just beside Highway 1090 on the way from Mao Sot to Umphang in the south. Watch out for to sign post.
If you like, it is possible to climb up the cascades of the waterfall but its quite dangerous since the limestone is extremely slippery and if you loose grip you are gone, nothing to hold on.
As you can see in this waterfall pictures its real great outdoor.
In the waterfall pond you can do a splash and cool down.
source: www.wikipedia.org, www.thailandmagic.com
