Ai Khiao waterfall

Ai Khiao Waterfall drops off the Khao Luang massif in Nakhon Si Thammarat’s Phrom Khiri district, inside Khao Luang National Park. The park’s standard gate fee applies — 200 THB for foreigners, 40 THB for Thai nationals — and the same ticket also covers Phrom Lok Waterfall on the same access road, so it’s worth doing both in one trip.

The stream cascades through roughly 100 small drops down the mountain, but the national park has cleared paths to 9 named tiers open to visitors: Chong Sai, Bang Bai, Mai Phai, Sua Phan, Buppha Sawan, Hin Kong, Hua Chang, Sai Kwat Lan, and Fa Faet. Compared with Phrom Lok further down the same road, Ai Khiao’s pools are wider and more open, with shaded flat ground around several tiers that makes it easier to settle in for a few hours rather than just stop for photos. Fruit orchards and forest line the approach road, and a handful of homestays operate nearby for anyone wanting to camp or stay overnight in the area.

Insider Tip: Locals visiting Nakhon Si Thammarat for the day often skip Phrom Lok’s crowded lower pool and drive the extra distance to Ai Khiao instead — the wider, shallower pools here suit families and non-swimmers better.

Watch out: The access road narrows and climbs the final stretch to the falls; if you’re relying on public transport, plan to take a songthaew to Phrom Khiri and then a motorbike taxi for the last few kilometres, as there’s no direct bus service to the waterfall itself.

Visit in the second half of the rainy season, roughly September through December, when the falls are running fullest. Pair it with the national park entrance itself or Phrom Lok Waterfall further down the same access road — both fall under one Khao Luang National Park ticket.