Chet Si Waterfall

Chet Si Waterfall is a three-tier cascade inside the Phu Wua Wildlife Sanctuary in Bueng Kan’s Seka district, about 45 minutes’ drive from town. The name means “seven colours” — not a count of the tiers but a nod to the rainbow the spray throws when the afternoon sun hits it at the right angle. Flow is strongest June through November; by the dry months the upper levels can slow to a trickle.

From the car park beside Wat Tham Bucha, a forest path covers roughly 800 metres to the first tier, then another 200 metres to the second. The third tier — the tallest and the one locals point to as the real “seven colours” — sits a short further climb beyond that. Each level forms a pool in the rock, clear enough during good flow for a swim, and the smooth boulders around them double as seating for a picnic. Butterflies and monitor lizards turn up along the path fairly often; birdsong from the surrounding sanctuary forest carries over the sound of the water.

Watch out: The falls open seasonally — the sanctuary keeps its waterfall zones closed until an annually announced opening date (14 June in 2025) and shuts them again outside the flow season, with hours of 08:30-16:30. Bring cash for the gate: Thai visitors pay 30 THB (children 20), foreign visitors 200 THB (children 100).

Insider Tip: Go on a weekday morning. The waterfall gets little of the tour-bus traffic that hits Bueng Kan’s more famous Phu Tok, so a weekday visit often means having a pool to yourself.

Restrooms, a small car park, and a few food stalls sit at the entrance near Wat Tham Bucha, but there’s no other development at the falls themselves — bring water and swimwear, since there’s nowhere to buy either past the gate. Paths get slick with spray and moss, so wear shoes with real grip, not flip-flops. This is genuinely remote northeastern Thailand: expect the visit to feel quiet even on a weekend, and don’t count on phone signal much past the car park.