Mae Tia Waterfall

Mae Tia Waterfall is the largest cascade inside Ob Luang National Park, dropping about 80 metres over two main tiers in the hills above Chom Thong, Chiang Mai — not, as some listings imply, part of Doi Inthanon next door. Water flows year-round, fed by the upper Mae Tia stream, and the standard Ob Luang park entrance fee applies: 200 THB for foreign adults, 20 THB for Thai adults, plus a small charge per vehicle at the gate.

The approach is part of the experience. From the car park, a trail of roughly 1.5km climbs through forest before the sound of falling water announces the falls. The lower tier collects in a pool wide enough to swim in; the upper tier drops from a rock shelf above, framed by forest that closes in on both sides of the narrow gorge. Flow is heaviest during and just after the rainy season (June-November), when the stream fills out and the pools run full.

Few visitors make it out this far compared with the roadside falls closer to Chiang Mai, so expect to have long stretches of the trail and the pools to yourself on a weekday. There’s no electricity at the site and phone signal is patchy at best — part of the draw for the handful of people who camp overnight near the falls, but worth knowing before you rely on a phone for navigation or light.

Insider Tip: Fill up on fuel and food in Chom Thong before heading up — there’s nothing at the falls beyond a toilet block, and the access road climbs 15km of steep, narrow switchbacks with no shops along the way.

Watch out: The access road has tight blind curves and a rough surface in places. A motorbike or high-clearance vehicle handles it more comfortably than a low sedan, especially after rain.

The falls sit within day-trip range of Doi Inthanon National Park and Mae Klang Waterfall, both in the same Chom Thong district, if you’re stringing together a waterfall-focused loop out of Chiang Mai.