Namtok Ton Te

Namtok Ton Te is Trang province’s tallest waterfall, dropping roughly 320 metres down the slopes of the Khao Banthat range in a series of tiers rather than one continuous sheet. It sits inside Khao Banthat Wildlife Sanctuary in Palian district, which means a sanctuary fee applies on top of the waterfall itself — 20 THB for Thai visitors, 200 THB for foreign visitors, gates open daily 08:30-16:30.

From the car park, a signposted nature trail runs about 1km up toward the falls, passing 17 numbered boards that explain the surrounding forest — ferns, wild orchids, the odd troop of macaques if you’re quiet. The lower pools are the easy win: shallow, shaded, and close enough to the car park for a quick dip without much of a climb. The higher tiers take more effort over wet rock and exposed roots, and reward it with quieter pools away from the day-trip crowd.

Insider Tip: Go on a weekday morning if you can — Ton Te draws day-trippers from Trang town on weekends, and the narrow trail to the upper tiers gets congested by early afternoon.

Watch out: The rocks around the pools turn slick with algae in the wet season. Falls happen here every year — non-slip sandals or trail shoes are worth the extra bag space.

Ton Te lies about 50km southeast of Trang town, off the road toward Palian — there’s no scheduled public transport to the gate, so a hired car, taxi, or motorbike is the realistic way in. Rainy season (roughly May-November) fills every tier; by March-April the upper falls can slow to a trickle, though the lower pools generally hold enough water for a swim. Many visitors pair the trip with Namtok Ton Tok, a second waterfall on the same side of the Khao Banthat range, or Namtok Lam Plok elsewhere in Trang province.