Som Poi Waterfall

Som Poi Waterfall isn’t the postcard cascade its name sometimes suggests — it’s a long, low run of rock shelves in Bu Fai sub-district, Prachantakham district, about 16km out of Prachin Buri town. Water slides down the shelves for roughly 400 metres, pooling into shallow basins good for wading rather than one dramatic drop. No admission fee is charged.

The appeal is the stream itself rather than a single big view. Cataracts step down through several short drops, each holding a pool wide enough to sit in, and the whole run is easy enough to follow on foot without ropes or scrambling gear. Flow is strongest in the rainy season (June–November); by the hot season some of the upper pools can run close to dry. Locals from nearby Ban Takhro use it as a weekend swimming spot, and on a weekday you can easily have a stretch of the stream to yourself.

Insider Tip: Som Poi is the starting point of a longer trekking route that continues through Sai Khu Waterfall and Kaeng Krisana Waterfall to Tat Hin Yao and Thung Ngu Leuam — about 10km in total, usually walked over 2-3 days with camping gear. If you’ve only got an afternoon, stick to the falls and the first pools; the full route needs planning with a local guide.

Getting there means driving Route 3452 out of Prachin Buri town — there’s no bus or songthaew service this far out. The last stretch to the water is a short walk from the car park, easy enough in trainers when dry but slick on wet rock after rain, so bring shoes with real grip rather than flip-flops. Pack a change of clothes, drinking water and insect repellent; there’s no shop at the falls.

Watch out: The same rock shelves that make the pools swimmable are also why people slip here — algae builds up on the wet stone through the rainy season. Wade rather than run, and check depth before jumping anywhere.

Compared with the better-known cascades around Khao Yai itself, Som Poi is a quieter, unmanicured stop — better suited to a lazy afternoon paddling in the stream than a headline day out. Combine it with the other falls on the same trekking chain if you want a fuller day in the Prachin Buri hills.

Visit Khao Yai for the wider region’s hotels and tour operators, and pair Som Poi with Takrao Waterfall and Salad Dai Waterfall or Than Rattana Waterfall for more of Prachin Buri’s cascades in one trip.