Than Rattana Waterfall

Than Rattana is a small cascade on Khlong Wang Bon, a stream that rises on Khao Somo Pun and drops into the valleys of Khao Yai National Park in Prachin Buri. “Waterfall” oversells it a little — it’s really a run of rock rapids stepping down through the forest, reached via Route 3077, the Noen Hom-Khao Yai road, rather than the park’s main Thanarat Road entrance.

The approach is short: park at the roadside pull-off and it’s roughly 30 metres on foot to the water, not the jungle trek some listings imply. That makes it an easy add-on rather than a destination in its own right — worth a stop if you’re already driving this route into Khao Yai, less worth a special trip on its own. Flow is entirely rain-dependent. During and just after the rainy season (June-November) the rapids run full and the pools are worth a dip; by the dry season the stream can shrink to a trickle or vanish between rocks entirely, so don’t plan a swim stop here without checking recent conditions first.

Watch out: Khao Yai is elephant country, and wild elephants use the park’s streams and forest edges — including areas like this one — especially when water is scarce elsewhere. There’s no fee gate or ranger post at this stretch of road, so there’s nobody checking who’s around. Keep well back from any elephant you encounter, never approach for a photo, and ask locally about recent sightings before you commit to walking down to the water.

Insider Tip: This works best as a five-minute leg-stretch stop between Prachin Buri town and the interior of Khao Yai, not as the day’s main event — save the swimming and longer trails for the park’s bigger, better-known waterfalls along Thanarat Road.

The site has no facilities — no toilets, no food stalls, no staff — so bring your own water and don’t expect signage beyond a basic marker. Sturdy shoes help on the wet rock even for a short visit, since the rapids stay slick regardless of season.