Ton Pariwat Waterfall

Ton Pariwat Waterfall is a modest-height, multi-tiered cascade inside the Ton Pariwat Wildlife Sanctuary, a roughly 100,000-rai protected area in Song Phraek subdistrict outside Phang Nga town — locals also call it Song Phraek Waterfall. It’s not a single dramatic drop; the draw is a run of natural rock pools beneath the tiers, cool enough for a swim after the walk in, with forest closing in on both banks.

The sanctuary is best known regionally for the white-water rafting that runs on the river nearby, but that’s a separate, bookable experience rather than something you turn up and do at the falls. Private tour operators out of Phuket, Krabi, and Phang Nga town run half-day packages — typically 5-9 km of rafting bundled with an ATV loop or a zipline, running roughly 3,000-4,200 THB per person with transport included. The waterfall itself, by contrast, is a simple walk-in stop: no booking required, no rafting gear, just the trail and the pools.

Because it’s inside a designated wildlife sanctuary rather than a national park, Ton Pariwat sees a fraction of the crowds of Phang Nga’s more publicised natural sites — on a weekday you may have the pools to yourself outside of rafting-tour drop-offs. That also means fewer facilities: don’t expect a visitor centre or food stalls at the gate, and phone signal thins out once you’re under the canopy.

Watch out: Water volume rises fast during heavy monsoon rain, and trails through protected forest here can close for safety when that happens. If you’re visiting between roughly May and October, check conditions locally before making the trip out from town.

Bring swimwear, a towel, and a dry bag for your phone — the trail in is short but can be slick after rain, so shoes with real grip beat flip-flops. There’s no public transport to the gate; a rented car, scooter, or a seat on one of the rafting-tour shuttles are the practical ways in.

For more of the sanctuary itself, Ton Pariwat Wildlife Sanctuary covers the wider protected area and its wildlife, and Tham Phung Chang in the same district is a good add-on if you want a cave stop on the same day. Both sit within Phang Nga province on the Andaman coast.