Tham Pla – Namtok Pha Suea National Park, Mae Hong Son

Tham Pla–Namtok Pha Suea National Park is a captivating national park located in Mae Hong Son Province, Thailand. Situated about 18 kilometers northwest of Mae Hong Son, it spans an impressive area of approximately 630 square kilometers. The park was established on 23 December 2010 and is characterized by its caves, waterfalls, and steep mountain terrain. The highest point in the park is Doi Lan peak, which stands at 1,918 meters within the Daen Lao Range. The northern and western sides of the park border Burma’s Shan and Kayah states, respectively​​.

One of the park’s main attractions is Tham Pla, also known as the “fish cave.” This water-filled cave is home to hundreds of soro brook carp, which locals revere. A nearby Hindu statue is believed to protect these fish. The park also hosts other caves, such as Tham Pha Daeng, a limestone cavern around one kilometer in depth​.

The park’s beautiful waterfalls include the 15-meter-high Pha Suea waterfall and the Mae Sa-nga Klang waterfall, which is also 15 meters high and situated above the Mae Sa-nga Dam. This hydroelectric dam is an impressive 37 meters high and 160 meters long​​.

The park boasts a variety of forest types, including mixed deciduous, deciduous dipterocarp, pine, and evergreen. Tree species within the park include Lagerstroemia floribunda, tabaek, Shorea obtusa, Shorea siamensis, Sindora siamensis, makha, Xylia xylocarpa, teak, Pterocarpus macrocarpus, Terminalia pedicelleta, takian, Tenasserim pine, and Khasi pine. The park is also home to several animal species such as goral, gaur, barking deer, and wild boar​.