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Voykit pocket guide · Thailand
Umphang
Go for 2 nights if you want to see Thi Lo Su waterfall and the surrounding forest; skip if you have less than 3 days in the region.
Umphang is a small village in Tak Province, about 165 km south of Mae Sot, reachable by a twisting mountain road that takes about 5 hours. Its main draw is Thi Lo Su waterfall, one of Thailand's largest, inside the Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary. The area is remote and undeveloped, best for travellers who want nature and are comfortable with rough roads and basic accommodation.
- Country
- Thailand
- Best months
- Nov–May
- Avoid
- Jun–Oct (rainy season, Thi Lo Su closed)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- THB
- Money
- Currency is the Thai baht (THB, ฿). Cards work in malls, hotels and many restaurants; street food, markets, boats and small taxis are cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget ฿800–1,500 excl. bed · Mid ฿1,500–3,000 excl. bed · High ฿3,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AIS and TrueMove H sell tourist SIMs at airport arrivals; passport registration is required.
- Emergency
- Police 191 · Tourist police 1155 · Ambulance 1669
- Plugs
- Types A, B, C, O · 220 V · 50 Hz · Most sockets take flat US pins and round European pins; type O is the Thai three-pin standard. UK plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Street food: Nothing.; Sit-down restaurant: Leave ฿20–100 or the coins; skip it if a 10% service charge is on the bill.; Taxi / Grab: Round up to the next ฿10 or ฿20.; Massage: ฿50–100 per hour to the therapist, in hand.; Guide / driver day: ฿300–500 for the guide, ฿200–300 for the driver.; Hotel porter / housekeeping: ฿20–50.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap. Street refill machines charge about ฿1 a litre; bottled water everywhere.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in malls and hotels; squat toilets with a water bucket in rural stops. The hose ('bum gun') replaces paper; paper goes in the bin in older buildings. Some public toilets cost ฿3–5.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Meal at a local restaurant | ฿50–150 |
| Bottle of water | ฿10–20 |
| Guide for Thi Lo Su (per group) | ฿500–1,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- MAQ · Mae Sot Airport
- About 5 hours by road from Umphang; flights from Bangkok (DMK) with Air Asia and Nok Air.
Typical fares
- Mae Sot → Umphang by minibus
- about ฿300–500, 5 hours (check)
- Umphang → Thi Lo Su by 4WD
- about ฿1,500 per group round trip (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Walking in the village; for Thi Lo Su you need a 4WD or join a tour from Umphang. The sanctuary road is rough and often impassable in wet weather.
See and do
Known for
- Thi Lo Su waterfall
- Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary
- Remote mountain scenery
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Thi Lo Su waterfall | 4WD from Umphang village, about 1 hour | About 3 hours including walking |
| Mae Sot | Car or minibus via the mountain road, about 5 hours | About 5 hours |
Sleep
- Umphang village
- Guesthouses and basic hotels near the main road; most tours to Thi Lo Su depart from here.
- Near Thi Lo Su
- A few raft houses and campsites inside the sanctuary; book ahead in high season.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | สวัสดีsawatdee |
| Thank you | ขอบคุณkhob khun |
| How much? | เท่าไหร่tao rai |
| Where is the waterfall? | น้ำตกอยู่ที่ไหนnam tok yoo tee nai |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A wai (palms together, slight bow) to return a greeting; a smile and nod for shop staff; avoid: Waiing children or service staff first — it confuses; hugging strangers
- Head and feet: Keep feet on the floor, sit with legs folded to the side in temples; avoid: Touching heads (even children's), pointing feet, stepping over people or food
- Temples: Covered shoulders and knees, shoes off, sit lower than monks; avoid: Women touching monks or handing them things directly; climbing Buddha images
- Monarchy: Stand for the royal anthem in cinemas and at 08:00 and 18:00 in public places; avoid: Any joke or comment about the royal family; stepping on a banknote
- Keeping calm: Stay polite and smiling when things go wrong ('jai yen' — cool heart); avoid: Raising your voice; public anger loses the argument
- Names: Khun plus first name ('Khun Somchai'); nicknames are normal; avoid: Using the family name alone
- Home visit: Shoes off; bring fruit or sweets; step over the threshold, not on it; avoid: Sitting with feet towards the family shrine
- Beckoning and pointing: Palm down, fingers waved towards you; point with the whole hand or chin; avoid: Pointing at people with a finger or with your foot
Scams and watch-outs
- Thi Lo Su waterfall is open only from November to mid-May; check exact dates each year.
- The road from Mae Sot is winding and can be slow; allow 5 hours for the 165 km drive.
- No ATMs in Umphang; bring enough cash from Mae Sot or Tak.
- Mobile signal is patchy; download offline maps before you arrive.
Umphang is safe but remote. Roads are narrow and winding; drive carefully. Watch for wildlife on the road. No hospital in the village; the nearest is in Mae Sot.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Umphang yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Thi Lo Su waterfall
- Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary
- Remote mountain scenery
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Tourism Authority of Thailand — Tak: www.tourismthailand.org/Destinations/Provinces/Tak/75
- Wikivoyage: Umphang, revision 3510427 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=3510427
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/umphang). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.