Chiang Rai Hot Springs: the rest

Besides Pong Phra Bat and Huai Hin Fon, Chiang Rai province possesses a number of other active hot springs, making it together with Chiang Mai province one of the most geothermal active Thai provinces. But unfortunately there is little, incomplete or no information at all, on the springs not visited by myself the other month. Some with this summar, I hope to uncover more details, providing access on the other hot

Pha Soet Hot Spa (Prasert)
Location: near Huai Mak Liam Hot Springs which are located close to Lam Nam Kok National Park Headquarters. The nearest village is Ban Akha Pha Soet. The road is basically the road from Chiang Rai town, south of the Mae Kok river heading west, and at the turn-off to Akha Hill Guesthouse you are in Phasoet village.
This blogger provides two photo's on his site, it looks like a great place to soak!


Huai Mak Liam Hot Springs
It's one of the more well known, so probably more visited as well (by tourists at least), especially as it is easy to access from the Mae Kok Riverside.

From the Thai National Park Administration website, where the springs are a part of:

'20 kms far from the city of Chiang Rai. This hot spring is come from the nature heat beneath the world, which has hot water to bob up all time. When brought the eggs into this hot spring about 30 minutes, the flavor of the boiled egg will better and more delicious than normal boiled. This waterfall is appropriate for night visitor to put up the tent in the beautiful night'.

Joel John Barlow in his Chiang Rai guide:

'It's one of the more well known, so probably more visited as well, especially as it is easy to access from the Mae Kok Riverside'.

TourismChiangrai.com describes the hot spring such:

'It is a part of Lam Naam Khok National Park and located on the Khok riverside. The area is a nice and peaceful place for recreation. Its diameter is 5 meters and there is an outdoor hot spa. The average temperature of hot spa is 67 degree Celsius. The hot spa consists of Fluoride, Nitrate, Sulphate, and Iodine which is not harmful for people who take mineral bath. Moreover, elephant riding tour is also available'.

As with the Pha Soet Hot Spa, follow the road on the south side of Chiang Rai town toward the west. At the end you will have arrived at the hot springs.


Naerunchara Hot Springs Resort
Possibly, this is the resort formerly known as PK Hot Spa; by delving through the available information, it's unclear whether this is the case or not.

Joel John Barlow describes the location of PK Hot Spa as follows:

'on the Kok River off 1233 well past Mae Fah Luang Royal Garden. Nice riverside restaurant, B600 rooms'.

This puts it just outside of Chiang Rai town on the road to Lam Nam Kok National Park.

All great information, but try to book a room there. Not possible. Apparently it now is called Naerunchara Hot Spring Resort. 'Apparently', because there does not seem to be any connection between the two. The PK at least existed, but there is no web site, neither any clear photo's. Anyway if you want to stay at the Naerunchara, here is their site. You can also book through asiarooms.com.

Update (Jan '08): the Naerunchara is located close to the previously mentioned Pha Soet hot springs, diagonally across the stream and road. Probably have the same source.

Pong Fu Fueang (Pong Pu Feuang)
Also part of the Lam Nam Kok National Park, the National Park site provides us with the following sentence:

'About 1.8 kms from the crossroad of Mae Suai-Chiangrai Land highway. There are 2 hot spring wells in this place with about 75^oC'.

Though they refer to this as Pong Fu, the map refers to this site under the name Pong Pu, oddly enough the map locates them southwards from Chiang Rai, 18 kms on the Pa Sak - Mae Suai Road (highway 118).


Huai Sao Khao Hot Springs
More well known, Huai Sao Khao, is located on the east side at km 794 (highway 1), south of Chiang Rai.
The Chiang Mai - Chiang Rai.com guide mentions this hot spring as follows:

'The second sight of hot spring can be found at Ban Huay Zai Kao Hot Spring located on Mae Lao District, Chiangrai. This hot spring has been left in its natural state and is not attractive to visitors as a relaxation spot since there are no bathing facilities'.

Well, as there are absolutely no other references on internet to these hot springs, we'll have to take their word for it.


Wiang Pa Pao Hot Springs (T(h)ung T(h)e wi hot spa)
The aforementioned Chiang Mai- Chiang Rai.com site describes the following:

'The third is Wieng Pa Pao hot spring. This is located at a midway point between Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai on highway 1019. Most people travelling by road stop at Wieng Pa Pao for a short break. Here are restaurants, a fresh produce and flower market and a bazaar selling items made by the hill tribes and lowland Thais. One popular activity at the hot spring is to hard boil eggs in the boiling water. The clever vendors have attached baskets on a long pole making the activity safe and fun for customers of all age to boil the eggs. If you can't encourage your children to cook at home, they will love to boil eggs here. Other than this the hot spring hasn't been develop for recreation use but plans are underway to develop this spring as a spa'.

Oddly enough again the map situates them elsewhere, just off highway 1150, two kms from highway 118.

Natural, but non-commercial?

Pong Phra Bat: your local soak

Another 'unknown' hot springs, at least if you let internet be your guide. But Pong Phra Bat Hot Springs are certainly worth a visit, especially combined with the waterfall (with the same name) at the end of the road.

The hot water fountain, the pubic bath behind it

Pong Phra Bat Hot Springs (or alternatively Poang Phra Baht) are quite conveniently located, just north of Chiang Rai town's airport on a side road from the main highway north to Mae Sai which is located at the Burmese border. The trouble is you'll pass it, if you can't read Thai. But after locating the hot springs (the entrance is in a sharp right hand corner, close to local administration buildings), you'll probably fail to be impressed by the site (which is hardly natural nor 'park like') or the facilities consisting of two bathing buildings (one with a restaurant) and a small, roofed but not walled in, public swimming pool. And a fountain next to the parking area which signifies the springs; though hot water is bubbling up at various locations around the buildings. Between the two bathing buildings a stream passes which becomes warmer as it passes through the site.

The main bathing building, with restaurant

So if not impressed, why pay it a visit? Simply because developers have failed to take over the place; this way it keeps it's local charm, or it's appeal to the locals, who turn up every evening to soak for a half hour (privately for 20THB, in the public pool for 10 THB), then catch a bite, drink and go back home. As it is located between well-cultivated farmland, the locals (some farmers, but mostly workers from Chiang Rai) keep the springs going. If prices went up or up-scale facilities built, the locals probably would not come anymore and the situation would deteriorate soon after. Or, it would become a yuppy hideaway, now who wants that?

Getting There: Take highway 1 north out of Chiang Rai, to the first village (Bandu) / turn off, past the airport. Take the access road along the highway and turn to your left, drive up this road for a km or so until you have a sharp right hand turn. Instead drive through the gate straight ahead of you with the pond on your left. For the Pong Phra Bat waterfall just continue on the paved road for another 5 km's until you come to the end parking. From there it's a 20 minute walk. No entrance fee required!

Soaking Experience: Again if you're willing to sign up for the cell-tub experience that's what you get. But if you remind yourself to take your swimmers with you (we forgot) you can enjoy the public pool, which at least gives you the opportunity to look around and breath fresh air.

The second bathing building has bigger cells, but the size of the baths remains more or less the same

Overall Impression: Not excellent, but above average: you want a neat soak, that's what you can get, followed by a bite. Quite literally, experience 'unseen Thailand'. And to make it more worthwhile visit the falls as well, to get some exercise.

Some additional (cryptic) information on Pong Phra Bat waterfall from the Thai National Park Authority:

'Pong Phra Bat waterfall: 14 kms far from the city of Chiangrai in the north along highway number 110 (Chiangrai-Mae Chan). An islet waterfall with the milky fluffy spray when fall down and clear water in the pleasant atmosphere which is encircling with the abundant of plants for relaxing. And enjoying the beauty of the nature'.

Fang

Fang geyser blowing

Fang hot springs rates, in Thailand, as one of it's most famous. The Thai language travel magazine 'Places and Prices' recent 'special issue' mentions Fang as well as Sankhampaeng, Pong Dued, Thapai Ranong and Jaeson as their top hot springs in the country.

After already visiting 3 of these aforementioned, as well as some others, I must agree that Fang certainly is worth a visit, though I haven't visited all thai hot springs (yet?) to be able to ascertain that it is one of the best! But what about its soaking qualities? Let's find out!

The hot springs are situated in Mae Fang National Park, where the park headquarters are also situated; so you have to pay the entrance fees, though oddly these were only 200 THB, which is roughly 10 $US. We came early in the morning with a slight drizzle coming down. We were also the only visitors at that moment. Supposedly round mid-day things get busier when tour groups on their way to Chiang Rai from Chiang Mai stop for some sightseeing.

One can park the car directly next to the hot springs 'park' which has been created around the hot springs. Through this park are a number of hot springs. Next to the car parking is a visitors center, though with little background on the hot springs; focusing on the whole of the national park, situated on a mountain range with Burma. At the back of the hot springs park one can see a large steel pipe which apparently carries hot steam to a geothermal power plant, just outside the national park.

Just one of the springs

The main highlight of the park is the geyser, which spouts every half hour for a couple of minutes.

From the Mae Fang National Park information folder:

'Hot Spring: A natural hot spring, produced by underground heat, emits water with a temperature of about 50-87 degrees C. Several hot springs can be found within the area of 10 rai, the biggest which can produce steam up to 30-40 meters in height'.

Despite using the hot springs for electricity generation purposes and simultaneously being a focal point for tourism, authorities have been able to maintain a naturalness to the area, as well as maintaining safety and providing tourists the opportunity to go along the various hot springs. No refuse and standards of maintenance were evidently high.

Mae Fang National Park Hot Springs Private Soaks: tasteful from the outside, prison-like on the inside.

The authorities have also put a considerable effort in providing bathing facilities. A raised walkway over /next to a pond provides access to private facilities, which can be rented. This kind of facilities I fail to understand. Why would anyone travel long distance to visit a natural wonder only to lock oneself in a cell which in western society would not even be a prison cell? It's also a phenomena that is not necessarily Thai or non-western. Last year, I visited New Zealand and on 1 occasion rented such a 'cell'. Though it looked like a good idea at the moment, we hardly used it. Yes, you can pursue your own dress code, but you exclude yourself from the surroundings: is it rainy, sunny, windy, are birds whistling, is the vegetation green, who are my neighbours, what's my son up to? No way of knowing. I personally would like to soak 'au naturel' whenever, where ever, but somehow world societal norms are set against this. Beats me why?
I have also been to a couple of hot springs in Nepal, oddly enough those not visited by foreigners were also the most relaxed on the dress code. Most visitors bathed in their underwear, with women mostly topless. As nearly everybody's underwear was threadbare, small, flat slate rocks were used, so as to make sure no one could look up your backside! Large communal pools, none of these small private facilities.
Why not make more tasteful, private facilities, partially open, screened off naturally if society so requires? Keeps everyone (including myself more or less happy).

I am digressing, yes. Well besides the small cells, there were also tasteful communal pools (see photo below) as well as steam sauna's. As the prudes had won again, these (both the pools and the sauna) were sex-disaggregated. As we were the only visitors we decided to flaunt these rules as tourists everywhere tend to. The water was only lukewarm, though not too cold, but hardly a hot soaking. If you need a massage, these kind of facilities are also provided, which altogether is not such a bad idea.

Public tubs: the men's tubs are well designed, allowing to soak the surroundings as well

Getting There: Fang Hot Springs are situated at the end of road number 4054, which originates from the Fang-Muang Chum 4017 road. The main turn off highway 107 (Chiang Mai - Mae Chan- Chiang Rai) is well signed, however the turn off to road 4054 (a couple of hundred meters from the main road) is less well signposted. In all it's about 10 km from Fang town. As it is on a dead end side road, there is absolutely no public transport.

Soaking Experience: see above. In general the soaks are good.

Overall Impression: very good, certainly well worth the label of being one of Thailand's best hot springs.

More info

• From Thailand.com:

  'Fang Hot Spring
  The Fang Hot Springs are located at Ban Pin in Fang district, 163 km north of Chiang Mai city along the Chiang Mai Tha Ton Road (Highway No. 107). Turn left at km 153 for 11 km to Ban Pin.
  Fifty hot springs occupy a ten-acre forest setting. Three boil continuously with a strong smell of sulphur. Water temperatures at the springs range from 90° C to 100° C. Unfortunately, the ambience of the area is slightly spoiled by the pipes that have been placed to take off the hot water to feed the nearby geothermal power station'.

• Concerning the geothermal station, in 'Case stories of small scale geothermal power plants' by Daniel N Schochet (2000) a presentation at the 'World Geothermal Congress' in 2000, the following refers to Fang:

  'The Fang geothermal resource, located in a rural agricultural setting near Chang Mai in north central Thailand, utilizes three free flowing wells producing approximately 500 liters/minute of hot water at 116 C. One binary OEC module, rated at 300 kW was installed in 1989 (See Figure 7). The OEC condenser is water cooled by a once through flow of river water. The project produces between 150 and 250 kW, with seasonal variations, with excess heat used for cold storage, crop drying and a spa. (Forte 1989)'.
  
  

Former 'glory ' of Malinga Hot Springs

From a distance

Situated in the north of Chiang Mai province, Malinga Hot Springs is not well known, neither by tourists nor by locals. It must have been different 10-20 years before, that much is evident. The site itself is just off to the north of the main road, but if you’re not paying attention, you’ll wiz past it, it hasn’t seen development for quite some time. The access roads are slowly growing over or as is the case on the southern access road, this road has been partially washed away. So the car is parked short of the site itself and the last 100 meter or so are on foot.

The main springs, partially in a stream, watch out for the water buffalo!

The only visitors currently at this site however are the local water buffaloes, who do not seem to have much issue with the warmer surroundings. A couple of brick and cement buildings are proof of better times, though other than the main building, the others were unreachable as the surroundings had turned into a swamp brought on by the rains and then being used for wallowing by the water buffaloes. There were also some disintegrating bamboo huts, now used for storing straw, so as to feed the buffalo.

The hot springs themselves, are behind the main building as well as just beyond the drainage pipe under the northern access road. Just beyond this access road, some enterprising soul has constructed terraces each a couple of centimeters higher than the next as if to create Pamukkale terraces anew in miniature scale in northern Thailand (see photo below). The hot waters then mix with cooler streams and drain into a pond just before the main road.

Some local has tried to copy Pamukkale, using his imagination and a bit of cement

Soaking experience: you’d have to be hard up, if you insisted on soaking here. The main stream would be delicious if that (the stream) was just it; however the water buffaloes have churned the surroundings such that a 'main' stream is hard to find. What’s more you’re getting close to the main road, hardly the paradise sought after.

Getting there: Malinga Hot springs are 13 km north of Thaton village (which is where the main road crosses the Mae Kok river) on the road to Mae Chan. From both north as well as south there is a small access road.

Overall impression: despite the dilapidated state, the failure of any recent development has added to atmosphere, which often lacks elsewhere in some of the Thai ( or other international) hot springs.

Here you’re at the right place to dream about the possibility of winning the lottery and investing that in building a beauty of a resort, where this time round you would not have to side-step the buffalo turds, but could take the heavenly waters while gazing out at the verdant hills close by, followed by a gentle, though thorough massage in a forest with birds twittering around, followed by a salacious feast, after which ….

The 'infrastructure': hay storage

But(day?) dreaming aside, a 5 minute visit might suffice; to satisfy your curiosity.

Though I would like to give more info on Malinga Hot Springs, there is nothing out there on the internet!

Huai Hin Fon Hot Springs: currently under development

This autumn, my family and I were once more in the pleasant circumstances to have both the time as well as to be to able to afford a short autumn (-ish) holiday in the north of Thailand. Traveling here in this time of the year is starting to become a family ritual; it’s our fourth time, I believe.

This year, the exact destination was Chiang Rai: never been there, it looks interesting from a landscape point of view (mountainous), a diverse population (many hill tribes), but still enough good roads and a few great places to stay. Added to these 'usual' circumstances is the beauty of the landscape which has just seen it’s annual monsoonal drenching come to an end (resulting in brilliant skies, crispy and starry nights) exuberant greenery and a vibrant agricultural setting with farmers harvesting the main season paddy crop and gearing up to sell their oranges.

The 'sala's' in the background, a spring in the foreground on the shore of the pond

And of course, a few hot springs can be visited. Our first real stop after picking up the car at Chiang Rai Airport is the hot spring of Huai Hin Fon. Situated on the main road from Mae Chan (located 40 km north of Chiang Rai) to Fang (north in Chiang Mai province), it could make an interesting stop. But unfortunately, the level of development is a mishmash. Besides the continuous spouting geyser from pipes on a concrete platform, there’s another continuous spouting geyser (from a set of pipes) just on a field nearby (see photo's). Both equally spectacular, but hardly highlighting the ‘nature’ or 'naturalness' of geothermal springs. Neither are they are an attractive man-made attraction. Between the two geysers is a small row of thatched local restaurants which double as karaoke bars. At least three of these had blaring music, which competed which that of their neighbours.

The main geyser, concreted in

A few springs had been walled in, some with cement walls (to about a meter high) others with concrete drainage pipes. To the non-sensitive cultural tourist this might seem sacrilege, but part of the thinking is that this way, at least it is clear where the hot spots are and by storing the hot water within a small walled-off area, one can easily use them for boiling eggs, which seems to be the number one reason why local tourists come to visit hot springs in Thailand in general or so it seems. Adding to the confusion of styles are a number of recently finished cement rest houses (sala’s), only one of which was offering services, but no bathing facilities.

Disturbingly, there was quite a lot of rubbish around, that does not enhance the site much.

Soaking? Well, that does not rank high here, we found two baths (see photo) at the back of the second, undeveloped geyser, but very fragile; besides there was not anyone around, offering or knowing what to offer. So a chance wasted?

The two bath's

Well, it was a hot day and we were there around lunch time so not ideal. We drove up the road a bit, took a side road to Huai Kaang Pa waterfall. Brilliant find, beautiful pools, deserted to say the least and refreshing.

Karien soaking in the cool water of Huai Kaang Pa waterfall

Getting there: The hot springs are located along the Mae Chan to Fang highway (Highway number 1089). It’s just a few kilometers (7.5 to be precise) from Mae Chan and is situated directly next to the road, on the south side. One of the geysers is so prominent, it’s hard to miss while driving pass.

The (piped) geyser in the field

Overall impression: If you are interested in visiting as many hot springs as you can, it’s easy to add this one to the list. Otherwise, as a destination, it rates poorly. Nothing to highlight.

Soaking experience: If your desperate, let's hope this (the soaking experience) changes in future.

Other links to these springs:

• Joel John Barlows Chiang Rai information site refers to this being the Mae Chan hot spring.
• The Chiang Mai / ChiangRai guide entry on hot springs in Chiang Rai province also refers to this spring as Mae Chan Hot Springs.
• A geological reference [PDF-file]:

  'Mae Chan hot spring is located on the well jointed porphyritic [?] homblende [?]biotite granite, which is altered near the jot water discharge zone. ... There are three springs along Huai Pong Nam River 20 kilometers southwest of Mae Chan'.

• Other reports are scarce to say the least. A Dutch tourist refers (in Dutch) to this hot spring site being 'disappointing'.

There are also some references to Mae Ka Chan (or Mae Khachan) hot springs which are another hot spring all together, though also located in northern Thailand.

More post script. The site tourism Chiangrai.com has a full page on hot springs with a brief description. As with John Joel Barlow's Chiang Rai guide, they report two hot spring sites on the road from Mae Chan, 2 km from each either. One of course Huai Hin Fon and another named Pah Tung hot springs. They also have small descriptions as well as photo's and oddly enough the photo's corresponding to both hot springs are very much similar to what we have visited, the less developed site being Pah Tung hot springs. Their description of Huai Hin Fon hot springs:

'It is about 7 kms. on the Mae Chan-Ta Thone road. There are 8 individual rooms with bath tubs [now all in disrepair] and 6 rooms without the tubs [the sala's?] .

The temperature of the hot spring is between 70-109 degrees celsius. It is situated amid scenic landscape with hydropathic rooms, a pond and a spa garden for those who wish to take a mineral bath for healing purposes'.

Their info on Pah Tung hot spring is very brief. Noris any info available on the internet, so on the basis on their pictures, we have visited both!

Update

During the past week I have been updating, upgrading and expanding the links to hot spring sites / reports for both Thailand and Lao; the list of (links to) hot springs in these seems to be exhausted and rather extensive, so no reason if you are visiting either country to miss out on any geothermal activity.

Then again, in print, I've found even more hot springs in Thailand, I'll be checking the web the coming weeks to see if I can get any meaningful sites and / or reports.

Additionally, I am going to edit the reports made. ON the one hand, I believe the short reports are not complete. And at the same time they may seem to deride the (commercial) development of hot springs, especially with reference to Thailand. In reflection most hot springs worldwide have been developed and in Thailand mostly the development is / has been low-scale.

Evidently most hot springs worldwide are not in their 'natural' state anymore; enhancing the phenomena (be it for safety, sanitary or outright tourism) reasons to attract more visitors as well as piping the water off for bathing purposes are acts not only restricted to Thailand. In New Zealand for instance (which I visited last year), most hot springs have been transformed into some kind of water park with little regard to their 'natural' state. Besides improving the bathing experience, waterslides (in some cases) and such generate more income. Though I personally abhor this, it's often the only way to soak. Of course in New Zealand there still are some undeveloped sites (try Ketatahi stream), the main reason why they have not been developed, is their poor access. I doubt whether this is different elsewhere, be it in North America or Europe. So some more fairness in the reports!

Finally, there will be some new reports coming on some hot springs in North Thailand, which my family and I visited the last week. I might even start a flickr site with some photo sets.