From the press II

Thursday (Jan 31, 2008) Bangkok Post published an extensive article on the eastern part of Chiang Rai province. They also highlighted a hot spring waterfall in neighbouring Phayao province.

'However, instead of heading further north, some visitors may choose to go southwards to Phu Sang National Park in Phayao Province to a waterfall that is noted for its warm water. Situated about 45 kilometres south of Phu Chi Fah on Highway 1093, along the route they stop briefly at a highland agriculture development station famous for its pink and yellow lillies, elegant tulips and barley plots on Doi Pha Mon mountain range in Thoeng district (Chiang Rai) before proceeding to the waterfall that figured in the Tourism Authority of Thailand's "Unseen Thailand" promotion drive a few years back.

The small but elegant waterfall is just a few steps off the highway. It is a popular meeting point for local people who can be seen relaxing or picnicking around the fall. They bring their own pillows, mattresses and order food from stalls next to the park's information office.

According to park officer Nanthana Suwantha, water temperature at the point the fall originates stays a steady 35 degrees Celsius, except when it rains. The warm water cascades over limestone cliffs to form clear pools next to the highway.

A testing trail, which includes a flight of 80 steps, leads to the waterhead that's off-limit to swimmers. We followed the trail. However, there wasn't much to see once we reached the other end. So we hung around for a while to give our legs some rest before heading back'.

Pha Soet: a hot start to the new year

The main swimming basin, with a small changing room in the background

It may surprise many, but northern Thailand faces a longer cold spell during the months of November - February. Nothing like the freezing temperatures elsewhere in the northern hemisphere though, but enough to make enjoying hot springs a real pleasure.

So with a couple of hours of the first day of 2008 to spare while passing through Chiang Rai, my family and I decided to take the plunge at Pha Soet Hot Springs, located roughly at 20 kms westwards out of town. This late in the afternoon getting transport willing to take us out of town proved a challenge, but eventually a compliant tuk-tuk chauffeur gave us a break and in we hopped.

The first day of 2008 (and the final day of a 4 day holiday) had brought Chaing Rai's citizens out en masse to a local flower show, winter being a more convenient time of the year for this, rather than the hot and humid months. It being the time of the day everybody was getting pesky, this mass was trying to negotiate the narrow road leading back to Chiang Rai from the flower show grounds, we were the only traffic facing this exodus head on. Our driver was certainly not upbeat, he had hoped for an early return. Eventually we managed to get to the hot springs just shortly before dusk.

In to hot water: just a foot soak!

An hour was what we had negotiated with the driver, so we walked round the site and quickly decided on the the best place to soak. Despite this being the last day of the holidays, the hot springs park like settings were packed. A grass field between the parking area with approximately 10 restaurants and the springs themselves was used as an impromptu camping site with extensive families revelling in the luxury of having the time off, great weather, the outdoors and the possibilities of unleashing their kids without any worries.

The main springs: cemented and fenced in

Despite this being on a heavily touristed trail, we were, like so often on our tours of Thai hot springs, the odd ones out, i.e. the only foreigners currently visiting. The site (which required no entrance fee) looked well maintained and considerable effort had been made to offer visitors a worthy experience. The main springs had been cemented in and special tanks were there for the very Asian-like pursuit of boiling eggs 'au naturel' (the eggs that is) and the possibility of just heating your feet. A nice bigger pool had been built together with changing rooms and there were about 10 separate buildings with 3-4 private pools.

A slow boil, eggs in woven baskets are boiled while you wait (and are not in a hurry!)

As my wife only had her bikini with her, we felt a little out of place for taking the public pool. Fashion trends are well maintained by the Thai damsels when bathing: currently the most daring bathing costume (for women) was the knee length jeans with a sleeveless high cut singlet. Uncomfortable probably, but it's better to be safe!

So we rented a private pool for a minimum hour rate (30 baht = +/- 1 $US per person) and after a little discussion (foreigners oddly enough refrain from using full pools (never know who has bathed before us!); "they want the pools to be filled while they are paying for their hour!") We got undressed and spent a bit more than half an hour warming ourselves to a medium rare, before getting dressed again and taking the chilly ride back to Chiang Rai town (with our anxious driver).

Pha Soet Hot springs: know what you are getting into

Getting There: Pha Soet Hot springs is located on the only road going directly west out of town, once on this road, there are many signboards, announcing it's impending existence and after 20 km's you pass a bridge with the hot springs site on your left.

Soaking Experience: Though the public pool looked inviting (free form, deep), us being the only foreigners and my wife most probably having the most revealing of all to wear (comparatively), we decided to take a private pool, a meter in diameter and naturally (or not) enclosed on all sides. The private pools were nothing special and there had been some considerable wear and tear, though not enough to effect hygienic standards (we hope). Half hour locked up, seemed to be the maximum.

Wear and tear, quite literally: the inside basins

Overall Impression: Though I may seem a bit finicky, we quite liked the place: laid back, well visited but not too tacky. Understand why the Thai must love it!

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'.