Phuket Waterfalls: Ton Sai, Bang Pae and Kathu Guide

For a cheap rainforest morning, drive to Khao Phra Thaeo near Thalang, where Ton Sai and Bang Pae are the two forest waterfalls, and bring a little cash because no entry price is stated for the sanctuary. Go in the rainy season, when Ton Sai carries a great volume of water. Kathu Waterfall is the shorter, stairway option.

For a morning in the forest, pick Ton Sai or Bang Pae at Khao Phra Thaeo; for a short climb with benches at the top of the stairs, pick Kathu Waterfall. Both Khao Phra Thaeo falls sit in the same sanctuary, so you only need one trip north, while Kathu is its own stop. This page covers hours, entry, how to reach each fall and when there is water to see. For a wider plan, use things to do in Phuket.

Phuket waterfalls at Khao Phra Thaeo: hours and entry

Search Maps for “Khao Phra Thaeo”: its full name is Khao Phra Thaeo Wildlife and Nature Education Center, and it sits near Thalang town, 20 km from Phuket town. The hours below are the centre’s, not each waterfall’s, and a dash means no figure is given.

Checked November 2026.

No entry price or separate foreign-visitor rate is stated (as of November 2026), so bring a little cash and ask at the gate, or call the centre on +66 7631 1998 first.

What to see: Ton Sai, Bang Pae and Kathu

Ton Sai Waterfall

Ton Sai is a small fall that carries a great volume of water in the rainy season, and the directory calls it a popular place to relax. The park headquarters and a small restaurant with a view are here too, which makes it the easiest first stop if you want a drink afterwards.

Bang Pae Waterfall

Bang Pae lies in Pa Khlok, past the Two Heroines Monument. Near the waterfall there is an arboretum and a nursery that rehabilitates captured gibbons before they go back to the wild; this is a rehabilitation programme, so treat it as background rather than a show. If you want to walk further, the sanctuary has mapped some walking trails, and the Nature Study Centre can tell you more.

Kathu Waterfall

Kathu is a small waterfall 4 km from the municipal office. A stairway climbs it over 130 metres and three tiers: wade in the first, rest at the benches and tables on the second, and walk the nature trails through thick trees at the top. Because the fall is small, the stream carries little water outside the wet months.

Who it suits (and who should skip it)

• Pick Ton Sai if you want forest scenery with a restaurant and headquarters close by.
• Pick Bang Pae if you like walking trails and want to see the gibbon nursery area.
• Pick Kathu for young children, since its first tier is described as safe to play around; our Phuket with kids guide has more family ideas.
• Skip Kathu in the dry months if you want flowing water, because the stream is thin.
• Skip this page entirely if you want a beach day: these are forest stops, and beaches are covered in Phuket beaches compared.

How to get to the Khao Phra Thaeo waterfalls

Drive from Phuket Town towards Thalang. At the Thalang intersection, 18 km from Phuket town, turn right and carry on for about 2 km. For Bang Pae, keep going until you pass the Two Heroines Monument in Pa Khlok.

The directory lists motorcycles and cars as the ways to arrive, so plan on your own wheels. On a motorbike, riders and passengers must both wear a helmet; the motorbike rental guide covers licence and rental rules, and the car rental guide covers the four-wheel option. Getting around Phuket covers the other transport options if you are not driving.

When to go

Go in the rainy season for water: Ton Sai pours a great volume then, and Kathu is best from July to December. The rainy season runs from around mid-May to mid-October, while the northeast monsoon season brings little rain, so expect thinner falls in the dry months. Our rule of thumb is to arrive when the centre opens, before the afternoon’s weather and the crowds build.

The rainy season guide and the weather by month guide show what the road and the sky will do each month.

Nearby and how to combine it

Ton Sai and Bang Pae are two parts of one sanctuary, and Khao Phra Thaeo is also one of Phuket’s most important water sources, so a single forest morning can include both. Kathu is a separate stop, better as its own short trip.

Read Living in Thalang and Bang Tao and Living in Kathu for what each area offers, and things to do in Phuket for other days out.

Before you go

• Bring cash and ask at the gate: no entry price or foreign-visitor rate is given.
• Call the centre on +66 7631 1998 if you need to confirm anything before the drive.
• Wear a helmet on a scooter, as riders and passengers must.
• Arrive at opening time, since the centre keeps daily hours.
• Use the parking and restroom at the centre; at Kathu, the restaurant and parking are at the entrance.

How we picked: waterfalls with an official Tourism Authority of Thailand or Thailand Tourism Directory page; no foreign-visitor fee, trail length or drive time is stated.

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