Thararak Waterfall (Nam tok Thararak)

Mae Sot District / Phop Phra District, Tak, Thailand

About Thararak Waterfall (Nam tok Thararak)


Hiking Distance: roadside
Suggested Time:

Date first visited: 2009-01-02
Date last visited: 2009-01-02

Waterfall Latitude: 16.5701
Waterfall Longitude: 98.69511

Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

The Thararak Waterfall (pronounced “tah-rah-RAHK”; though I’ve also seen it spelled Taralak) was one of the rare waterfalls where we saw it juxtaposed with a chedi (a particular style of Thai temple with a pointy top). I believe that golden chedi was called the Chedi Kho. And while the falls itself wasn’t all that tall nor all that impressive (especially given its diminished flow during our visit), I still thought it was memorable. After all, how many waterfalls are there in Thailand (or southeast Asia for that matter) where you can see a chedi with it?

We thought of this waterfall as more of a locals waterfall because it was poorly signposted. Our guide and driver had trouble finding it even though we were able to see the golden chedi from the Death Highway (Hwy 1090). It wasn’t until after a couple times of doubling back along the Death Highway in the general vicinity did I finally notice part of the waterfall (it’s quite easy to miss) and alert our guide and driver.

Once at the base of the falls, we got our best views from the end of some kind of man-modified pool directly opposite the falls. It was from this vantage point that we were able to photograph the falls with the Chedi Kho. There was also a short but steep scrambling path right up to the rushing water at the base of the falls. I guess the point of that path was to get a little wet and cool off, which we saw quite a few locals do. However, this path wasn’t for improving nor getting a different view.

Given its relatively light flow, it’s conceivable that this waterfall can go dry deep into the dry season.

Thararak_003_01012009
Thararak_011_01012009
Thararak_006_01012009
Thararak_028_01012009
Thararak_029_01012009
Thararak_031_01012009
Death_Hwy_to_Umphang_004_01012009


We spent about 25 minutes looking for the Thararak Waterfall after visiting Namtok Pha Charoen. The key was that the turnoff for Namtok Thararak was just one turnoff south of the one for Chedi Kho (the chedi’s turnoff was signposted).

If you’re looking for this waterfall, I’d start by looking for a golden chedi on the left as you’re heading south along the Death Highway probably about 30-40 minutes south of Mae Sot. Then, start looking for the turnoff to Chedi Ko, but take the next turnoff instead to get to the falls.

For geographical context, Mae Sot was 351km (5 hours drive) south of Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai was roughly 700km north of Bangkok. It would take around 9 hours to drive or a little over an hour to fly between the cities.

Find A Place To Stay

Sweep from bottom to top of the falls

Related Top 10 Lists

No Posts Found

Trip Planning Resources


Nearby Accommodations



Tagged with: mae sot, phop phra, tak, death highway, death hwy, burmese refugees, burma, central thailand, thailand, waterfall, chedi, kho, taralak



Visitor Comments:

Got something you'd like to share or say to keep the conversation going? Feel free to leave a comment below...

No users have replied to the content on this page


Share your thoughts about what you've read on this page

You must be logged in to submit content. Refresh this page after you have logged in.

Visitor Reviews of this Waterfall:

If you have a waterfall story or write-up that you'd like to share, feel free to click the button below and fill out the form...

No users have submitted a write-up/review of this waterfall


Have you been to a waterfall? Submit a write-up/review and share your experiences or impressions

Review A Waterfall

Nearest Waterfalls

The Waterfaller Newsletter

The Waterfaller Newsletter is where we curate the wealth of information on the World of Waterfalls website and deliver it to you in bite-sized chunks in your email inbox. You'll also get exclusive content like...

  • Waterfall Wednesdays
  • Insider Tips
  • User-submitted Waterfall Write-up of the Month
  • and the latest news and updates both within the website as well as around the wonderful world of waterfalls


How To Build A Profitable Travel Blog In 4 Steps