High-water season, safety and time needed
May, Jul – Oct (wettest)
Granite slabs — Slippery
08:00–16:30
1–4 hours
6 days ahead
When to go
this week
Tap a day card to see that day’s weather, rain, haze and hourly forecast
Best time to go Best window 06:00–16:00 Little rain · light drizzle possible at times
No warnings today — normal road and weather conditions
Hour by hour
Green band = hours used for the score
Best time to go Best window 06:00–16:00 Little rain · light drizzle possible at times
No warnings today — normal road and weather conditions
Hour by hour
Green band = hours used for the score
Best time to go Best window 06:00–15:00 Little rain · light drizzle possible at times
No warnings today — normal road and weather conditions
Hour by hour
Green band = hours used for the score
Best time to go Best window 06:00–14:00 Little rain · light drizzle possible at times
Thick morning fog with visibility under 1 km — use headlights and drive slowly
Hour by hour
Green band = hours used for the score
Best time to go Best window 06:00–14:00 Little rain · light drizzle possible at times
No warnings today — normal road and weather conditions
Hour by hour
Green band = hours used for the score
Best time to go Best window 06:00–11:00 Little rain · light drizzle possible at times
No warnings today — normal road and weather conditions
Hour by hour
Green band = hours used for the score
Kao Chon Waterfall
Kao Chon (Nine-Tier) Waterfall, Ban Huai Phak, Suan Phueng, Ratchaburi.
- Start walking, cool air
- Latest start for the upper tiers
- Should be down from the top
Arrive 12:00
- Tier 6Full curtain over the cliffRainy season
- Tiers 1–2Granite slabsMorning
- Bamboo forest trailEn routeDaytime
Gallery
Photos from Wikimedia Commons and contributors · full credits inClassic page
Good to know here
Slippery
Flash floods in the rains
- To reach all nine tiers, start before noon and be down from tier 9 by 16:00
- Go with at least two people; some sections need a hand
- Wear grippy strap-on shoes; the granite is slippery
- Soak at Bo Khlueng hot spring, about 1 km away
Adults 20 THB · Time needed 1–4 hours
Weekends
| Entry, adult (approx.) | 20 ฿/person |
| Entry, child (approx.) optional | 10 ฿/person |
Cash · Prices may change by season — check with the venue
- Kids Good for tiers 1–2
- Seniors Tiers 1–2 only
- Wheelchair Not suitable
- Pets No information; not recommended
- Stalls at the entranceMade-to-order dishes
- Honey Scene Steak, The Scenery Vintage FarmSuan Phueng
- Buntipar German sausagesSuan Phueng, weekends
- Stay on the trail
- Take your rubbish home
- No night trekking
- Do not swim when the water is murky or rising
- Very slippery granite; no flip-flops
- No lifeguards at the tiers
- Flash floods in the rains — leave the stream if it turns murky or rises
- Above tier 2 the trail is a forest scramble
Best months
Tap a month on the wheel to see weather, rain, haze and crowds from 10 years of records
Best time · Jun–Nov for full flow and tier 6 in full curtain · Dec–Feb for clear water and easy swimming · start in the morning
Watch out · Heavy-rain days (flash floods) · Mar–May low water
21°Jan
22°Feb
23°Mar
24°Apr
25°May
25°Jun
24°Jul
24°Aug
24°Sep
23°Oct
23°Nov
21°Dec
Oct by the records 23–29°C · avg rain 217 mm (24 rainy days) · clear 1 days · avg PM2.5 9
The story of this place
Kao Chon Waterfall is at Ban Huai Phak, Moo 7, Suan Phueng, Ratchaburi, about 1 km from the Bo Khlueng hot spring. Fed from the Tenasserim forests, it flows year-round over nine granite tiers. No clear managing agency has been confirmed, and it is not listed in a national park.
Read more 3 more paragraphs
Its original name was "Kao Krachon", the "nine leaps" of the water. This was shortened to "Kao Chon", which sounds like the Thai for "nine bandits", so today it is usually called "Kao Chan", the Nine-Tier Waterfall. Suan Phueng was once a tin-mining district, and one source says the falls passed into local care after a mining concession ended.
From the car park it is about 500 m to tiers 1–2, wide rock shelves suitable for children and older visitors. Above tier 2 the trail becomes a scramble through mixed deciduous and bamboo forest; all nine tiers take about 3–4 hours. Tier 6 is the finest, its water spreading across the whole cliff face in the rainy season.
The falls are open daily from 08:00 to 16:30 for a small fee. The rules say to start up the upper tiers before noon, be down from tier 9 by 16:00, never trek at night and go in pairs or more. Visitors often combine it with the nearby Bo Khlueng hot spring.
- undated"Kao Krachon" shortened to Kao Chon, now usually "Kao Chan"
- undatedLocal mining concession ends (single source)
- 2009Travel blog mentions the "nine-tier waterfall" near Bo Khlueng
- 2023–2026Open as usual
Check-ins & visitor photos
Arrived? Check in, collect a stamp and tell others what it is like right now
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Location must be on and within 3 km · One check-in per place per day · come back on other days to check in again
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How to get there
Paved; ordinary cars are fine
To Suan Phueng, then Hwy 3208 toward Bo Khlueng · Fuel
To Suan Phueng, then rent · Per operator
Hwy 3208 via Bo Khlueng, about 1 km past the Bo Khlueng hot spring
Car park at the entrance with food stalls
Suan Phueng town
Weak
08:00–16:30
around 20 km fromSuan Phueng town
Kao Chon Waterfall
Stays near Kao Chon Waterfall
Approx. nightly price for 2 adults (next week) · final price depends on your dates
FAQ
Before you goKao Chon Waterfall
Answers travellers want before they go — a one-minute read
Are Kao Chon and Kao Chan the same waterfall?
Yes. It was originally "Kao Krachon" (nine leaps), shortened to Kao Chon; today most people say "Kao Chan" (nine tiers)
How long to see all nine tiers?
About 3–4 hours; start before noon and be down by 16:00
How far is tier 1?
About 500 m from the car park
How much is entry?
About 20 THB for adults and 10 THB for children; sources differ
Is there water in the dry season?
Yes, year-round, but it is fullest Jun–Nov
What is nearby?
Bo Khlueng hot spring, about 1 km away
Ready to go to Kao Chon Waterfall?
Best day this week: Friday 23 Oct · Check in when you arrive to collect a stamp