Umphang is a remote village and district in the Thai province of Tak. Close to the border with Burma / Myanmar and almost entirely enveloped by dense jungles and national parks, Umphang is one of the country’s most inaccessible areas. With just one twisting and winding mountainous road into the area, you may wonder why people bother! Umphang is, however, well-worth a visit. Home to Thailand’s biggest waterfall, visitors can also enjoy amazing views and an array of excellent outdoor activities.
The town has just a few places to stay, and Umphang House is a great choice. The basic but clean rooms offer a good base from which to enjoy the area, and you can easily arrange an assortment of trips and activities with the guest house. Members of staff can speak good English, and are an excellent source of information about the area.
Here’s what Umphang House offers:
Cheap rooms in the heart of Umphang
Umphang House has a few rooms in a concrete building as well as small wooden bungalows. The rooms are quite old, but decently clean, and each room has a private bathroom with hot water. Rooms are cooled by electric fans; there is no air-conditioning.
The concrete rooms may look somewhat like a jail cell, and there may be few furnishings, but given that most people spend the best part of their days out and about exploring, it is likely that your room will simply be a place to store your belongings and rest your head at night time.
Rooms have a double bed, a desk with a TV, and a low table for storing your luggage.
Rooms for two people cost just 400 THB (approximately 11 USD) per night.
Other guest house facilities
A basic breakfast is included each morning, with bread, jam, eggs, bananas, and hot drinks. It is possible to buy drinks from the guest house, and members of staff will let you keep your own items cool in the refrigerator. You can help yourself to cheap tea and coffee throughout the day and it works on a system of good faith, whereby people are trusted to put the correct amount of money in a tin after making their own drink.
Laundry facilities are available and the property has a few scooters available to rent. Scooter hire is around 200 THB (approximately 5.50 USD) per day, and helmets are provided.
Trips to make the most of your time in Umphang
You can arrange a selection of trips with the staff of Umphang House. A popular trip is to visit the magnificent Tee Lor Su Waterfall, Thailand’s biggest waterfall (in terms of water volume). You can visit the waterfall by road, travelling in a four-wheel-drive vehicle (dry season only - November to May), or you can raft along the river, followed by a hike of around one kilometre (0.62 miles). Rafting is a fun way to explore the rivers, with calmer waters and a lower water-level during the dry season and sections of fast rapids during the rainy season.
Guided hiking trips are another excellent way of exploring the jungles. Spot an abundance of local wildlife, visit ethnic villages, and enjoy the scenery.
It is also possible to arrange visits to elephant camps and elephant trekking excursions (essentially a long ride on an elephant). Before arranging such a trip, however, make sure that you are fully aware of how the beautiful creatures are treated to help you to make an informed decision as to whether this is a tourist activity that you want to support.
Getting to Umphang
Regular buses run from Bangkok and other major cities to the border town of Mae Sot. You can then take a public songtheaw to Umphang along the mountain road. A songthaew is a pickup truck that has been converted with two rows of facing seats in the back. A cover provides protection from the sun and rain, and most have plastic sides that can be dropped down during particularly heavy rainfall. Luggage is sometimes tied to the top of the vehicle.
The journey from Mae Sot to Umphang is very scenic. Passing along Highway 1090, also often referred to as the Sky Highway due to its high altitude, the road stretches for 164 kilometres (102 miles) and features more than 1,200 curves!
Stay at Umphang House and enjoy spectacular nature in a remote corner of Thailand.
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