Go Travel !! Chae Son national park in Thailand.
Trip to Chae Son National Park, Lampang
In this article, I’d like to share the story of my trip to Chae Son National Park in Lampang Province.
This park is located in northern Thailand, and there’s a connecting road from Chiang Mai — although the route through the park can be a bit winding and uneven.
The national park covers several districts: Muang Pan, Chae Hom, Wang Nuea, and Muang District, with a total area of approximately 768 square kilometers.
🌿 Chae Son Hot Springs and Nature Trails
Among the park’s highlights are the Chae Son Waterfall and the hot springs.
The waterfall flows with cool, clear water all year round. There's a stream where children can play, and visitors can walk along a nature trail that starts from the hot springs and leads to the first level of the waterfall. From there, you can continue up to the second, third, and fourth levels.
However, be warned — the trail can be quite exhausting, as you have to climb uphill following the steps built by the park. By the time you reach the second level, you’ll probably feel tired!
Relaxing and Staying at Chae Son National Park
In addition to its beautiful trails and waterfalls, the park also offers plenty of spots to sit and relax — even a small camping area beneath large, shady green trees.
This place can be visited all year round.
Winter is especially popular, as many tourists prefer to stay near the national park. There are numerous homestays and natural resorts in the area that are both charming and affordable.
For those who want to stay inside the park, there are well-maintained accommodations available for tourists.
The rooms are clean and comfortable, with clean bathrooms and ample parking. There is also a welfare restaurant that serves food for visitors.
Poaching Eggs in the Hot Springs
Another highlight of this tourist attraction is the natural hot springs, which are hot enough for visitors to poach eggs and bring them home to eat.
Our soft-boiled eggs are a special type of onsen egg. By soaking them in the hot spring for about 17 minutes, the egg white becomes soft and slightly bouncy, while the yolk is perfectly cooked.
The taste is quite similar to onsen eggs found in countries like Japan.
Be careful when poaching your eggs: the shells must remain completely intact.
If the eggs are cracked, they will absorb too much sulfur from the hot spring, which can result in a strong and unpleasant taste.
Onsen Hot Spring Facilities
There is also an onsen hot spring service available, where you can choose to soak with friends or enjoy a private single-room bath. Each room is equipped with a shelf, a sink, a shower, and the hot spring bath itself.
For those who have visited many hot springs in Thailand, you’ll know that the water temperature is usually quite high. It’s important to adjust your body gradually — bring yourself into the hot water slowly and take a short dip. Immersing your body in the hot water should be limited to less than 10 minutes at a time. Staying longer might cause dizziness or fainting. Although the hot water relaxes muscles and loosens tendons, prolonged exposure can have negative effects on the body.
At Chae Son hot spring, there is no temperature control to adjust hot or cold water, so you must be very careful when bathing here. However, if you visit during winter, I assure you that you won’t want to get out of the warm water!
Many other hot springs in Thailand have temperature controls and cold water pipes that let you adjust the water temperature to your liking, allowing for longer soaks. But that is not the case here.
After enjoying the waterfall and soaking in the hot springs, we continued on to Ban Pa Miang. The road to Ban Pa Miang passes through Chae Son and then leads uphill.
If you are coming from Chiang Mai, you can also take the route through Mae Kampong and San Kamphaeng. However, these roads are quite narrow and steep, so driving requires a high level of caution.
This is especially true during the rainy season, when the roads become slippery and dangerous. Along the roadside, you’ll notice green ferns and moss growing everywhere — which makes the surface even more slippery.
If you are unfamiliar with the route, I recommend either renting a car with a driver or driving very slowly and carefully yourself. Taking your time will help ensure a safe trip.
Ban Pa Miang Village
Ban Pa Miang is a small village located on the edge of a mountain, similar to E-Tong village that we introduced in the previous travel article. However, Ban Pa Miang is more peaceful and shaded, surrounded by forests and Miang trees, which the villagers use for their livelihood.
Nowadays, the villagers have gained more knowledge in agriculture and have started growing coffee and mulberry. Tourists can even try roasting coffee beans, grinding them, and brewing their own fresh cup of coffee. It truly is a creative tourism village.
This small village is ideal for those seeking peace and tranquility, so the villagers prefer to keep noise levels low. If you’re planning to have a drinking party or loud gathering, this place is not recommended.
Regarding shops and restaurants, some villagers open their homes to serve visitors, but options are limited. There is a fuel pump station at the top of the village in case anyone suddenly runs out of gas, and a garage at the village entrance. So, in case of emergencies, you can still find help here.
At Ban Pa Miang, there is a small waterfall flowing through the village called Namtok Song Pan. On this trip, my friends and I didn’t stay overnight because our time was limited. So, we just drove around and enjoyed the atmosphere.
However, I think if I had more free time, I would love to stay for 3–4 days. It seems like a great place to relax and clear my mind.
For this trip, I don’t have many pictures to share.
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