Tak Travel

Best time to visit

The rainy season running from June to October shouldn’t stop you from visiting Tak or the border town of Mae Sot. But if you’re planning to see Thi Lo Su Waterfall in Umphang district keep in mind that during last few years the Wildlife Sanctuary where the waterfall is located wasn’t accessible during the rainy season due to poor quality of roads – or rather their absence – and in general trekking in that area can be quite dangerous as strong storms and flash floods are common.
From November to February the temperature is a bit cooler and there no rain thanks to what it is a perfect time to go exploring the national parks all around the province.

If visiting in the beginning of November don’t miss Loy Krathong Festival; Tak is considered one of the best places in Thailand to celebrate Loy Krathong and yearly attracts a lot of local tourist.

Check the below table for the general idea of Tak weather throughout the year.

Tak’s current weather and 7-day forecast

TAK WEATHER

Nam Tok Thilawsu

Located in the Um Phang Wildlife Sanctuary, this waterfall is Thailand’s largest, measuring an estimated 200m high and up to 400m wide during the rainy season. Thais, particularly fanatical about such things, consider Nam Tok Thilawsu to be the most beautiful waterfall in the country. There’s a shallow cave behind the falls and several levels of pools suitable for swimming.

The easy 2km path between the sanctuary headquarters and falls has been transformed into a self-guided nature tour. Surrounding the falls on both sides of the river are some of Thailand’s thickest stands of natural forest, and the hiking in the vicinity of Nam Tok Thilawsu can be superb. The forest here is said to contain more than 1300 varieties of palm; giant bamboo and strangler figs are also commonplace.

The best time to visit is from November to February (after the rainy season) when the 200m to 400m limestone cliffs alongside Mae Nam Klong are streaming with water and Nam Tok Thilawsu is at its wettest. In recent years, the access road to the sanctuary headquarters has been closed for part of the rainy season (June to September) to ease environmental damage. It's still possible to visit the waterfall at this time, but only by a three-hour raft trip, followed by a 30 minute 4WD trip to the sanctuary headquarters.

Um Phang Wildlife Sanctuary

The Nam Tok Thilawsu falls are near the headquarters of the Um Phang Wildlife Sanctuary, which is about 50km from Um Phang, towards Sangkhlaburi in Kanchanaburi Province. The wildlife sanctuary links with the Thung Yai Naresuan National Park and Huay Kha Kaeng Wildlife Sanctuary (another Unesco World Heritage site), as well as Khlong Lan and Mae Wong National Parks to form one of Thailand's largest wildlife corridors and one of the largest intact natural forests in Southeast Asia.

The 2km path between the headquarters and falls has been transformed into a self-guided nature tour, with the addition of well-conceived educational plaques. Surrounding the falls on both sides of the river are Thailand's thickest stands of natural forest, and the hiking in the vicinity of Nam Tok Thilawsu can be superb. The forest here is said to contain more than 1300 varieties of palm; giant bamboo and strangler figs are also commonplace.

Nam Tok Thararak

Nam Tok Thararak, 26km southeast of Mae Sot, streams beside a picturesque chedi and over limestone cliffs and calcified rocks with a rough texture that makes climbing the falls easy. It’s been made into a park of sorts, with benches right in the stream at the base of the falls for cooling off. On weekends food vendors set up here. The turn-off isn’t clear; look for the sign indicating Chedi Kho.

Borderline Shop

This long-running shop sells arts and crafts made by refugee and ethnic-minority women; the profits go back into a women’s collective and a child-assistance foundation. The upstairs art gallery hosts local painters, and the house is also home to a tea garden and cookery course.

Nam Tok Pha Charoen

Located 41km southeast of Mae Sot, this impressive waterfall with 97 limestone tiers is located in the national park of the same name. It gushes down all year round.

Tham Ta Khu Bi

From Ban Mae Klong Mai, just a few kilometres north of Um Phang via the highway to Mae Sot, Rte 1167 heads southwest along the Thai–Myanmar border. Along the way is the cave system of Tham Ta Khu Bi, which in Karen allegedly means ‘Flat Mango’. There are no guides here, so be sure to bring your own torch (flashlight).

Municipal Market

Mae Sot’s municipal market is among the largest and most vibrant we’ve encountered anywhere in Thailand. There’s heaps of exotic stuff from Myanmar, including books, sticks of thanaka (the source of the yellow powder that you'll see on many Burmese faces: it's a natural sunscreen), bags of pickled tea leaves and velvet thong flip-flops (known as 'slippers' in Myanmar) from Mandalay.

Tak doesn’t offer either Westert tourists oriented guesthouses nor any backpackers’ style accommodation. Nevertheless, a few affordable hotels with cheap fan rooms and private bathrooms can still be found in the city centre within a walking distance from the river and everything else that Tak has to offer. There are similarly limited offer in the higher category, but one new boutique hotel and one quite aged luxury veteran are never ful, anyway. Reservation is not necessary unless you are coming to town during Loy Krathong Festival.

Budget options

Tak Andaman Resort & Hotel 

Add: 121 Moo 1,Muang Tak, 63000 Tak, Thailand

Set in Tak, Tak Andaman Resort & Hotel offers a garden. Among the facilities of this property are a restaurant, a 24-hour front desk and a shared lounge, along with free WiFi. Guests can enjoy garden views.

The units in the hotel are equipped with a TV with cable channels. At Tak Andaman Resort & Hotel, all rooms are fitted with air conditioning and a private bathroom.

à la carte and American breakfast options are available every morning at the accommodation.

Home Paradise Resort Tak 

Add: 77/2 Moo 10, T.Numrum, A.Muang, 63000 Tak, Thailand

Just 2 km away from Tak province, Home Paradise Resort is surrounded tropical gardens. Offering free bike rentals and rooms with free Wi-Fi, it also features an outdoor pool.

Home Paradise Resort Tak is a 50-minute drive from Sukhothai Airport or about a 6-hour bus ride from Bangkok City.
Fitted with tiled flooring, simply furnished rooms at Home Paradise come with air conditioning and a fan. Featuring a balcony, each room is also equipped with a TV and DVD player. A tea/coffee maker and minibar are included.

Guests can have meals at the resort’s restaurant, which serves a variety of Italian, Thai and Western a la carte meals.

Drinks can be enjoyed at Resort Home Paradise’s bar.

Mid-range options

Silayok Grand Hotel 

Add:  315/18 ถ.มหาดไทยบำรุง ต.ระแหง อ.เมือง, 63000 Tak, Thailand

Offering a comfortable accommodation, Silayok Grand Hotel is located in Tak. The hotel offers free WiFi access in all areas and free private parking on site.

All guestrooms come with air conditioning, a flat-screen cable TV and a refrigerator. Fitted with a shower, the en suite bathroom also includes towels and free toiletries.

At Silayok Grand Hotel guests can find a 24-hour front desk as well as a garden. Free newspapers are also available daily at the lobby area.

For dining options, guests can find restaurants serving a wide variety of Thai and international dishes within a short drive. Supermarkets and convenience stores are also located nearby.

Conveniently located near the highway, guests can easily access Tak's must see destinations within a short drive. These attractions include Wat Manee Banpot Worawihan (1.1 km) and Somdej Phrachao Taksin Maharat Shrine (2.3 km). Tak Bus Terminal is just 1.8 km away from the property.

Deluxe options

White House 

Add: 333/3, Moo. 7, Mai Ngam, Mueang Tak, 63000 Tak, Thailand 

White House has free bikes, outdoor swimming pool, a shared lounge and garden in Tak. This 4-star hotel offers a 24-hour front desk and luggage storage space. There is a sun terrace and guests can make use of free WiFi and free private parking.

All guest rooms come with air conditioning, a flat-screen TV with satellite channels, a fridge, a kettle, a shower, a hairdryer and a desk. At the hotel the rooms are equipped with a wardrobe and a private bathroom.
Buffet and Asian breakfast options are available every morning at White House.

1. Pad Thai Trok Ban Chin

If anyone has a chance to visit Trok Ban Chin community, one of Tak’s popular tourist attractions, make sure to try the traditional pad thai recipe which has been sold here by more than four generations. The unique recipe of Pat Thai Trok Ban Chin is pad thai without shrimp that is still surprisingly tasty. The shop’s signature pad thai sauce, made with salted soya beans is delicious and stir-fried to perfection with high-quality noodles that are then wrapped in egg. The dish is served with lime, spring onion, and banana blossoms. Besides pad thai, there are more dishes, including tom yam noodles and stir-fried noodles.

Location  : Use Ta Ruea Road to enter into Ban Chin Alley. The shop is near the end of the alley.

2. Khao Tom Pong Karee

Khao Tom Pong Karee, which is also known as yellow boiled rice because of its yellow colour coming from the pong karee or curry powder, is the main dish at this popular food stall. People from Tak usually have it for breakfast with minced pork and fried red onion, parsley, and crispy fried wontons on top. Sprinkling some pepper on it makes it even tastier! The stall is opposite from the 7-Eleven Nong Luang Branch. Anyone who wants to try this dish has to get there very early because it is often sold out by 09:00 AM. This dish is even more delicious if you during the cool season at the end of the year.

Location  : Opposite to 7-Eleven Nong Luang Branch, Amphur Mueang, Tak Province

3. Tieng Na Coffee & Bakery Farm

This atmospheric café blends a minimal, modern aesthetic with cosy farm living. Trees and vegetable gardens grow around the area and are used for ingredients at the restaurant. Main dishes, beverages, and desserts are served here. The recommended beverage is Tieng Na Coffee, which coffee lovers appreciate for its particularly fragrant aroma and taste. For desserts, there is blueberry cheese pie, choux cream, and chocolate mousse decorated with gold leaf. Besides the delicious food, there are also many outdoor spots for taking photos around the including the vegetable plots and rice field. Photographers won’t want to miss it!

Address  : 27/28 Phahon Yothin Road, Tambon Mai Ngam, Amphur Mueang Tak, Tak Province 63000

Opening Time  : Open daily from 08:00 a.m. - 04:00 p.m.

Get in

By plane

There is no direct flight to Tak. The nearest airport is in Mae Sot (90 km west of Tak), served by Nok Air from Bangkok (DMK). From there, minibuses are departing about hourly and need two hours to Tak.

Contact us for the latest flight schedule and price. Or you can check via some online platform such as SkyScanner.com or Kayak.com

Here you can find some tips to book the cheapest flight

By bus

Buses leave Bangkok's Mo Chit or northern terminal regularly and shouldn't cost more than 300 baht for an air conditioned bus. The journey should take about 7 hours, but allow for longer. From the bus stop it's about a 10 min walk to town centre and about 20 min to Viang Tak. At night, take a samlor to avoid Tak's aggressive feral dogs.

The Transport Company Limited offers daily bus service between Bangkok and Tak between 05:30–13:00 and 16:30–22:00, and between Bangkok and Mae Sot between 08:00–19:00. For further information, contact the Bangkok (Northern) Bus Terminal (Chatuchak) or Mo Chit Mai, Tel. +66 2 9362852–66, or visit their website. For a private bus between Bangkok and Tak between 09:30–22:00, and between Bangkok and Mae Sot at 22:00, contact Than Chit Tour, Tel. +66 55 511307 or Bangkok office Tel. +66 2 9363210–13. For service between Bangkok and Tak between 12:30–22:00, and between Bangkok and Mae Sot at 22:15, contact Choet Chai Tour, Tel. +66 55 511054, +66 55511057 or Bangkok office Tel. +66 2 9360199.

The Transport Company Limited and private operators offer air conditioned and ordinary bus services between Mae Sot (Tak) to Kamphaeng Phet, Nakhon Sawan, Phitsanulok, Lom Sak (Phetchabun), Lampang, Phayao, Chiang Mai, Mae Sai (Chiang Rai), Chum Phae (Khon Kaen), and Bo Rai (Chanthaburi). For further information, contact the Tak Provincial Bus Terminal, Tel. +66 55 511057; Mae Sot Bus Terminal, Tel. +66 55 532949; or Thai Phatthanakit Khonsong Company on Intharakhiri Rd, Mae Sot, servicing Mae Sot–Chiang Rai–Mae Sai, Tel. +66 55 532331.

We recommend you check the latest bus schedule and price via rome2rio.com

By car

From Bangkok, take Hwy 1 (Phahonyothin Rd) and switch to Hwy 32 (Asian Highway). Drive through Ayutthaya, Ang Thong, Sing Buri, and Chai Nat. After arriving in Nakhon Sawan, turn left to Hwy 1. Travel through Kamphaeng Phet and head for Tak. The total distance is 420 km and takes around 5 hours.

Get around

Tuk-tuks can be picked up at the bus station and are reasonably priced.

Rental vehicles, including motorbikes, are non-existent. The town centre is not very big and you can easily walk around it in less than an hour. There are some samlors which hang out at the various 7-Elevens. Your accommodation's staff will likely be able to advise you. When travelling at night, other than along the riverside, be careful of stray dogs.