Erawan National Park

Erawan National Park, Thailand

Sunlight catches the turquoise tiers of Erawan Falls as water spills over limestone rocks into forest pools.

Go for the turquoise tiers of Erawan Falls, and for a cooler, quieter forest day than Kanchanaburi town offers.

The place

Erawan National Park lies in the Tenasserim Hills of Kanchanaburi Province, in western Thailand, roughly 50 kilometres northwest of Kanchanaburi town. Its 550 square kilometres stretch across several subdistricts and meet neighbouring protected land on nearly every side, so the park feels far larger than the single road that leads into it. Most of the ground is limestone mountain, with peaks reaching 996 metres, and the streams that drain these slopes drop through the forest in steps. The park was established in 1975 and was slightly reduced in area in 1995. The climate follows the monsoons, but the park sits in the rain shadow of the hills, so it receives less rain than its green canopy might suggest. Most people come for Erawan Falls, the seven-tiered cascade at the heart of the park. The rest of the park is quieter: forest trails, limestone outcrops and a few caves. Facilities are modest. The headquarters has cabins and a camping area, and a handful of restaurants serving Thai food stand just outside the entrance. Alcohol is banned in Thai national parks, so there is no bar or drinks trade inside. Weekends and Thai public holidays bring the heaviest crowds to the falls, and the walk up them can be steep, so plan for heat and an early start.

Its story

The park's formal history begins in 1975, when it was declared the twelfth national park of Thailand in the Royal Gazette and took effect the following day. Its creation was part of a wider push by then-Prime Minister Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat to set aside forest in the hill ranges of Kanchanaburi, a region where logging and clearance had been reshaping the landscape. The boundaries did not stay fixed. In 1995 the area was modified, trimmed slightly, so the park as it stands today is the product of two decisions taken two decades apart. The land itself tells a longer story. The hills are karst, formed from limestone that dissolves slowly under rain and running water, which is why the slopes are broken by cliffs, sinkholes and caves. Water finds its way through this rock and emerges as springs and streams. Several of the streams in the wider area feed the Srinagarind Dam, now part of the neighbouring Khuean Srinagarindra National Park, while others run down into the falls that draw visitors to Erawan today. The park's name is tied to its waterfall, and the falls are the piece of the story most people carry home. Much of the rest of its history, including its earlier use by local communities and the detail of how boundaries were drawn, is less well recorded in the sources available for this reading, so it is best read as a sketch rather than a full account.

What to see

Culture

Erawan is a protected forest first and a tourist site second, and the rules reflect that. Alcohol is banned in Thai national parks, so keep drinks to water and soft drinks. Thai culture places a high value on modest dress, and while the park is relaxed, cover your shoulders and knees if you stop at a temple or a cave shrine. Visitors are expected to queue patiently at the falls, to keep the paths clear for others, and to carry rubbish back out rather than leaving it at the pools. Keep noise down near the water, and do not climb onto the rock ledges where the park staff have asked people to stay back. Before you go into the cave, follow the guide's instructions about where to walk and where to stop. In the rainy season, if the water turns suddenly brown or cloudy, leave the falls at once and follow the rangers without argument, since flash floods can arrive quickly. When you are in doubt, follow what the rangers and the guides tell you, because that is how the park stays open. Wear a life vest where it is required, and never swim past the marked areas.

What to wear

Traditional Thai dress for women is the sinh, a wrapped skirt woven in silk or cotton, often with a woven band of contrasting colour at the hem. The phasin, a tube-cut patterned cloth, is the everyday version in many regions and is still worn for work and village life. Formal events call for silk, with the wrap skirt paired with a fitted top. Men traditionally wear the pakama, a tubular wrap cloth, at home and in rural settings. The sources for this reading do not describe local textile traditions specific to the Erawan area, so these are the national patterns you will see across Thailand. In everyday life, people in Kanchanaburi wear light cotton, shorts and t-shirts, and jeans, with flip-flops or trainers, and the heat means loose, breathable clothing is the norm. For your own visit, dress for heat and for the terrain. Pack quick-drying shorts or lightweight trousers, a T-shirt you can get wet, and sturdy sandals with straps or closed trainers with good grip for the wet, slippery rock of the falls. Carry a light shirt for the cave and for sun protection. Cover your shoulders and knees if you visit a temple or a shrine on the way.

What to eat

Plan it

Best time. December and January are the cool, dry season and the most comfortable time for the falls and the trails. March and April are hot, and May to October is the rainy season, when the falls run strongest but flash floods can occur, so check with the park before you go.

How long. 1–2

Getting there. Kanchanaburi town is the usual base. From Bangkok, drive west on the main highways to Kanchanaburi, then follow the signed road to the park. A regular bus runs from Kanchanaburi bus station toward the park during the day, but check the current timetable locally, since services change.

Budget. low

Tips

Etiquette

Nearby

Sources