น้ำตกวังสายทอง

Namtok Wang Sai Thong

Useful Information

Location:	Nam Phut, La-ngu District, Satun 91110. (7.090043, 99.909178)
Open:	no restrictions. Shops and cafés: All year daily 8-18. [2021]
Fee:	free. [2021]
Classification:	Tufa Deposits Sinter Terraces
Light:	n/a
Dimension:
Guided tours:
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Namtok Wang Sai Thong, Forest Protection Unit of the Khao Bunthad Wildlife Sanctuary, Nam Phut, La-ngu District, Satun 91110, Tel: +66-61-226-4337. Tel: +66-7521-5867, Tel: +66-7521-1058, Tel: +66-7521-1085
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

Description

น้ำตกวังสายทอง (Namtok Wang Sai Thong) is what is sometimes called a growing rock. A limestone rich karst spring is precipitating the limestone in the river bed below the spring, forming a huge deposit fsweetwater limestone or tufa. In this case the deposit forms a series of rimstone pool of decent size. With the pools and the waterfalls over the rims it is considered a waterfall and bathing spot by the locals. However, it is an extraordinary geotope too.

The amount of water is rather high in tropical Thailand, so the amount of limestone which is deposited is also enormous. The spring locate in forest is surrounded by trees, and over time numerous trees have been overgrown by the limestone. It's not a big problem at the beginning but finaly kills the tree, which rots and leaves a vertical hole in the limestone. The shady forest ist aso a reason why this is such a popular bathing spot, even in the shade the tropical temperatures are quite high and so some swimming in the cooler water is nice. In other countries spectacular rimstone pools would be under nature protection and fenced off, but Thailand has an abundance of such sites and so it is an official bathing spot. So it is quite consequential that there are no trails to visit the site. If you want to see the pools you must dress accordingly in bathing suit and preferably with some kind of shoes which allow walking on the slippery ground. And then you have to swim and climb up the cascades.