Hot springs near Chiang Mai
There are plenty of hotsprings in Northern Thailand
Just 30kms east of Chiang Mai city lies the popular hotsprings of Sankhampeng. Though they may seem redundant in a hot tropical climate, the geysers and warm pools remain a popular attraction and certainly draw the crowds in the cooler months. But there are numerous others scattered about Northern Thailand and they offer a interesting sight for those exploring the mountainous landscape, where it does get quite cold in the winter.
Natural hot springs are loaded with health-giving minerals that are said to offer benefits to the body, not to mention the feeling of warm waters against the skin makes for a relaxing experience. The heat itself is said to release mental stress, relieve muscle aches and backache, help skin problems, and promote well being in general.
There are many areas in Thailand where hot springs emerge from the earth, including in the south but especially in the north around the Chiang Mai region. Some have been developed as attractions and are thus a bit touristy, like Sankampaeng hot springs, yet others are beautifully set amid stunning scenery with hardly anyone around.
Sankampaeng
Located about 25 miles to the east of Chiang Mai city, Sankampaeng hot springs are on the tourist trail and one of the most visited attractions in the province. The boiling springs are set in a lovely area and are free to enter. You can see where they come out of the ground and there are also public and private pools onsite that utilise the hot water.
Also in the area is the Sankampaeng Handicraft Village and nearby ‘umbrella’ village of Borsang. Accommodation is available near the springs at the Sankamphaeng Hot Spring Co-operative Village (phone: +66 1 510 0418). More on the Samkampeng district.
Pai - Thapae
The hot springs in the nearby mountain village of Pai, Mae Hong Son province, are also popular. The hot springs are a little south of town and are located in a small reserve which is costs 200 baht entry. Some of the nearby resorts have built public pools using the same spring water and offer better value at 100 baht. A stream runs through the park and parts of it have been dammed off to provide pools where you can boil an egg. If you want to bathe in the springs, you’ll have to head farther downstream where the hot water mixes with the cold of the stream.
Hot springs 20 minutes drive from Chiang Mai
The best thing about these springs is their accessibility, being just a short distance from Pai and a short walk from the car park at the park headquarters. Also nearby are a couple of resorts within earshot of the springs that have taken advantage and piped in some of the run-off to feed their various spa pools. Tha Pai Spa Camping is the most popular and you can use their pools even if you’re not a guest, for a small fee of course. More on Pai.
Pong Duead
On the way to Pai from Chiang Mai in Huay Nam Dang National Park, these hot springs are a lot more impressive than those in Pai. There are three or four of them and they shoot water from geysers up to six or seven feet in height, with clouds of steam bellowing tens of feet into the air. There is also a natty nature trail here - Pong Duead Nature Trail – which stretches for about a mile, along with many waterfalls and viewpoints.
Huay Nam Dang National Park comes with a few guest houses near the park headquarters and there are also campsites here. You will find the park between kilometre markers KM65 and KM66 on the main Chiang Mai to Pai highway, 1095. Entrance is 200 baht and there is a 10km access road off the main road.
Mae Hong Son
The town of Mae Hong Son also comes with a couple of decent hot springs - Pha Bong and Muang Paeng hot springs. Pha Bong, the main one, is about five miles to the south of town on the main highway 108 and comes with mineral water bath cubicles. There are also large, natural-looking pools outdoors and it is free to enter.
Mae Taeng
Just north of Chiang Mai is Mae Taeng district, which comes with a couple of good hot springs. Pha Pae hot spring (Pong Nam Duet) lies in a pretty valley and park and is less commercialised than many others in Thailand, meaning a much nicer experience. Rung Arun hot spring is another worthwhile hot spring in Mae Taeng.
Fang
Also north of Chiang Mai, Fang has dozens of hot springs in a close-knit forested area. You can find them at Ban Pin to the northwest of Fang town. Temperatures go upwards of 90°C and the largest hot spring emits a constant jet of steam. This is perhaps the most impressive hot spring landscape of the all, like a moon surface scattered with geysers (and even some fake rocks!), as well as regular spout.
Chae Sawn (Jae Son)
Chae Sawn National Park is a bit of a hidden gem as far as tourism goes in the north, and is ideal because of this. It is a rich mountainous area just east of Chiang Mai and northeast of Lampang town and comes with notable hot springs, along with an impressive cascading waterfall and some caves.
The hot water comes from nine boreholes and runs down a small stream right in the centre of the park’s main area. The 70ºC waters are mixed with the cooler waters of the waterfall and fed into a series of private spas and two main covered pools. There are more than a dozen rooms for bathing Thai-style. Twelve bungalows and a couple of dormitories are also onsite along with a series of small shops and market stalls.
You can get to Chae Sawn National Park directly from Lampang and Chiang Mai. From the latter take the road towards Sankampaeng from Chiang Mai and then pass through the village of Mae Kampong.
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