Discover Wang Thong

A waterfall almost 200 metres wide, a river with two names, and a rafting route that goes as far as the area above another waterfall are among Wang Thong’s natural highlights. There is also an arboretum on the riverbank and cultural sites with stories of their own. When choosing a holiday rental for your trip, you can consider whether the river and waterfalls, nature or culture should shape your stay most.

The Khek River and the rafting route

The Khek River, also called the Wang Thong River, flows for about 38 kilometres through Wang Nok Aen and has water year-round. It is therefore a distinctive landmark in the district’s landscape. A rafting route on the Khek starts in the area of Ban Sap Phrai Wan in the subdistrict of Kaeng Sopha and continues to the area above Kaeng Song Waterfall. There is also a rafting departure point on the river in Ban Tha Kham, Moo 5, in the subdistrict of Wang Nok Aen. These location details offer a concrete point of reference if you are interested in making the river a focus of your trip.

Waterfalls with distinct characteristics

Poi Waterfall blocks the course of the Khek River. It is almost 200 metres wide and about 10 metres high. These measurements give the waterfall a striking scale among Wang Thong’s natural sites. Kaeng Song Waterfall is in Ban Kaeng Song, Moo 9, in the subdistrict of Kaeng Sopha. The village of Ban Kaeng Song is an OTOP community tourism site. This provides both the waterfall’s precise location and the village’s designation as points of reference.

Tham Phra Waterfall is described differently: it is a natural waterfall whose source is in the mountains. Lan Nam Khek Waterfall is considered an important waterfall and is located in Moo 3, Ban Huai Phlu, in the subdistrict of Kaeng Sopha. If you would like to include different waterfall-related themes in your travel plans, you can find details here about distinctive dimensions as well as the source area and location. Thung Salaeng Luang National Park also extends across parts of Wang Thong District; it is Thailand’s third national park.

The arboretum and getting your bearings locally

Sakunothayan Arboretum is on the right bank of the Khek, or Wang Thong, River. It was originally established as Wang Nok Aen Forest Park and renamed Sakunothayan in 1958. Sakunothayan Waterfall and the arboretum are located in Moo 2 of Ban Wang Nok Aen, in the subdistrict of Wang Nok Aen, on Highway 12 between Phitsanulok and Lom Sak. These shared location details show where these two named natural sites are situated; the arboretum’s history adds a historical dimension to a visit.

There is also a specific, recent point of reference for Phai Si Thong Waterfall: on 13 November 2025, officials from the Wang Nok Aen local administration repaired and improved the area and installed signs. The aim was to promote the site as a beautiful and safe natural attraction for residents and tourists. This describes the measure taken at the time, not a fixed event or visiting schedule.

Cultural discoveries and travel style

Wat Kok Mai Daeng offers a different theme from the river and waterfalls. At this attraction, visitors can walk beneath a Guanyin statue and a large reclining Buddha to make merit. For travellers interested in religious culture as well as natural sites, this visit can be considered a distinct focus of a trip to Wang Thong.

Your travel interests can help guide where you choose a holiday rental: if you mainly want to explore the Khek River and the waterfalls, you can take the locations mentioned into account in your search; if you want to combine different nature and culture themes, you can weigh those options as well. Wang Nok Aen is served by an intercity bus on the Phitsanulok–Nakhon Thai–Chat Trakan–Lom Sak–Chum Phae–Khon Kaen–Udon Thani route. This connection is a useful point of reference for travel planning; no specific departure times or frequency are implied.

Discover more destinations

You can also explore these destinations: Nakhon Thai District, Chat Trakan District, Wat Bot District.

Return to the main travel overview: Phitsanulok.