Khao Chang Phueak Mountain (Thong Pha Phum)

1,249m (4,098 ft)

The trail to the top of Khao Chang Phueak is 8km one way, and 16km in total. It takes between 4 and 6 hours to ascend and 3-4 hours to descend. It requires a stopover for the night at a campsite near the top for most hikers.

The trail can take longer if there is severe weather or if a group of hikers decides to break it up into more parts.

This is a challenging hike, which can be dangerous due to the sharp drop-off on either side of the ridge where the trail is situated.

The hike starts on a flat road, which then shortly becomes an incline. This part of the trail is well-worn, and the vegetation consists of short, lush grass and sparse trees.

The trail then comes to the main attraction of this hike, the San Khom Mead, which means Knife-edge, and goes atop a long ridge with a steep drop-off on either side. This can be quite dangerous as hikers must walk single file holding onto a rope to prevent falling off.

The top boasts a 360˚ view of the scenery below.

The weather along Khao Chang Phueak is not so bad, but the trail is not open throughout the year.

The temperatures in the area are consistently warm year-round, with the overall average temperature per month ranging between 74˚F and 80˚F (23˚C and 26.6˚C). The hottest month of the year is April when the lows average 75˚F/23.8˚C and the highs average 92˚F/33˚C.The coldest month of the year is December when the lows average 66˚F/18.9˚C and the highs average 83˚F/28˚C.

The area experiences significant rain between May and October when there are between 12 and 21 days of rain on average per month. The drier months are from November to April when there are between 0 and 7 days of rain on average per month.

This trail is only open to the public between October and February and is sometimes closed due to weather or danger posed by elephants.

Quality hiking boots, hiking poles, and gloves for climbing and holding onto rocks (as well as the rope along the trail) are recommended for this trail.

Other important things to bring include camping equipment, long-sleeved shirts and pants, and a first aid kit.

There are no special facilities available along the trail, and there is no source of water. Hikers must bring 3-5 litres of water with them for drinking and cooking, as well as all food needed.

Guides and porters are required to embark on this trek.

They can be arranged from the Thong Pha Phum National Park headquarters. This is the park in which the mountain is located. Bookings must be made seven days in advance. They will provide both a guide team and porters.

Khao Chang Phueak is located about 5-7 hours away from Bangkok by road. It is situated within Thong Pha Phum National Park, Thong Pha Phum District, in Kanchanaburi province. The closest village is Pilok village, which is about 5.3km away.

To get to the starting point one must take several busses or hire a car.

From Bangkok, travellers can catch a bus or a minibus to Kanchanaburi (this takes about 2.5 hours). From there one must catch the next bus to Thong Pha Phum District. This will take about 2 hours, and you will get off the bus at Thong Pha Phum Market.

There is a pick-up service that takes tourists from the Market to Thong Pha Phum National Park. This service operates on a schedule that must be consulted before making travel arrangements.

This trail is quite risky due to the nature of the terrain. The “knife’s edge” ridge caused a woman to fall 20m down the slope in 2017 and she experienced significant injuries.

Make sure you are in good physical condition before embarking on this trek and do not attempt to do it alone as a fall could be fatal, especially if there is no one to call for help.