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Thi Lor Jor Waterfall (Nam tok Thilawjaw)

Umphang Wildlife Sancturary, Tak, Thailand

About Thi Lor Jor Waterfall (Nam tok Thilawjaw)

Rating: 1.5
Difficulty: 1
Hiking Distance: tour
Suggested Time:
Date first visited: 2009-01-03
Date last visited: 2009-01-03
Waterfall Latitude: 16.00581
Waterfall Longitude: 98.81792
Directions: Get to the waterfall
Vicinity: Find nearby waterfalls
Jump to: Photos, Videos, Other Info
Jump to: Comments and Reviews
Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

The Thi Lor Jor Waterfall (Nam tok Thilawjaw or Nam tok Teelorjor) was kind of a bonus waterfall to us because we noticed it as sort of an incidental attraction along a river journey that took us from the village of Umphang to somewhere close to the Thi Lo Su Waterfall.

That river journey was a three-hour rafting trip where the falls was somewhere in the beginning quarter or third of the ride.

Umphang_Wildlife_Sanctuary_076_01022009 - The Thi Lor Jor Waterfall and rainbow
The Thi Lor Jor Waterfall and rainbow

I believe the river journey was the only way this waterfall could be seen.

In the wet season, I’d bet the weeping walls would become much more forceful rushes of water.

When we went in late December, the falls were dropping gently into the river below (since it was the start of the Dry Season).

The tour we were on was luckily timed well as we got to see a double rainbow in the mist of this waterfall while seeing the falls glow in the sideways morning light once we got past it and looked back at it.

Umphang_Wildlife_Sanctuary_009_jx_01022009 - Some intermediate travertine cascades spilling into the Mae Klang River on our rafting tour in the Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary
Some intermediate travertine cascades spilling into the Mae Klang River on our rafting tour in the Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary

There were also other smaller weeping-wall-like waterfalls along the banks of the river though we had trouble telling one waterfall from the next.

In fact, it was conceivable that the falls could very well be part of the same tributary system (i.e. they were all different segments of the same waterfall!).

As for the rafting tour, it featured more than just this waterfall.

In addition to the nearly pristine jungle scenery (much of this area was undeveloped), there was also a stop we made at some kind of thermal spring where it was possible to dip into the geothermally heated waters there.

Umphang_Wildlife_Sanctuary_044_jx_01022009 - One of the stops on the river rafting tour that included the Thi Lor Jor Waterfall was this geothermally heated pool
One of the stops on the river rafting tour that included the Thi Lor Jor Waterfall was this geothermally heated pool

That stop was one of the few developed spots along the river.

I’ve seen this waterfall also referred to as Namtok Thilawjaw as well as Namtok Teelorjor.

Once again, I believe these multiple spellings have to do with the inexact and non-standard way of trying to romanize Thai pronunciations.

Authorities

The Thi Lor Jor Waterfall resides in Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary near Mae Sot in the Tak Province, Thailand. We couldn’t find an official site belonging to the entity administering this waterfall or its general area. Therefore, for information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, you can try to visit the National Park, Wildlife, and Plants website.

Umphang_Wildlife_Sanctuary_001_01022009 - Our songthaew carrying the raft that we were probably going to ride in through the Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary
Umphang_Wildlife_Sanctuary_007_01022009 - Now it was our turn to get into the water and journey through the Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary
Umphang_Wildlife_Sanctuary_008_jx_01022009 - Context of a raft in front of us starting their journey through the Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary
Umphang_Wildlife_Sanctuary_010_01022009 - A guide in the front of the raft paddling us through the Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary
Umphang_Wildlife_Sanctuary_012_01022009 - Our guide taking a quick break from paddling us through the Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary
Umphang_Wildlife_Sanctuary_013_01022009 - Looking ahead at another raft in front of us as we went through the Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary
Umphang_Wildlife_Sanctuary_015_01022009 - Rafting through the Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary with its dark jungles and tall cliffs lit up by the morning sun
Umphang_Wildlife_Sanctuary_023_01022009 - We noticed this interesting cave high up on the cliff while we were rafting through the Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary
Umphang_Wildlife_Sanctuary_024_01022009 - Skirting by other overhanging cliffs flanking the Mae Klang River in the Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary
Umphang_Wildlife_Sanctuary_025_01022009 - Most of the scenery looked like this throughout much of the river adventure through the Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary
Umphang_Wildlife_Sanctuary_032_01022009 - Very tiny waterfall en route to Thi Lor Jor Waterfall
Umphang_Wildlife_Sanctuary_037_01022009 - Approaching a smaller waterfall seeping into the river before reaching the Thi Lor Jor Waterfall
Umphang_Wildlife_Sanctuary_041_01022009 - Context of the thin spring spilling into the river as we rafted through the Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary
Umphang_Wildlife_Sanctuary_043_01022009 - Looking ahead at another series of weeping waterfalls trickling off the overhanging cliffs and into the river below in the Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary
Umphang_Wildlife_Sanctuary_047_01022009 - Looking back at a smaller weeping waterfall en route to Thi Lor Jor Waterfall
Umphang_Wildlife_Sanctuary_053_01022009 - Approaching what I believe to be the Thi Lor Jor Waterfall itself in the Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary
Umphang_Wildlife_Sanctuary_057_01022009 - Some folks in a raft in front of us chilling out near the Thi Lor Jor Waterfall in the Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary
Umphang_Wildlife_Sanctuary_074_01022009 - Getting closer to the Thi Lor Jor Waterfall itself with a rainbow shining in its mist
Umphang_Wildlife_Sanctuary_077_01022009 - Looking back at the Thi Lor Jor Waterfall with the benefit of sidelighting from the sun
Umphang_Wildlife_Sanctuary_080_01022009 - Looking back at the Thi Lor Jor Waterfall looking even brighter against the sidelighting of the sun in the Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary
Umphang_Wildlife_Sanctuary_082_01022009 - Mysterious look at the foot of the Thi Lor Jor Waterfall as we were well past it in the Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary
Umphang_Wildlife_Sanctuary_083_01022009 - Beyond the Thi Lor Jor Waterfall, we experienced more serenity like this at the Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary
Umphang_Wildlife_Sanctuary_091_01022009 - Context of some parked rafts as we were about to join the folks already here somewhere within the Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary
Umphang_Wildlife_Sanctuary_085_01022009 - We did make one stop in the Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary near a geothermal pool, but this gibbon was performing swinging tricks, and I got the sense that it didn't enjoy being in this 'sanctuary'
Umphang_Wildlife_Sanctuary_037_jx_01022009 - The captive gibbon seemed to exhibit lots of human characteristics during our brief stop at the Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary
Umphang_Wildlife_Sanctuary_039_jx_01022009 - People trying to soak in the warm waters of this geothermal pool in the Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary
Umphang_Wildlife_Sanctuary_044_jx_01022009 - After the Thi Lor Jor Waterfall, we then went further down the river and stopped at some kind of remote geothermal area where people could dip in this geothermally heated natural pool
Umphang_Wildlife_Sanctuary_093_01022009 - The more the day wore on, the more the fog burned off, the shadows got shorter, and the rest of the river tour through Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary pretty much looked like this until we got to the landing spot to exit our raft tour
Umphang_Wildlife_Sanctuary_099_01022009 - Still enjoying our rafting tour through the Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary
Umphang_Wildlife_Sanctuary_103_01022009 - Context of a raft in front of us towered over by a cliff flanking the Mae Klang River in the Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary
Umphang_Wildlife_Sanctuary_109_01022009 - This landing marked the end of our river rafting journey through the Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary
Umphang_Wildlife_Sanctuary_055_jx_01022009 - Next, we had to endure a bumpy ride on this rutted 4wd road towards the Thi Lo Su Waterfall complex


In our experience, this waterfall shares the same excursion as that of Namtok Thi Lo Su.

The only difference was that we put in the water from somewhere near the village of Umphang (which was also where the raft tour operator was based).

Umphang_Wildlife_Sanctuary_005_01022009 - The put in point for our rafting trip on the Mae Klang River, which included the Thi Lor Jor Waterfall
The put in point for our rafting trip on the Mae Klang River, which included the Thi Lor Jor Waterfall

The end point was near campsite at the Thi Lo Su Waterfall.

For logistics on getting all the way to Umphang, see the Namtok Thi Lo Su page.

For general context, it was about 6.5 hours drive south on the Death Highway to go from Mae Sot to Umphang. Mae Sot was 351km (5 hours drive) south of Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai was roughly 700km north of Bangkok. It would take around 9 hours to drive or a little over an hour to fly between the cities.

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Sweep from bottom (with rainbow) to the weeping top


Looking back at the waterfall with sidelighting from the sun


The captive gibbon who knows how to swing on his own during our Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary river rafting tour after having visited the Thi Lor Jor Waterfall

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Tagged with: ti lor jor, thi lor jor, thilawjaw, umphang, wildlife, sanctuary, mae klang river, central thailand, thailand, waterfall, palantha



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Johnny Cheng

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Johnny Cheng is the founder of the World of Waterfalls and author of the award-winning A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls. Over the last 2 decades, he has visited thousands of waterfalls in over 40 countries around the world and nearly 40 states in the USA.
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