Destination waterfall

Phrom Lok Waterfall is a large fall with about 50 levels, but only four are open to the public due to its tough routes. The first level of the falls is called Nan Wang Nam Won since it is full of whirlpools. It holds historical importance for being visited by King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit in 1959 and HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana, the elder sister of King Bhumibol, in 2003. HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana also visited Karom Waterfall as part of Khao Luang National Park. This 19-level falls was visited by King Rama V, four of his sons, and one of his younger brothers Prince Damrong Rajanuphap in 1897 and by King Rama VI in 1917. The areas around both Phrom Lok and Karom waterfalls boast nature trail routes.

A 4 minute 36 second film clip showing the happy time spent by the young King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit at the stunning Phrom Lok Waterfall in Phrom Khiri district, Nakhon Si Thammarat province, in 1959 brings smiles and tears of joy to almost everyone who views it. This has inspired many to visit tambon Phrom Lok, which is now easy to reach by car unlike when the royal couple travelled by Jeep on a 10km dirt road.

"The Phrom Lok community has been a popular tourist destination for over a decade likely because of people's awareness of the royal visit of King Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit to Phrom Lok Waterfall," a local woman and also a member of the Phrom Lok Community Tourism Enterprise said.

Rangsit Chalermwan, deputy mayor of Phrom Lok Municipality, added that Phrom Lok is a major tourist attraction with abundant natural resources, including forests and water sources, and also known as the community of fruits.

King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit visited Phrom Lok Waterfall in 1959. After the king utilised a movie camera to capture the beautiful scenery as well as the queen who cheerfully climbed up a specially built wooden staircase to the waterfall, he came to sit beside the queen who sweetly smiled and talked to him. Hand in hand, the royal couple strolled to the waterside. The king filmed the queen playing with water, smiling and examining leaves floating on the water. After having a meal, the royal couple was requested to engrave their royal initials Phor Por Ror and Sor Kor on the rock wall of the waterfall in memory of their visit.

Phrom Lok is famous for various kinds of fruits, such as durian, longkong, langsat, mangosteen, rambutan and champedak, as well as sator, or stink bean.

Metta Anuphan, village headman of Moo 1 Village in Phrom Lok, said: "Our community has various things to offer tourists in line with the Amazing Thailand Go Local Campaign. Increasing tourist arrivals allow us to develop community tourism here."

According to him, local people have joined hands to operate community tourism and homestays for more than 10 years.

Located 807km from Bangkok and about 30km or a 30 minutes' drive from Muang district, Phrom Lok Community has numerous natural attractions, local food and a variety of fruits for tourists to enjoy.

A must-see in the community is Phrom Lok Waterfall visited by several royals. This waterfall is one of 10 in Khao Luang National Park.

Phrom Khiri district is also known for Wat Khao Phanom, a temple with a legend about King Taksin the Great who saved Siam from being under Burmese rule and founded Thonburi Kingdom in 1767. The legend says that King Taksin spent the rest of his life in the monkhood there.

Village headman Metta said: "Apart from Wat Khao Phanom, I recommend Wang Pla Ngae which has crystal clear water and is safe for everyone to swim. Another must-see is somrom, a kind of orchard where people grow different types of fruits, herbs and wild plants near their houses."

Kitsana Kaewtumrong, director, International Advertising Publicity Division, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), said Nakhon Si Thammarat is one of the 55 "secondary provinces" where community tourism is promoted in less popular destinations under the TAT's Amazing Thailand Go Local Campaign in order to ensure fair income distribution.

According to him, local communities under the campaign must possess unique characteristics and focus on cleanliness, anti-global warming measures and local people and tourists' participation in cultural conservation.

Located in tambon Phrom Lok, Wang Pla Ngae is a part of a natural stream flowing from Luang Range. It is the habitat of thousands of soro brook carp, or pla phluang, which are called pla ngae by local people. It is a popular attraction and a role model of water sources conservation by local communities.

The TAT wants community tourism to attract a new generation of tourists by selecting communities in line with their needs. A team of designers from Bangkok University was invited to decorate and present local dishes in an interesting way and renovate homestays in 14 local communities, including Phrom Lok. Selected social media volunteers were invited to tour the communities and post their photos and comments.

In addition, the TAT has been promoting the Amazing Thailand Tourism Year 2018 and the Amazing Thailand -- Open To The New Shades campaign through the painting of four Thai AirAsia aircraft. The fourth has been painted under the theme Shades of the River and decorated with photos of tourist attractions in secondary provinces. The objective is to create a nice atmosphere and inspire people to travel to these places. The first flight of the fourth aircraft was bound for Nakhon Si Thammarat.

Topaz Subunrak, head of sustainability and communications, Thai AirAsia, said Phrom Lok is one of the four local communities under the airline's pilot project called Journey D to work with locals to promote sustainable community tourism.

Khao Luang National Park is Thailand’s ninth national park. Covering an area of 570km² in seven districts of Nakhon Si Thammarat, it was declared a national park on Dec 18, 1974. Its huge size and fertility have brought it the nicknames ‘The Green Roof Of The South’, ‘The Super Watershed Of Muang Nakhon’ and ‘Mountains And Cliffs Of Tree Fern’. It is home to the South’s highest mountain, which is 1,835m above sea level. The park is dominated by high mountains and rainforests. Commonly found trees are tree fern (mahasadam or z Continued from page 1 Cyathea moluccana), Malacca teak (loompho), iron wood, orange champak, yang, rhododendrons (kularb phanpi) and giant fishtail palm (taorang yak). Rare orchids like euang sai soet (Coelogyne rochussenii de Vriese) and singto baiphat leuang (Cirrhopetalum skeateanum Garay) can be seen there. It is also the habitat of numerous species of wildlife, including tapirs, serows, macaques, dusky langurs, wild boars, mouse deer, green-tailed sunbirds and hornbills.

Tasty local dishes in Phrom Lok are kaeng som mangkhud (mangosteen curry), phak miang pad khai (baegu fried with egg), sator phad kapi (stink bean in chilli and shrimp paste), mu kung phad kapi (pork and prawns in shrimp paste) and nam phrik luk pra (chilli paste added with a kind of local nuts called pra). Pra tastes like almonds and can be eaten alone as nuts. It is traditionally used in local cuisine and herbal medicines in Thailand. Another must-try is khanom la, a local dessert.

All over tambon Phrom Lok and also on the way to Phrom Lok Waterfall, tourists can see somrom orchards where various kinds of trees, including durian, mangosteen and langsat, are grown. Small amounts of each strain are planted for consumption. This tradition has been practised there for over a century, according to Metta Anuphan, headman of Moo 1 Village. Thailand has over 30,000 plant genetics, all originated in forests amid different ecologies. Rural people realise the value of plants, so they search for and collect seeds of plants from forests and grow them in community forests. The diversity of plant genetics provide people with food, medicine, clothes, housing and tools. The way rural people grow various types of wild plants near their houses is a way to conserve plant genetics in daily life.

TRAVEL INFO

 

• Nakhon Si Thammarat is convenient to reach by car, bus, train and plane.
• For more information about travel in Nakhon Si Thammarat, call the TAT Nakhon Si Thammarat Office at 07-534-6515/6 or the TAT Contact Centre 1672.
• For more information about travel, homestays and attractions in Tambon Phrom Lok, call Phrom Lok Community Tourism Enterprise at Tel 087-273-3259.