San Kamphaeng Hot Springs

Geysers, boiled eggs and a foot soak, a short ride from Ontai

San Kamphaeng Hot Springs is 10–15 minutes by road from Baanpong Lodge, close enough for a morning out with time left for the lodge pool in the afternoon. I went one sunny morning for three things: the geysers, a soak, and the local habit of boiling eggs in the spring water.

Getting there

I went by scooter, on quiet rural roads past paddies and small hamlets: about 7–8 km, mostly smooth tarmac, very little traffic. By car or taxi it is still under 20 minutes, and the lodge can arrange a transfer. There is parking inside the park for a small fee. Arrive early for a space near the entrance and the cooler part of the day.

The geysers

The park is laid out as landscaped grounds with flowering shrubs, and you smell the sulphur as soon as you arrive. The geysers send water out at over 100°C, as high as 20 metres, with a loud hiss and a column of steam.

Boiling eggs, and the soaks

Vendors sell baskets of eggs, usually 4–6 to a basket. You lower them on wire dippers into pools set aside for it, and in 10–15 minutes they are hard-boiled and slightly salty from the minerals. Soy sauce is provided. Locals and tourists both do it; I spent a while getting the timing right, next to a Thai family doing the same.

Channels of warm mineral water run through the park, and soaking your feet in them is free. For more than that, you can rent a private bath room with a tub or small pool, or pay extra for the public mineral swimming pool. There are shaded picnic spots and paths with bougainvillea along them.

When to go and what to bring

After several days of walking around the lodge, the foot soak was what I appreciated most, followed by eating the eggs on a bench while the geysers went off.

Go straight after opening, before the crowds and the heat. Bring water, slip-on shoes (you go barefoot for the soaks), a towel if you plan to bathe, and sunscreen, because much of the park is in full sun. Keep back from the hottest sources; the signs are clear and the water really is boiling. The sulphur smell is noticeable but not strong.

Practical info

• Opening Hours: Daily from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM (last entry often around 5:00 PM—confirm with the lodge or on-site as it can vary slightly).
• Entry Fees: Around 100 THB for foreign adults (50 THB for children); Thai nationals pay less (around 40 THB). Additional costs: mineral pool ~50 THB, private baths 100-300+ THB depending on size/time, egg baskets ~20-50 THB.
• Facilities: Restrooms throughout, food stalls and a restaurant serving Thai meals, small shops for snacks and souvenirs, foot or full-body massage, and bungalows if you want to stay the night.
• Combine with: Lunch at the on-site eateries, or Muang On Cave, which is close to the lodge, for a cave in the morning and a soak afterwards.