Phu Soi Dao Hiking & Travel Guide

Phu Soi Dao is a mountain in Uttaradit, Thailand. This guide covers how to visit it, what to expect and how to build a day around it.

Phu Soi Dao at a Glance

• What it is: mountain (Hiking)
• Where it is: Near Fak Tha 53160, Thailand — coordinates 17.7167, 100.8833
• Why it is listed: a source-verified entry in the CollabsTravel master database, matched against official gazetteer and geographic records before publication
• Time needed: two to four hours
• Best season: late spring to early autumn

Quick Facts

Place type	Mountain
Primary category	Hiking
Also good for	Hiking, Scenic
Region / state	Uttaradit
Country	Thailand
Postal address	Near Fak Tha 53160, Thailand
Coordinates	17.7167, 100.8833

Why Phu Soi Dao Is Worth Visiting

Phu Soi Dao earns its place in this guide for a simple reason: it is a verified hiking in Uttaradit, Thailand,. With 8 other verified places within 150 km, it anchors a cluster instead of standing alone. Visitors book it for hiking, scenic as much as for hiking. And unlike listicle recommendations, everything on this page - coordinates, category, sources - was checked against official records before publication.

About Phu Soi Dao

In plain terms, Phu Soi Dao is a mountain in the Uttaradit area of Uttaradit, Thailand that travellers book around hiking trips. Beyond its main draw, the record tags it for hiking, scenic too, so it rewards more than one kind of visit. Postal addressing runs through Fak Tha (53160). Everything stated on this page comes from that verified record; where background history is quoted, the source is named at the end of the section.

The Story of Phu Soi Dao: History & Background

Phu Soi Dao (French: Phou Soai Dao) is a mountain in Southeast Asia. It is 2,120 metres (6,960 ft) tall and rises at the south end of the Luang Prabang Range, on the border between Laos and Thailand. Phu Soi Dao National Park is on the Thai side of the range in Phitsanulok and Uttaradit Provinces.

Pinus kesiya, Betula alnoides, Schima wallichii and Shorea siamensis are among the species of trees present in the forest. Utricularia spinomarginata and Utricularia phusoidaoensis are endemic plants on Phu Soi Dao. There are numerous waterfalls in the range area.

Lead passage from the Wikipedia article "Phu Soi Dao", reused under CC BY-SA 4.0 with a coordinate-verified name match; the source article carries the full referenced history.

The Beauty of Phu Soi Dao

What people mean when they call Phu Soi Dao beautiful is usually elevated, unblocked views - the kind of layered landscape that photographs badly from the road and perfectly from the first viewpoint. The light does most of the work: low-latitude light keeps greens deep and skies dramatic; the difference between hours, not seasons, drives the look. The seasons restyle everything around it - wildflower spring, deep-green summer, gold-and-rust autumn and, above the snowline, a winter version of the same scene. And the beauty compounds with context: with 8 other verified places nearby, the Uttaradit area reads as one continuous landscape rather than a single viewpoint, which is worth more than any filter on the photos you take here.

Getting There

Phu Soi Dao sits at 17.7167, 100.8833 in Uttaradit, Thailand. Most visitors reach it by car, regional rail or local transit; pin the coordinates above rather than only the name - Phu Soi Dao names repeat across regions, and rural entries often lack street addresses.

The nearest postal locality is Fak Tha (53160), which is what local directions and navigation apps will reference.

Best Time to Visit

Late spring to early autumn (May to September) brings the warmest and most reliable conditions across Thailand. Shoulder months just before and after that window trade a little weather for noticeably lower prices and thinner crowds.

Phu Soi Dao Season by Season

• Summer (Jun-Aug) - peak season: the warmest, longest days and everything open, which also makes it the priciest and busiest window
• Autumn (Sep-Nov) - shoulder season: crowds drain away, the light turns photographic, and lodging rates typically fall
• Winter (Dec-Feb) - off-season: cheapest beds and empty viewpoints, but check for closures, snow or rain before committing
• Spring (Mar-May) - rebuild season: wildflowers, newborn wildlife and reopened facilities - the best balance if the weather holds

Things to Do

Planning what to actually do at Phu Soi Dao comes down to the setting it sits in:

• Arrive with the exact coordinates (17.7167, 100.8833) pinned in your maps app — rural place names repeat across states
• Walk the shortest signed loop first, then decide how far to push on with the lightest pack
• Check sunrise/sunset times before setting out; carry water for double the distance you plan
• Photography stops at the first viewpoint are usually the best framed ones
• Chain the stop with what is nearby — see the list below before fixing your day route

None of this needs a rigid schedule - the honest pattern at Phu Soi Dao is one anchor at the trailhead or first viewpoint, one longer stop, and the rest of the time left for whatever looks better from the car window. That flexibility is what separates a good half-day from a rushed one.

A Perfect Day in Phu Soi Dao

Morning (start early). Have breakfast at Phu Soi Dao and roll out before mid-morning - the light is softer, parking is open, and Phu Soi Dao is at its quietest before the day-trippers arrive. Give the main stop its full due first rather than saving it for later.

Midday. From Phu Soi Dao, Khao Daen is only 11 km away - pair the two rather than driving home for lunch; a picnic beats a reservation near most of these spots.

Afternoon. Keep going to Phu Miang (15 km) if the group still has legs; it is the standard second half of this loop.

Golden hour. End at the main viewpoint, waterfront or main street as the light drops; this is the hour Phu Soi Dao is genuinely famous for locally, and it costs nothing.

Evening. Sleep at Phu Soi Dao unless the road out is long - leaving at dusk is the one mistake that can flatten an otherwise perfect day.

Know Before You Go to Phu Soi Dao

• Save the pin (17.7167, 100.8833) offline - reception in Uttaradit is exactly as good as it needs to be and no better
• Check the official source listed at the bottom of this page for current hours, fees and closures before driving out
• Carry more water than the plan says; shade is usually optional on these routes
• Tell someone the turnaround time - help arrives slower than it looks from the trailhead

Nearby Places Worth Combining

Phu Soi Dao does not sit in isolation - these verified places are all within a short hop and combine into a full loop:

• Khao Daen — hiking, about 11 km (7 mi) away
• Phu Miang — hiking, about 15 km (9 mi) away
• Phu Pha Phang — hiking, about 15 km (9 mi) away
• Khao Samliam — hiking, about 19 km (12 mi) away
• Khao Yuak — hiking, about 23 km (14 mi) away
• Phu Wang Kham — hiking, about 24 km (15 mi) away
• Phu Nong Sam Yai — hiking, about 25 km (15 mi) away
• Phu Maeng Wan — hiking, about 25 km (16 mi) away

Planning More of Your Trip

See everything in Thailand on the Thailand country hub, browse the full Hiking Thailand collection, or take in the whole Uttaradit region.