Khun Yuam is a small market town south of the provincial capital in the Yuam River valley and is mostly populated by Shan, as well as Hmong and Karen folk that come down from the surrounding hill tribe villages to buy and sell market produce.
There’s not much to see, apart from the Thai-Japan Friendship Memorial Hall, though there are several traditional wooden houses along the main street.
Although most visitors to Khun Yuam visit on a day trip from Mae Hong Son town, it has accommodation options and can be a convenient stopover on the way to Mae Sariang, about 100 kilometers further south. It is best to visit in November when the famous bua thong (Mexican sunflower) blooms fill the countryside in the nearby Mae Surin National Park with a sea of yellow. This is also the time of the Bua Tong Blossom Festival.
Some way beyond the sunflower fields is the lofty Mae Surin Waterfall, one of Thailand’s most impressive falls with a drop of about 100 meters; it is also best seen in November. A few kilometers west of Khun Yuam, Wat To Phae is also worth a visit, while both Mae Sariang and Mae Chaem are within reach by car or motorcycle.
The only sight worth checking out within the town of Khun Yuam itself is the Thai-Japan Friendship Memorial Hall, located in the center of town. It displays rusting trucks and other artifacts from WWII when the Japanese aggressors were in the area.
Also worth a look is the Muay Tor Temple, which is opposite the Thai-Japan Friendship Memorial Hall. This Shan-style pagoda is beautifully decorated and highly photogenic.
All you need to know to get oriented in Khun Yuam is that it’s a one-street market town, with all its principal buildings lining Highway 108, which runs north-south through town. Outside the high season, you are unlikely to see any tourists here, but that makes it an attractive place for travelers who like to get off the beaten track.
The town’s main (indeed, its only) attraction, the Thai-Japan Friendship Memorial Hall, is on this road at the north end of town, as are the couple of accommodation options and a few food stalls selling rice and noodles.
Where to Go
- Thai-Japan Friendship Memorial Hall: displaying wartime memorabilia and information about ethnic groups living in the area.
- Wat To Phae: an attractive, Burmese-style temple set in pretty countryside a few kilometers from Khun Yuam.
When to Go
Khun Yuam’s peak season for tourists comes in November, when the place is overrun by Bangkokians eager to take cheesy photos of themselves posing among the sunflower fields and in front of Mae Surin Waterfall. This is the beginning of the cool season, when skies are usually clear and the temperatures fresh. From March to May it’s very hot, and then the rains fall from June to October.
Things to Do
Apart from a visit to the Thai-Japan Friendship Memorial Hall, which will probably not occupy you for more than an hour, Khun Yuam is all about improvised walks and spontaneous drives into the countryside around town. Wat To Phae is a good place to head for, with idyllic countryside beside the road.
From Khun Yuam, it’s about 35km east and north to the sunflower fields in the Mae Surin National Park, and another 20km north beyond that to Mae Surin Falls. Using Khun Yuam as a base for such a visit allows much more time to enjoy the views than a day trip from Mae Hong Son, which is rather rushed as most of the day is spent on the road.
Getting There
You can take any southbound bus from Mae Hong Son and get off at Khun Yuam as it lies on the main Highway 1095, on the way to Mae Sariang. However, the most enjoyable way to explore this region is with a rented car or motorbike as part of the Mae Hong Son Loop.
Buses run regularly between Mae Hong Son and Khun Yuam, though to get the most out of your visit, it’s advisable to rent a car or motorbike, either in Mae Hong Son or Chiang Mai. The nearest airport is in Mae Hong Son.
Getting Around
Since Khun Yuam’s only attraction, the Thai Japan Friendship Memorial Hall, is on the main road in town, it’s easy to walk to, though if you want to visit Wat To Phae, you’ll need your own transport or the services of a motorbike taxi rider from Khun Yuam. To visit Mae Surin Falls and the sunflower fields, it’s best to have your own transport, though some tours go there from Mae Hong Son.
Where to Stay
It won’t take you long to decide where to stay in Khun Yuam as you’ve basically got just two choices—one with smart rooms in a building in the center of town, and the other with bungalows set on a lush hillside just off the main road tat the north end of town.
Where to Eat
While you won’t starve in Khun Yuam, eating options are very limited. Basically you have a couple of choices. The first consists of several rice and noodle shops along the main road, though you’ll need to use your phrase book or point to order, and be warned that these places close early—usually by 7pm.
The second choice is the restaurant at Baan Farang, where there’s an English menu and they claim to be open 24 hours. They offer both Thai and Western dishes at reasonable prices on their menu, and there’s an attractive covered terrace on which to eat. Khun Yuam’s other hotel, Yoont B&B, only provides breakfast for guests.
Where to Party
Khun Yuam is a typical rural Thai town where most locals are asleep by 9pm, and since there are few tourists who stay in town, there’s no nightlife to speak of.
Where to Shop
Khun Yuam is not the place to go shopping for souvenirs, unless you’d like to pick up one of the cute conical hats worn by Shan farmers, which you’ll find in a couple of shops selling household goods along the main road.
Need to Know
- What is it? A market town south of Mae Hong Son Town which provides the easiest access to Mae Surin Waterfall and the fields of bua thong flowers.
- When to go: November/December is when the sunflowers bloom and the waterfall is impressive at this time as well.
- How long? A couple of days is plenty to see the sights around Khun Yuam.
- Where: about 65km south of Mae Hong Son town.