Tham Phra That — Attraction in Kanchanaburi Province

If you are a person who likes caves then this cave is probably the best in this area and is well worth the effort of making the long drive up from Kanchanaburi or across from the other more well-known attractions along Hwy # 323. Having been to numerous other cave sites all over Thailand I would say this cave is definitely near the top of the to do list. Although not an overly long penetration it’s sheer internal volume is remarkably impressive. The cave excursion has been very well set-up for visitation by the park authorities and although there is a fairly demanding hike of 600 meters up to the entrance, the cement stairway is solid and not difficult to ascend. NOTE: the visitation fee for foreigners is 300 THB and is paid at the check-point near the car park before ascending. Once at the cave entrance you’ll be greeted by a local guide who unfortunately speaks virtually no English. There is currently no lighting within the cave so if you don’t have your own torches, you’ll be escorted by the guide with a kerosene lamp. The lamps actually emit a good deal of light and create a nice orange glow within the cave. There is a tight squeeze to negotiate to enter the cave but once through it soon opens up to a massive chamber inside with the highest section being approx. 30 meters above the cave floor. There is a very well-constructed cement track, with steel handrails, which does a circuit right through the cave. The furthest section of the cave is approx. 200 meters from the entrance with the track going right to far end before circling back to the exit. The cave has some very impressive formations at both ends where the cave roof is lower but the central area is a massive black void. Very well worth the effort of going there. Cave photography by megaworldasia - south east asia off the...

Review from October 2023.

If you follow Google Maps to get here, at the very last leg it'll lead you astray. Google Maps will tell you to head south down directly to the cave. You can't - there's no road, only walkways. The actual road is visible on Google Maps - you're coming in from the North -West... so when you hit the dead end, just hook around to the right and there's a fork - take the left road and you'll get to the cave.

It's a 500-600 meter straight ascent up stairs, so not a walk in the park, but doable for anyone that isn't mobility challenged. The mosquitoes are fierce - I felt like PigPen from Peanuts... it doesn't help that you're huffing and puffing because of the ascent, leaving a trail of CO2 for every famished mosquitoe to follow.

Entry fee is included with the Erawan National Park (for the waterfalls that you probably did). At the top, a guide will escort you through the cave. The park has built a wooden causeway through the cave, but there is no light. The guide will give you a flashlight and you'll walk through in darkness.

This cave is very large and full of bats. It's not nearly as spectacular as other caves I've seen (such as the various caves around Phong Nha in Vietnam), but it's unique in that it's not touristed to death, which is why the bats still call the cave home. You have to earn your visit with the climb.

So if you just want to get a bunch of selfies or pictures of cool looking cave features, don't bother visiting. You'll be annoyed at the bugs, the steep climb and the lack of photographic memories. There's no lighting and what pictures you will get are by flashlight. But if you want a unique, natural cave experience, I think it's worth doing. You came all the way out here anyways for the waterfalls, so why not do...

It is quite a walk to get to the cave, the humidity of the jungle can be a lot for some to deal with.

If the guide is not there you will have to wait until he finishes with the tour he has started (normally less than 20 minutes).

Entry is free if you've paid the ฿300 to go to Erawan falls you just need to show your ticket.

At the top the guide will walk you through the cave, I like that it is all done with torches and it isn't over developed. Don't expect to learn much about the cave or the area during the tour as it's all done in silence pretty much (this may be different for Thai speaking people but I also believe they don't want to talk much to avoid disturbing the bats).

A nice walk and a good tour if you're in the area, it depends what other caves you have done as to whether this will amaze you or not. I'd say it is mid-sized, not overly large in comparison to others in...