Tham Khlang - KR0062

(TH)
8.340000,98.750000
Length 867m Depth 46m
Grottocenter / carte

Location

The turning to this cave is marked with blue tourist information signs on the H4. Turn off the main road and follow the H4024 towards Ban Ao Luek Noi. After about 3 km there is a pyramid-shaped hill, surrounded by plantations, to the south of the road and a large sign indicates the turning. The dirt track leads directly to the tourist entrance. The resurgence entrance is a few metres beyond the tourist entrance. On the other side of the hill the lake entrance is used by nuns and can be reached by car. Access to the upper entrance is via the rubber plantations south and east of the tourist plantation. The route through the marsh to the foot of the cliff below the upper entrance is obscure and overgrown - hire the guide from the tourist cave. Martin Ellis - 15/10/2019

Description

Martin Ellis - 15/10/2019

The main tour is 100 baht for 30 mins. For divers the entrance fee is 200 baht per diver and changing facilities were being constructed. This is an extensive cave on three levels and is well decorated. From the main tourist entrance a wooden boardwalk leads over the pools of water to a large circular chanmber with some fine formations. Although there are some side passages the main way is to the right along a profusely decorated passage for about 200m to a junction. To the right is another junction after about 15m. At this junction going right leads is a dead end while going straight ahead/up loops back round to the passage on the left is a passage with water that soon joins the main through route. Back at the first junction the through route to the left which comes to a crossroads.Left closes down, right is the passage with water mentioned above while straight on ascends a rubble slope to an inclined breakdown chamber. At the top of this breakdown chamber is a link to the upper entrances. By continuing across the slope in the breakdown chamber and then down a loose climb leads into a chamber with a Buddha from where a low passage leads to the lake entrance. This entrance is very wide and a couple of nuns are living on a shack built out over the entrance pool. Looking into the cave the wide passage to the left goes for about 50m to the sink entrance, while straight on, through a swim, is the short stream passage to the daylight chamber at the upper entrance. From the upper entrance the stream and lake entrance is reached by scrambling down the boulders to the right, while two other, higher, entrances can be found by climbing up the boulders and flowstone slope to the left (this has an awkward 4m climb which some cavers may want a handline one as it is exposed). Above the climb there is a chamber with a fairly level floor and at least two entrances. Back at the upper entrance heading roughly across the chamber leads to a rift. In the floor of the right the stream follows a canal passage (which hasn't been explored or surveyed) to the resurgence entrance. Higher up in the rift passage is the link to the breakdown chamber. Alex Fletcher dived the large pool in the resurgence entrance. The only way on was to the left at the end of a curious cable and cycle wheel set up. No previous line was in place. Fletcher laid line to a depth of 16 m to where the roof came to within 0.6 m of a clinging mud floor.

Topographie

Martin Ellis - 15/10/2019

OCC/SMCC November 2009 - UISv2 6-3-F. Survey not complete - through trip only. SMCC January 2013 - UISv2 6-3-F. From Upper Entrance to Lake Entrance. DUMMER, PAUL (2011) - UISv2 6-3-F OCC/SMCC Nov 2009 survey with UISv2 1-1-A survey of upper and canal passages ELLIS (2013a) -UISv2 6-3-F/1-1-A Ellis, Martin (2015a)

Fauna

Martin Ellis - 15/10/2019

Gekko gecko gecko (Linnaeus, 1758) (Chordata, Reptilia, Squamata, Gekkonidae) (unpublished record) Orthriophis taeniurus (Cope 1861) (Chordata, Reptilia, Squamata, Colubridae) (unpublished record) Leopoldamys sabanus Jentinck, 1879 (Chordata: Mammalia: Rodentia: Muridae) (Latinne et al. 2013) Maxomys surifer (Miller, 1900) (Chordata: Mammalia: Rodentia: Muridae) (Latinne et al. 2013) Rattus tiomanicus (Miller, 1900) (Chordata: Mammalia: Rodentia: Muridae) (Latinne et al. 2013) Sundamys muelleri (Jentink, 1879) (Chordata: Mammalia: Rodentia: Muridae) (Latinne et al. 2013)

Diving

Martin Ellis - 15/10/2019

The cave has been recently had permanent lines installed and due to itÆs relatively shallow depth (6m û 32m) is used for complex navigation training. Renowned as been the coldest dive in Thailand it is a nice undemanding cave dive.

Documents

[Topo] Tham Khlang 07/05/2019
Bibliography 15/10/2019

History

Tham Khlang was closed after the December 2004 tsunami until 2008. It was thought that the tsunami may have caused damage to the formations and made the rock unstable. The cave has been developed by the Kansai family who restrict visitors to groups of five led by a guide and no more than 60 people per day were allowed to take the hour long tour through very well decorated caverns. The guides claim it is possible to do a whole day's caving in Tham Khlang. 2009-11-22 M. Ellis, S. Brooks, S. Ghazy, I. Hollis - surveying 2013-01-20 M. Ellis, Y. Sopha, A. Htwe, I. Hollis, P. Dummer, C. Dummer, P. Collett, S. Hall, G. Washburn, T. Aral, N. Birss 2013-01-21 M. Ellis, I. Hollis, P. Collett, K. Lewis - surveying 2015-10-12 - P. Wongprom - collecting spiders Martin Ellis - 15/10/2019

Caves nearby

Distance (km)NameLength (m)Depth (m)
1.2Kansai (Tham) [KR0238]037
2.5Tham Sra Yuon Thong - KR002072165
3.7Resurgence KR0188 - KR0188
4.6Cave KR0004 - KR0004
4.8Tham Yo - KR0061
4.8Cave KR0299750
4.9Cave KR0231 - KR0231200
5.2Tham Than Bok Khorani - KR000115015
5.6Tham Pong - KR0151