Tham Phutawat [KA0137]
14.052126,99.422480
Location
A cave temple 800 m south of the H323, about 7 km west of the bridge over the river after leaving Kanchanaburi town.
Description
This cave has been known for a very long time; evidence of Neolithic occupation has been found and Buddhist monks have used it for at least 150, maybe 300, years. Most of the associated structures were built in the mid-1970s to serve a rapidly increasing local population; there are also organized tours from as far away as Hong Kong. In 2016 an expensive renovation seems to have stalled before completion. Most ladders have been changed to stainless steel. One of the original steel ladders has rusted completely through, but can be bypassed. LED lighting units have been installed, but not wired up. The floors had not been cleaned recently, so showed evidence of the presence of medium sized bats. A flight of 194 steps leads to the cave entrance. The first chamber is one of the Neolithic sites and contains the abbott's former kuti. A second chamber is partly lit from a daylight roof hole and has further evidence of Neolithic occupation. The third chamber, reached by several ladder climbs, was apparently discovered about 1972 and contains a seated Buddha. Several digs lead off it and there is said to be more cave at a lower level.
Topographie
DUNKLEY, JOHN ROBERT (1995) - Grade UISv2 2-2-F
Documents
[Topo] Tham Phutawat 28/04/2019Bibliography 18/08/2019
- +DUNKLEY, JOHN ROBERT (1995) "The Caves of Thailand" Speleological Research Council, Sydney ISBN 0-9589253-9-9 +Halliday, William R. (1988) "Island Karst and Temple Caves of Thailand: A 1987 Reconnaissance" Cascade Caver Vol. 27 No. 1, January-February 1988, pp6-10, reprinted in Geo2 Vol. 15 No. 1/3 p31 [abstract] and in Journal of Spelean History Vol. 22 No. 2 pp21-22 [abstract] +PRICE, LIZ (1985) "Travels in Thailand" Cerberus Spelaeological Society Journal Vol. 15 No. 6 November/December 1985 pp143-145
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | Tham Khao Kham Kuon - KA0148 | ||
| 2.8 | Tham Khun Paen - KA0320 | ||
| 3.1 | Tham Khao Wat Phra Tun [KA0571] | ||
| 4.1 | Tham Wat Phu Pradu [KA0538] | ||
| 5.7 | Tham Bodhiyan [KA0532] | 35 | 10 |
| 6.6 | Tham Khiritham [KA0531] | ||
| 7.7 | Tham Phu Wa [KA0319] | 100 | 0 |
| 7.9 | Tham Lang Kamnan [KA0418] | 50 | 0 |
| 8.8 | Tham Men - KA0057 |