Tham Phra Chao - CM0105
19.737484,99.086774
Location
From the H107 in Chai Prakan take the road which goes up to Ban Sin Chai (which is signed to Doi Ang Khang). In the Koumintang Chinese village of Ban Mai Nong Bua head north to Wat Tham Pha Phueng which is 2 km from the village. Tham Phra Chao is about 200 m south-west of Tham Pha Phueng and is known to the local monks. It is located 50 m above the valley floor at the head of a steep embayment in the steep hillside.
Description
The entrance is a 2 m high arch which opens out into a well-decorated chamber up to 15 m wide and over 20 m high. Avens can be seen in the roof here. The way on is through a boulder collapse around 70 m from the entrance. Climbing up in the boulders leads to a choke with no way on. Down to the right drops into a short section of phreatic passage, which leads to a choice of two routes over boulders. To the left a passage leads to the Meeting Room. There are two exits, the most obvious of which is a 5 m climb down into another well-decorated chamber. One passage descends to the left for about two metres, but is blind. The second is a climb down to a small room leading to a rift which is too tight. The third, leading off to the right at the top of the 5 m climb, is the main continuation of the cave. Here, a short crawl leads to a 2 m climb down leads into a well decorated chamber about 3 m wide. Three passages lead off here, but all quickly close down. Back at the phreatic passage straight on leads to a rift which descends to a small hole in the floor, but the way on here is choked with boulders and mud. Higher and to the right a cross rift leads via upper and lower levels to a small chamber (a passage to the left just before this connects back into the Meeting Room). In the chamber there are ways on to the left and right: to the left quickly closes down, while the passage to the right leads, via a brief stoop, to a short section of rift passage, divided into upper and lower levels by boulders. At the far end of this passage the rift begins to descend, but quickly becomes too tight to pass. It appears from the graffiti that the entire cave has been explored by the local monks, who also claim that it is possible to climb down to a streamway. However, it is not known where this streamway is as no water was seen in the cave. If it does exist the route to it is not obvious, although determined pushing in some of the rifts and chokes may reveal a way on. The cave is entirely fossil and appears to a truncated part of a long abandoned phreatic system. Well preserved large scallops up to 50 cm diameter near the entrance indicate a slow phreatic flow towards the entrance. The source of the water is unclear, but it is probably fed by the complex series of narrow phreatic rifts at the rear of the cave. A green snake was noted in the main chamber. No remains of pottery or archaeological artifacts were found and the entrance area was much disturbed.
Topographie
FARRANT, ANDREW; FLOWER, SIMON; LEE, SIMON (2001) - Grade UISv2 3-3-F
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Tham Pha Phueng [Bee Cave (Temple)} [CM0027] | 20 | 0 |
| 0.8 | Tham Ngop - CM0195 | ||
| 1.0 | Spring BSS 2000-SP1 - CM0106 | 6 | 0 |
| 1.2 | Spring BSS 2000-SP2 - CM0107 | ||
| 4.6 | Tham Phra Pikanet [CM0280] | 40 | 0 |
| 4.9 | Cave BSS 2000-4 - CM0122 | ||
| 4.9 | Cricket Pitch - CM0112 | 57 | 35 |
| 4.9 | Shaft BSS 2000-3 - CM0121 | 4 | 4 |
| 5.2 | Shaft BSS 2000-2 [CM0120] | 5 | 5 |