Tham Lawa [Tham Kaeng Lawa] [KA0068]

(TH)
14.298976,98.982457
Length 530m Depth 17m
Grottocenter / carte

Location

This is a well known show cave located 4km north of Wang Krachae on the eastern side of a hill on the west bank of the Mae Nam Khwae Noi along the Huai Bong Ti. The cave is 500m from and 80m above the river. There is a good sealed road leading to the cave. Visitors have to be guided by rangers and there is a 400 baht entry fee for foreigners. The cave has three entrances reached by steps up from the ranger statio Martin Ellis - 15/08/2019

Description

Martin Ellis - 15/08/2019

The cave consists of three large chambers (giving eight named rooms) extending south-eastwards from connecting passages at their northern end. The passages follow the same NW-SE orientation as the chambers, but are stepped across to give the whole cave a general E-W trend. The entrance breaches the first large chamber in its NE corner. The cave is basically horizontal and the floor level varies by only 10 m (the 25 m vertical range is from the highest roof to the lowest floor). Descending the entrance slope a choice is presented. Left leads to Hong Phra with its three shrines. Daylight enters here from the second and third entrances to give the room a warm glow. A low crawl out the back of Hong Phra leads to another chamber that is not on the tourist route. Hong Mai Mee Cheu contains some discoloured draperies and flowstone. Mouldy guano and a dead bat lie on a soil and cracked mud floor. Straight on at the foot of the entrance slope leads to a set of stairs. Ascending there and sliding down the other side places the visitor in Hong Chang. Here there is some decoration and a pile of sifted sediment left by the 1961 and 1962 archaeological expeditions. The dig itself can be seen by entering the low arch to the left at the bottom of the slippery climb. The 'elephant' is on the wall opposite to the low arch. From here a short walk via a bridge over a hole in the floor opens up in Hong Chedi. The formations here are very pretty. The Chedi itself (a stalagmite cluster) is damaged, but the roof and walls are covered with untouched stalactites and flowstones. Areas of dark, rippled limestone now start appearing making the walking slippery. A route up to the right here can be followed back to near the entrance. Passing a gour pool with water Hong Jaw La Kheh is soon entered. A shrine is placed against the right wall and large spleothems are profusely displayed. A particularly large stalagmite boss dominates the centre of the room. Gour pools are found behind this, set against a back wall of draperies and columns. Two small passages here soon close up. Walking uphill into the room brings the 'crocodile' into view above the visitors head. From between stalgmites at the top left a vew down into Hong Deun Tee is given. the floor slopes in this room as well, from a drapery wall on the right down to the 'singing curtains' on the left. The curtains are situated in a large dry gour. Climbing the other side of the room reveals a small passage on the left, at the end of which is a slippery climb down into a slightly larger passage. This gradually enlarges over a black, shiny limestone and sediment floor to Hong Khang Khao. A combination of other rotes are also possible to here. Partly redissolved formations at the entrance to the room give way to a big open space and the smell of guano fills the air. Hong Khang Khao is home to the cave's largest bat colony. A passage at the far end leads to high levels of carbon dioxide. Banded, redissolved flowstone is seen in the walls and roof and rippled limestone slabs lie on the gravelly floor. Large scalloping leads from this chamber into the 'main' passage where easy walking brings the visitor to the final chamber, Hong Mahn. The entrance to this room contains a large broken stalagtite which lies beneath its former attachment point. Sparkling, white decoration is obvious around this area. A slight descent down to a sediment floor reveals fine curtains and draperies and a view up into the largest chamber of the cave. Some fossilised bones can also be seen in the floor. This is the end of the cave and the visitor exits via the same route.

Topographie

Martin Ellis - 15/08/2019

UBACH I TARR+S, MONTSERRAT (1980) DEHARVENG, LOUIS, ET AL. (1987) - UIS Grade 4 SMART, DEAN (1995) - BCRA Grade 5c

Fauna

Martin Ellis - 15/08/2019

Fangensis spelaeus Schwendinger et Giribet, 2005 (Arthropoda, Arachnida, Opiliones, Stylocelloidea, Stylocellidae) û type locality (Schwendinger and Giribet 2005) Dhanus siamensis (With, 1906) (Arthropoda, Arachnida, Pseudoscorpiones, Neobisioidea, Ideoroncidae) (Kusch 1982) Uthina luzonica Simon, 1893 (Arthropoda, Arachnida, Araneae, Pholcidae) (Huber 2011) Uthina ratchaburi Huber, 2011 (Arthropoda, Arachnida, Araneae, Pholcidae) (Huber 2011) Catageus cavernicola (Thorell, 1889) (Arthropoda, Arachnida, Amblypygi, Charontidae) (Deharveng and Leclerc 1989) Thereuopoda longicornis (Fabricius, 1793) (Arthropoda, Chilopoda, Scutigeromorpha, Scutigeridae) (unpublished record) Plusioglyphiulus jaydee Golovatch, Geoffroy, Mauries et VandenSpiegel, 2011 (Arthropoda, Diplopoda, Spirostreptida, Cambalopsidae) û type locality (Golovatch et al. 2011) Eucyclops serrulatus (Fischer, 1851) (Arthropoda, Crustacea, Maxilliopoda, Cyclopoida, Cyclopidae) (Boonyanusith et al. 2013b) Mesocyclops ogunnus Onabamiro, 1957 (Arthropoda, Crustacea, Maxilliopoda, Cyclopoida, Cyclopidae) (Boonyanusith et al. 2013b) Mesocyclops thermocyclopoides Harada, 1931 (Arthropoda, Crustacea, Maxilliopoda, Cyclopoida, Cyclopidae) (Boonyanusith et al. 2013b) Thermocyclops crassus (Fischer, 1853) (Arthropoda, Crustacea, Maxilliopoda, Cyclopoida, Cyclopidae) (Boonyanusith et al. 2013b) Phyllognathopus viguieri (Maupas, 1892) (Arthropoda, Crustacea, Maxilliopoda, Harpacticoida, Phyllognathopidae) (Boonyanusith et al. 2013b) Troglopedetes dispersus Deharveng et Gers, 1993 (Arthropoda, Entognatha, Entomobryomorpha, Paronellidae) (Deharveng and Gers 1993) Isoaedes cavaticus (Reinart, 1979) (Arthropoda, Insecta, Diptera, Culicidae) û type locality (Reinert 1979) Uranotaenia sumethi Peyton et Rattanarithikul, 1970 (Arthropoda, Insecta, Diptera, Culicidae) û type locality (Peyton and Rattanarithikul 1970) Nemopalpus vietnamensis Quate, 1962 (Arthropoda, Insecta, Diptera, Psychodidae) (Apiwathnasorn et al. 2011) Sergentomyia quatei Lewis, 1978 (Arthropoda, Insecta, Diptera, Psychodidae) (Apiwathnasorn et al. 2011) Sergentomyia (Parrotomyia) brevicaulis (Quate, 1962) (Arthropoda, Insecta, Diptera, Psychodidae) (Apiwathnasorn et al. 2011) Hipposideros lylei Thomas, 1913 (Chordata, Mammalia, Chiroptera, Hipposideridae) (Kusch 1982)

Documents

[Topo] Tham Lawa 28/04/2019
Bibliography 15/08/2019

History

The cave was discovered in 1953. 1960-11-23 Cave investigated by Danish archaeological expedition. 1961-02-09 Danish archaeological expedition unable to access cave due to hostility from locals and monks living nearby. 1962-01-21 Cave investigated by Danish archaeological expedition. 1964-03-18 S. Chunchulcherm, K. Mongkolpanya collected type series of Uranotaenia sumethi Peyton & Rattanarithikul, 1970. 1978-04-12 H. Kusch & I. Staber 1986-06-17 Association PyrÚnÚenne de SpÚlÚologie 1995-07-13 & 14 D. Smart & U. Timkaew - surveyed cave, for development of the tourist trail, The cave was a location in the film Ong-Bak. Martin Ellis - 15/08/2019

Caves nearby

Distance (km)NameLength (m)Depth (m)
0.1Tham Phut Mut [KA0317]
0.1Cave KA0572
1.9Tham Phi - KA0071745
4.2Cave KA0611
4.6Tham Phu Toei [KA0524]
5.4Cave KA0607
6.9Cave KA0604
7.6Cave KA0610
7.9Cave KA0602