Tham Pha Ya - LO0053

นาดอกคำ (TH)
17.576716,101.893204
Length 270m Depth 32m
Grottocenter / carte

Location

Tham Pha Ya is signed to east of the H201 in Loei town. From Loei town take the H2138 eastwards towards Na Duang. Turn north onto the H2249 as far as Ban Phia. In the village take the turning to the east next to the wat and follow the road past the turning to the Phu Pha Lom Forest Park. Wat Tham Pha Ya, a large tmple complex, is north of the road a kilometre before you reach Ban Huai Tat. Martin Ellis - 12/03/2020

Description

Martin Ellis - 12/03/2020

From the wat 500 steps lead up to the big entrance where there is a large shrine. Behind the shrine there is a large passage where the slope of dry guano can be ascended to reach a first chamber with a colony of 'squealer' bats. Beyond this is a second chamber which is about 10¦C warmer, the air is rank with ammonia, the floor is crawling with bugs and there is a wall of white noise from the huge main bat colony. The passage was seen to continue, but was not explored. Back near the entrance there are some side passages and entrances and a few metres around the cliff there is another short section of passage. Every evening these bats leave the cave at 17:00 in a large exit flight which lasts around an hour.

Documents

[Topo] Tham Pha Ya 07/05/2019
Bibliography 12/03/2020

History

The cave was first explored in June 2006 and surveyed in February 2009 by the SMCC. 2009-02-25 (M. Ellis, P. Collett) Martin Ellis - 12/03/2020

Caves nearby

Distance (km)NameLength (m)Depth (m)
3.0Tham Pha Lom - LO004935518
3.0Tham Pha Dam 2 - LO00795012
3.0Tham Pha Lom Ru Rai [LO0195]250
3.0Tham Pha Dam 3 - LO0119207
3.2Nu (Tham) [LO0196]800
3.6Tham Wat Phu Pha Lom [LO0182]100
3.7LO0183 (Resurgence)
3.7Cave LO0184
3.8Cave LO0185800