Martin Ellis July 2005
 
Introduction
This is the second part of a series of reports which will detail the results of the club's numerous explorations in Thailand. This second part includes caves from Kanchanaburi (western Thailand), Chiang Rai (northern Thailand) and the central provinces of Saraburi, Uthai Thani, Nakhon Sawan and Phitsanulok.  The provinces (in Thai 'changwat') covered in this report were visited in December 2003, January and April 2004 and July 2005.
 
All grid references given in this report are on the UTM grid based on the Indian 1954 (Thailand-Vietnam) datum and most were obtained by GPS. Topographic maps at a scale of 1:50,000 are available for certain areas, but are strictly controlled for the border areas. The best mapping available for the whole country is at a scale of 1:250,000. These topographic maps can be difficult to obtain, even from specialist map sellers. Some of the general tourist maps are good and show many of the caves. However, be aware that some of the well known atlases (e.g. Michelin and Lonely Planet) have the caves marked up to 25 km from their true locations. The Tourist Authority of Thailand has kindly gone round the country putting up many blue road signs to tourist attractions, many of which are caves. However, most of these do not give distances and tend to run out before you reach your destination. In this report the road numbers are given using the format Hxxxx. An attempt has been made to group the caves by amphoe (second-order administrative unit, equivalent to 'district') to help distinguish the caves as many cave names, such as Tham Khang Khao (Bat Cave) and Tham Pha Daeng (Red Cliff Cave), are very common.

The cave surveys are to BCRA (1976) 3b or 3c standard and were carried out with a Silva Sightmaster combined compass and clinometer unit, a 30 m Fibron tape and a Leico Disto laser rangefinder (used for the passage dimensions). The UIS (1999) symbol set is used with the additional symbol 'B' to represent Buddha statues or shrines. The survey data was computed using the Walls cave survey program. The surveys were drawn with Adobe Illustrator CS using the SVG roundtripping facilities of Walls.

Many of the caves in this report are also listed in John Dunkley’s 1995 catalogue The Caves of Thailand. The code numbers for the caves given by John are listed to aid cross-referencing with this catalogue. These cross-references are formatted COT XX YY where XX is the two letter code for the province and YY is the cave number.

References
Anon. (2004) "Caves and Waterfalls" Kanchanaburi Province ISBN 974-458-045-3 178pp (Thai & English) [Kanchanaburi]
Barlow, J.J. (n.d.) "Chiang Rai Guide – Caves" http://www.chiangraiprovince.com/guide/eng/15.htm [accessed July 2005]
Blick, Tony (2000) "Caving in Thailand" Craven Pothole Club Record No. 60 pp63-5
Brooks, Simon (2002) "Thailand 1998-1999. Thungyai Naresuan W.L. Sanctuary & Thung Salang Luang N.P." The International Caver 2001 pp74-76
Brooks, Simon (2003) "Cave Exploration in Southern and Central Thailand" The International Caver 2003 pp38-43.
Chutakositkanon, Vichai, Charusiri, Punya & Sashida. Katsuo (2000) "Lithostratigraphy of Permian Marine Sequences, Khao Pun area, Central Thailand: Paleoenvironments and Tectonic History" The Island Arc Vol. 9 No. 2 pp173-187 [Saraburi & Nakhon Ratchasima]
Cummings, Joe (1999) "Thailand" 8th edition, Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd, Hawthorn, Victoria ISBN 0-86442-636-4 1032pp
Deharveng, Louis, et. al. (1986) "Expédition Thaï-Maros 85" Association Pyrénéenne de Spéléologie, Toulouse ISBN 2-906273-00-7
Doerr, Stefan H. (2000) "Morphology And Genesis Of Some Unusual Weathering Features Developed In Quartzitic Sandstone, North-Central Thailand" Swansea Geographer Vol. 35 pp1-8
Dunkley, John R. (1995) "The Caves of Thailand" Speleological Research Council, Sydney ISBN 0-9589253-9-9 124pp
Dunkley, John R. (1997) "The Caves of Thailand – Addendum 1995-97" Speleological Research Council, Sydney
Elliott, S. & Cubitt, G. (2001) "The National Parks and Other Wild Places of Thailand" New Holland Publishers (UK) Ltd., London. ISBN 1-85974-886-4. 176pp.
Fontaine, Henri, Salyapongse, Sirot, Suteethorn, Varavudh & Vachard, Daniel (2000) "Widespread Occurrence of Triassic Limestones Northwest of Uthai Thani in West Thailand" The Natural History Bulletin of the Siam Society Vol. 48 No. 1 pp7-19
Jarlan, P. (2003) "Banrai 2003" Unpublished report to Federation Francais de Speleology 1pp (French)
Kaufmann, G. (1997) "Thailand 97. Exploration in the National Parks of Thung Salaeng Luang, Thung Saliam, and Sri Nakarind" International Caver No. 21 pp13-18
Munier, Christophe (1998) "Sacred Rocks and Buddhist Caves in Thailand" White Lotus Co. Ltd, Bangkok ISBN 974-8434-19-2 266p
Niyamabha, Vipasai (2002) "Welcome to the Underworld" The Nation 10 August 2002
Odell, B. (1985) "Karstformer I Thailand 2: Bogazgrottorna I Po Hin Long Gla" Grottan Vol. 20 No. 1 pp27-31 (Swedish)
Ogle, D. (1986) "The Status and Seasonality of Birds in Nakhon Sawan Province, Thailand" The Natural History Bulletin of the Siam Society Vol. 34 No. 2 pp115-143 [caves on Khao Kaeo]
Penth, Hans (1989) "On The History of Chiang Rai" Journal of the Siam Society Vol. 77 No. 1 pp11-32 [Chiang Rai: Tham Phra]
Smart, Dean (1997b) "In The Monks Footsteps" Descent No. 137 p23
Smart, Dean (2005) "Caves of Khao Tham Erawan, Lopburi" unpublished report 16pp
 
Maps
Royal Thai Survey Department 1:250,000 series topographical maps:
ND47-03 Changwat Nakhon Sawan (1984)
ND47-07 Changwat Suphan Buri
ND47-08 Changwat Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya (1996)
NE47-03 Changwat Chiang Rai
NE47-16 Changwat Phetchabun (1986)
This is the only series to cover the whole of Thailand. They can be difficult to get hold of, even from specialist map sellers. These maps have not been seen for sale in Thailand, but are reportedly available if you visit the Royal Thai Survey Department in Bangkok.
Berndtson & Berndtson
Northern Thailand 1:750,000 (2000). A very good touring map with accurate depiction of the roads and many caves marked.
 
Acknowledgements
Ivan Hollis for his enthusiasm for poking about in little temple caves over the ten weeks we have spent touring Thailand.
Tony Blick of the Craven Pothole Club for looking after us in Ayutthaya and guiding us to caves in Kanchanaburi, Saraburi and Uthai Thani.
Dean Smart of Bangkok for a copy of his Tham Lumphini Suan Hin survey.
Terry Bolger and Neil Anderson of the Canberra Speleological Society for allowing us to gate crash their expedition to the Thung Salaeng Luang National Park in 2004.
Philippe Jarlan of the Société Spéléologique de l’Ariège-Pays d’Olmes for supplying a copy of his Ban Rai report.
The park rangers at the various National and Forest Parks for allowing us to explore their caves.

Appendices
 
Appendix A: Cave Data

Appendix B: Thai Glossary
amphoe = second level administrative unit - 'district'
ban = village
changwat = first level administrative unit - 'province'
huai = stream
khang khao = bat
khao = hill or mountain
mae nam = river
nam = water
pha = cliff or forest (depending on tone)
rai = an unit of area equal to 0.16 hectares or 0.3954 acres
tambon = third level administrative unit
tham = cave
wat = temple, often with an associated monastery