Print-friendlyAmphoe Thong Saeng Khan
Klong Tron National Park
The Klong Tron National park covers an area of 518 km2 and its highest point is the 1,500 m Khao Phu Miang. As well as the caves in the Tham Chan (also spelt Jan) Forest Park other caves, such as Tham Pha Tang, are reported from the National Park.
Tham Chan Forest Park
This small forest park is part of the Klong Tron National Park. It is located to the east of Uttaradit town and is reached by taking the H11 northwards from the town towards Phrae and Nan. A few kilometres north of Uttaradit there is a major crossroads with traffic lights with a lignite mine sign posted to the right (with one of the blue tourist signs). Take this right hand turning and go along the H1047. Keep following this road in a generally easterly direction. After about 30 kilometres the entrance to the forest park is sign posted on the left hand (northern) side.
From the car park a concreted track leads up for a short distance to a level area. This area used to be a camp site and there is a toilet block, etc. At the start of the concreted track a large sign, in Thai, indicates that there are eight caves in the park with the furthest being about one kilometre away. We only explored six of these caves, of which five were surveyed.
Survey of Tham Chan Forest Park
Tham Sampeng / Tham Khang Khao ถ้ ำสามเเพ่ง / ถ้ ำค้างคาว
Tham Sampeng: 47Q 0651059 1944503 Alt.: 184 m
Tham Khang Khao: 47Q 0651027 1944466 Alt.: 184 m
Length: 208 m VR: 14 m
Having walked up the short hill from the car park this is the first cave you reach. It is in the cliff on the right and is conveniently sign posted with a path leading up to Tham Sampeng.
From the Tham Sampeng entrance a rift passage, which is parallel to the cliff face, has a couple of short ladders to aid the scramble over boulders to reach a chamber with a couple of entrances. On the right there is a 7 m pitch. It is not necessary to descend the pitch as the chamber at the bottom can be reached from Tham Khang Khao.
Tham Khang Khao is a few metres further along the cliff from Tham Sampeng, but access is easier if you descend back down to the track and then climb up the slope to the left (west) of the flag pole. The low and wide entrance soon opens up into a large passage. To the right leads to the chamber at the bottom of the pitch in Tham Sampeng. Continuing ahead and then left leads to a couple of rifts, one of which also connects to the chamber below the pitch.
Tham Chan ถ้ ำจัน
47Q 0650987 1944468 Alt.:194 m
Length: 45 m VR: 3 m
The path to Tham Chan leads up the slope to the cliff from the resurgence beside the track. The resurgence has a thatched roof over it. Tham Chan is simply a 45 m long, large and high phreatic passage. There is a large shrine in the cave and it is the best known of the caves in the park.
Cave 3a
47Q 0650995 1944460 Alt.: 192 m
Length: 15 m VR: 7 m
This cave is a small descending rift just to the south of Tham Chan.
Tham Wua Daeng ถ้ ำวัวเเดง
47Q 0650952 1944476 Alt.: 189 m
Length: 145 m VR: 16 m
From Tham Chan a path skirts the cliff to Tham Wua Daeng. The descending entrance leads to a small complex of passages. Up to the right leads to a dead end, a second entrance and a loop back towards the main entrance. Down to the left the passage reaches a small chamber. A small hole on the right leads down a climb into a fairly large, rubble floored chamber. At the opposite side of the chamber it is possible to climb up and exit the cave by squeezing between boulders.
Tham Sawan ถ้ ำธารสวรรก์
47Q 0650967 1944491 Alt.: 208 m
Length: 20 m VR: 11m
Tham Sawan is simply a 10 m wide phreatic tube descending at 45° through a spur of the hill. It is located a few metres above Tham Wua Daeng.
Tham Sua Dao ถ้ ำเสือดาว
Length: ~100 m
Tham Sua Dao is a couple of hundred metres away from the caves above. It is sign posted and a good path leads to the entrance. The entrance is behind the boulders. This cave was quickly looked at, but not surveyed. It was a small maze of rifts and chimneys, probably less than 100 m long.
Tham Je Dee ถ้ ำเอดีย์
This cave was not visited. The sign post indicated that it is 650 m beyond Tham Sua Dao
Tham Dao ถ้ ำเต่า
Another cave that was not visited. According to the sign posts it is 300 m beyond Tham Sua Dao.
Other Caves in Uttaradit Province
A sign for Wat Wang Tham XE "Wat Wang Tham" (COT UT 1) was seen heading to the north of the H1047 at 47Q 0641377 1942832.
A blue tourist sign for Tham Din XE "Tham Din" (COT UT 6) was seen at 47Q 0631647 1931479 indicating that this cave is to the east of the H11 along the H1214. The Caves of Thailand indicates that the cave is near the junction of the H1143 and H1246 roads. Although the roads in this area were driven along in December 2003 and March 2005 no further signs were seen.