UNFINISHED REPORT APRIL 2006

INTRODUCTION
Although at the time we didn't know that it was a protected area the first Shepton Mallet Caving Club visit to Thailand explored caves in the Pha Phueng Wildlife Sanctuary. We enjoyed the trip, so much so that since this visit in February 2000 there have been another nine trips to the country. This area, near the small town of Khon San in Chaiyaphum province, has seen further brief visits in February 2002, January and July 2005 and January 2006.
 
PHA PHUENG WILDIFE SANCTUARY 
The Pha Phueng Wildlife Sanctuary was created in 2000. It covers an area of xxxxx sq. km and is part of the 5,948 sq. km Western Isan Forest Complex of eight contiguous protected areas. These protected areas are the Phu Kheio, Tapo-Huay Yai, Phu Pha Daeng and Pha Phueng Wildlife Sanctuaries and the Tad Mok, Nam Nao, Phu Pha Man and Phu Kradueng National Parks. The extensive forests are home to populations of large mammals such as elephant (twice visually confirmed by us in Nam Nao National Park), tiger (fortunately not confirmed by us), Asiatic black bear and gaur. The last sighting of rhinocerous in Thailand was in the Phu Kheio Wildlife Sanctuary in 1979.
 
Pha Phueng Wildlife Sanctuary covers a large karst massif in Khon San district, Chaiyaphum province. The park headquarters are off the H12 road on the northern edge of the sanctuary. The southern edge can be accessed by the road from Khon San to the Chulabon Dam.
 
The head ranger can be contacted at:
     Pha Phueng Wildlife Sanctuary
     PO Box 9
     Khon San
     Chaiyaphum
     36180
     Thailand
 
PREVIOUS EXPLORATION
The first recorded visit to the area was in 1987 by Deharveng’s French biospeleological expedition which explored seven caves in the Ban Tham Ngoen area and noted various species of invertebrate and bat.
 
Dean Smart and Matt London visited the area in 1999 looking for vauclusian springs. There also collected information on other caves.
 
In February 2000 Dave Barrett, Paul Dummer and Martin Ellis of the Shepton Mallet Caving Club along with Huw Jones of the Brynmawr Caving Club.
 
Since this first Shepton visit club members have returned to the area in February 2002, January and July 2005 and January 2006 resulting in further discoveries.

CAVE DESCRIPTIONS 
Note: COT XXxx = Caves of Thailand code number.

GEOLOGY 
The massif explored is formed on an anticline which is orientated south-west to north-east and has been block faulted. Each outcrop is bounded by large faults which run south-west to north-east and north-west to south-east. The area is thus structurally quite complex with several faults and minor anticlines/folds being seen. This folding and faulting was also noticed in the caves. Tham Narm Lei is formed along the strike of a fault which is on a south-west to north-east axis and a dip of 40° to 50° to the north-west. 'Bad Air Cave' appears to be formed along the axis of an anticline, again orientated south-west to north-east, as the dip is in different directions on either side of the passage.
 
The limestone which forms the massif is the Pha Nok Khao formation which is of Lower-Middle Permian age. It is described as grey, massive to thickly bedded with nodular or thinly bedded black chert and intercalations of thinly bedded grey shale. The limestone is flanked by the overlying Hua Na Khan formation which is of Middle Permian age which consists of grey shale and yellowish-brown sandstone with lenses or thin beds of grey limestone. To the east the massif is bordered by a flat alluvial plain. This plain also separates the main massif from the isolated hills to the north of the H12 road. These isolated hills are also formed from the Pha Nok Khao limestone.

REFERENCES 
Deharveng, Louis, et. al. (1988) “Expeditions Thai 87 – Thai 88. Rapport Speleologique et Scientifique” Assoc. Pyreneene de Speleologie, Toulouse, ISBN 2-906273-02-3 128pp
Dunkley, John (1995) “The Caves of Thailand” Speleological Research Council Ltd, Sydney, ISBN 0-9589253-9-9, 124pp.
Ellis, Martin & Barrett, Dave (2000).....2000 expedition report.
Various archaeological reports on Tham Nimit Wahan cave.
 
MAPS
1:50,000 US Army Topographic Command (1967) Series L7017 Sheet 5432 III “Amphoe Khon San”
1:250,000 Royal Thai Survey Department (1986) Series 1501S Sheet NE 47-16 “Changwat Petchabun
1:250,000 Geological Survey Division, Department of Mineral Resources (1984) Sheet NE47-16 “Changwat Petchabun”
 
Appendices

Appendix A: Pha Phueng Wildlife Sanctuary Cave Data