ถ้ำปลา

Tham Pla - Fish Cave

Useful Information

Location:	East of Pong Ngam. Doi Jong, village number 11, Pong Pha Sub-District, Follow AH-2 (Highway 1) about 14 km south of the border (20.328877, 99.863464)
Open:	All year daily 6-18. [2020]
Fee:	free. [2020]
Classification:	Karst cave
Light:	bring torch
Dimension:
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Tham Pla, ถ้ำลิง วัด ถ้ำปลา, Pong Ngam, Mae Sai District, Chiang Rai 57130.
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History

Description

ถ้ำปลา (Tham Pla, Fish Cave) is a small cave temple located in the hill east of Pong Ngam. There is a Wat, a series of temples, numerous small caves, and a long staircase. The caves inside Doi Jong, a limestone karst tower behind the temple. There are numerous monkeys on the hill and the water springing from the cave system is full of fish.

Tham Pla or Fish Cave is the resurgence where fish are swimming in and out of the cave. In front of the cave is a pond where the limestone rich karst water shows its typical turquoise colour. It's possible to enter the cave beneath the river and there is a Myanmese styled Buddha image built by a Myanmese monk named Phra Songkrueng. In front of the cave entrance is a small park, where people can relax and feed monkeys and fish with food which is sold by vendors.

About 600 m south of Tham Pla a 150 m long bridge across อ่างเก็บน้ำถ้ำเสาหินพญานาค (Sao Hin Phaya Nak Cave Reservoir) leads to ถ้ำเสาหินพญานาค (T̄ĥả s̄eā h̄in phỵānākh, Tham Saohin Phaya Nak, Naga Stone Pillar Cave), also sometimes called Tham Phayanak. Before the bridge across the artificial lake was built, the visitors has to use a row boat to get there. The cave contains a temple with buddha statues and a tiled floor. There are also numerous stalactites and stalagmites.

The third cave is Tham Pum (Reed Cave), which is higher up on the mountain, and is reached on the already mentioned staircase. A small gorge between limestone cliffs leads to the cave. There are some old Buddha images inside, but it is not converted into a temple, so there is no light and no tiles. If you want to visit this cave you need a torch and a local guide is also recommended.