Tham Pum Tham Pla Cave

Open Days: Daily

Opening Hours: Around 08:00 – 18:00

 

Tham Pum – Tham Pla in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai, is one of the most layered natural and cultural travel areas in the province. It is not just a single cave attraction. Instead, it is a wider cave complex centered around Wat Tham Pla and the surrounding limestone landscape of Pong Ngam Subdistrict. Within this area, visitors can explore or learn about Tham Pla, Tham Plaew Plong Fah, Tham Kong, Tham Noi, Tham Ngoep, Tham Wok, Tham Sao Hin Phaya Nak, Tham Ku Kaeo, Tham Tu Poo, and Tham Pum. Each location offers a different experience, ranging from easy sightseeing and fish feeding to cave exploration, scenic viewpoints, religious landmarks, and local legends.

 

The most famous point is Tham Pla, or Fish Cave. It is a small stream flowing out from beneath a limestone mountain and emerging at the eastern cave mouth. The stream is fed by water from Huai Nia Waterfall. This area became well known because it is home to native fish such as silver-banded fish and mai hip fish, along with other fish released by visitors over time. The result is a lively waterside environment that has long attracted both tourists and local visitors.

 

Tham Pla is also deeply connected to local belief. According to the Yonok legend, when the Buddha passed through the region and received fish as alms, he restored them to life and released them into a chasm linked with the cave system. Water from the alms bowl is said to have become the stream flowing out to the east, creating the Fish Cave. This legend gives the place more than scenic value. It also gives it religious and cultural meaning, helping explain why the area remains important not only as a natural destination but also as a spiritual one.

 

To the south lies Tham Plaew Plong Fah, a cave famous for its vertical opening to the sky. Sunlight can shine directly into the cave through the opening above, which creates a dramatic interior atmosphere. Visitors reach it by climbing stairs for about 180 meters from the first stair section to the cave mouth. There is also a viewpoint along the way, allowing wide views over the surrounding settlement, stalls, school grounds, and nearby villages. Inside the cave, the floor has been improved and a Buddha image is installed for worship, blending natural cave beauty with religious use.

 

Tham Kong, also called Tham Khong, shares the same initial access route as Tham Plaew Plong Fah. It has a more adventurous character because visitors move along rocky ledges to reach a deeper cave area. The cave is associated with a place called Nam Bo Thip, and when sounds are made inside, they echo through the opening, which is why local people gave it the name “echo cave” or “gong cave.”

 

Tham Noi is a smaller cave with a stream flowing through it, while Tham Ngoep is more like a rock shelter extending from the cliff. Tham Wok, located near the reservoir, offers a scenic elevated view over the water, fish, birds, nearby villages, and open agricultural fields of Pong Ngam. These smaller points add variety to the area and make the overall destination feel more like a natural exploration zone than a single attraction.

 

For adventure-focused travelers, Tham Sao Hin Phaya Nak is one of the most striking locations. It can be reached by land or water and is known for vertical cave structure and rock formations resembling stacked pillars. The cave has three levels, each increasingly difficult, and the upper sections require climbing and caution. This is one of the strongest adventure elements within the entire cave complex.

 

Tham Ku Kaeo is the deepest cave in the area, extending roughly 509 meters. It has winding passages, large chambers, narrow crawl sections, dripping water, slippery ground, and deep pits that require care. It also contains the “Hundred Buddha Hall,” a memorable section associated with religious practice in the cave. This cave gives the area serious depth for travelers interested in limestone cave systems and underground landscapes.

 

Tham Tu Poo has two sections, one of which once served as a meditation shelter for monks, while another runs through the mountain from east to west and leads toward a community health garden used by local residents for daily exercise. This connection between cave, temple, and community use is one of the reasons the entire area feels culturally alive rather than purely touristic.

 

Tham Pum, which gives the area part of its name, is itself an important cave with an annual merit-making tradition observed on the waning ninth moon of the sixth lunar month. It sits high on a cliff, reached by 73 steps, and has a depth of about 132 meters. One of its signature features is the knob-like stalagmite formation that gives the cave its name. It also contains Buddha images and a sacred atmosphere that makes it important for both sightseeing and worship.

 

Getting There is relatively simple by private car. From Mae Chan, travelers head toward Mae Sai along Highway 10. Near kilometer markers 877–878, there is a left turn at Ban Tham Market with clear signs to Wat Tham Pla. From there it is about 1.5 kilometers farther through Ban Pong Ngam to the end of the road. Tham Pla is just about 100 meters from the parking area, and most of the other caves are within the same broader zone.

 

Overall, Tham Pum – Tham Pla is far more than a quick fish-feeding stop. It is a broad and meaningful cave-and-temple landscape combining natural water, limestone formations, religious significance, local legend, annual tradition, viewpoints, and adventure. For travelers who want to experience a more layered side of Mae Sai and Chiang Rai, this is one of the strongest destinations in the region.

 

 

A: It is located in Ban Pong Ngam, Pong Ngam Subdistrict, Mae Sai District, Chiang Rai, in the Wat Tham Pla area.

 

A: Tham Pla is known for its stream flowing out from beneath the limestone mountain and for the large number of fish living in the water.

 

A: It is a cave open to the sky, with sunlight passing down through vertical openings and a scenic viewpoint nearby.

 

A: Tham Sao Hin Phaya Nak and Tham Ku Kaeo are among the most adventurous because they involve more climbing, deeper sections, and more complex cave routes.

 

A: Tham Pum is associated with an annual local merit-making tradition and contains Buddha images inside the cave.

 

A: Drive from Mae Chan toward Mae Sai on Highway 10, turn left near km 877–878 at Ban Tham Market, and continue about 1.5 km to Wat Tham Pla.

 

A: You can contact Pong Ngam Subdistrict Administrative Organization at 053-709582 or 053-709208.