Sanook Caves

Location - https://maps.app.goo.gl/GoreLrZXzC9pkLwh6

Sanook Caves are located within the grounds of Wat Tham Sanook some 15km east of Chumphon town. 12km from the town, along Highway 4, take the road to the left towards Ban Na. The entrance to the temple is on the right 3km down this road.

The 'Caves & Caving in Thailand' website has referenced the main cave at this temple as CP0077 which you can find to the right of the large reclining Buddha at the front of the hill.

This cave has been made into a place of worship and within you find 3 large Buddha's.

This entrance area is a big cavern with a large opening to the east.

On the walls can be found murals depicting the life of Buddha.

To the right of the three Buddha's a stalagmite has been converted to this scary image.

Behind the three Buddha's there is a small passageway taking you to a small chamber.

To the left of the three Buddha's is a connecting passageway taking you through to another similar but smaller cavern.

At the back of the cavern you will find wooden steps leading to a passageway.

The passageway leads through an opening further along the cliff face. Its about 10m long. Watch your head as the ceiling is very low in places.

You come out into a wooded area where to your right you see steps taking you up to a monk statue under an overhang. To the right of the monk is a doorway. Take care here for straight after the door is a 5m drop. We could only view this small cavern from the top as there was no means of getting down.

If you continue southwards along the cliff face you come across this old Buddha statue.

From here looking south you can see these ornate steps which lead to another cave.

At the top of the steps you will find a small opening to what is a 250m long through cave.

On our last two visits (July 2019 and April 2021)n where we entered this cave we found the lighting was not working, so bring good torches.

Don't worry you can not get lost within the cave as its just one passageway.

About 100m in you will find a chamber to your left which is where the bats reside.

The 'Caves & Caving in Thailand' website has referenced this as Cave No. CP0065.

During World War II the temple was occupied by the Japanese and the caves were used for safe storage. Maybe associated with the Kra Isthmus Railway. Rumour has it that the Americans bombed the place but no evidence of this can be seen. No digging is permitted in the cave, supposedly for valuables looted by the Japanese!

The cave eventually comes out on the northern side of the hill.

Climb down the steps and keeping the hill on your right you will eventually come back to the cave with the three Buddha's.

Sadly during our visits we have not been lucky in seeing the new species of gecko, Cyrtodactylus Sanook, first found in this cave and named after it. Reference - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236018517_Cyrtodactylus_sanook_Squamata_Gekkonidae_a_new_cave-dwelling_gecko_from_Chumphon_Province_southern_Thailand