Khao Namthip Cave



Location - https://maps.app.goo.gl/LkHciuw5HZk4h3bt5

Khao Namthip Cave is located within the grounds of Tham Khao Namthip Monastery and is 80Km south of Chumphon town. Take Highway 41 from Chumphon town for some 50km until you reach the Khao Pip intersection (a Lotus's store is on the right just before the intersection). Turn right at the intersection onto road No. 4139 and travel 25km to the village of Khao Thalu. In the village turn right at the crossroads and travel about 2Km taking the road to the left. Follow this road for 3Km and you should see the temple on the right.
The 'Caves & Caving in Thailand' website has referenced this as Cave No.  CP0012. The cave has also been referred to as Tham Phra.
The cave is in an isolated limestone hill and can be found at the far side of the monastery complex. Monk statues lead you to the entrance.
The upper entrance (marked B on above survey map) has two Buddha statues within.
Behind the Buddha statue is a small passageway leading through to a chamber. From this chamber another passageway takes you down to where the river flows through the hill by way of this cave (marked B on above survey map).
When we visited in the middle of the dry season (April 2021) we found the river had totally dried up. In the first section the rocks had a blue tint to them. Not sure what is causing that.
As you venture further down the colour reverts to the normal brown.
Whilst the above survey records the cave as being 150m our progress was halted by a rock fall some 30m in. Found a lot of debris trapped here.
Anyhow in the 30m found a lot of interesting formations.

On our first visit to this cave in December 2016 we found a wall in front of the lower cave which we guess was to stop debris entering the cave.
This wall was nowhere to be seen on a visit in May 2017. The storms in January must have destroyed it. 

At Tham Khao Namthip Monastery you can also find this large Buddha statue guarded by two impressive nāgas.
It is also possible to climb to the top of Namthip Hill to view the surrounding area. This is covered in another blog - https://chumphonplaces.blogspot.com/2024/09/khao-namthip-viewpoint.html.

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