Caves and Thailand usually bring one thing to mind. In 2018, the whole world was watching Northern Thailand, where 12 boys and their coach were trapped in the flooded Tham Luang cave. But there is so much more to this region than just that one story. Northern Thailand is packed with incredible caves, and one of them—open to the public and officially the largest in the country—is Tham Lod.
Full disclosure: this spot easily made it into our TOP 3 favorite places in Thailand. You can find the rest of our tips and stories in our Thailand with Kids guide.
O tym przeczytasz
A few words about the biggest cave in Thailand
Tham Lod is located in Northern Thailand and is easiest to reach from Pai, a famously laid-back, “hipster” town. We visited in our own car, but getting there via an organized tour or a private minivan with a driver is super easy. If you are planning to ride the famous Mae Hong Son Loop, this cave is an absolute must-have on your itinerary.
Right outside the entrance, you’ll find food stalls, restrooms, and an information center. This is also where you’ll be paired with a local guide.
What is Tham Lod all about?
The history of Tham Lod goes back thousands of years. It once served as a shelter for prehistoric communities, and archaeologists have found stone tools, pottery, and food remains proving that humans lived here for ages. The most fascinating part? The ancient teak wood coffins tucked away in the third chamber. They are several thousand years old and offer a hauntingly beautiful glimpse into the burial rites of the people who once called this place home. Our kids were absolutely blown away—and honestly, so were we.
Recently, another significant archaeological site was discovered near the visitor center: a rock pit containing a human skeleton over 20,000 years old. These are the oldest human remains ever found in Northern Thailand.
Exploring Tham Lod Cave
You can only explore Tham Lod cave with a guide. Each guide takes a maximum of three people (including children). The price depends on how much of the cave you want to see—or, in our case, how much is actually accessible during that time of year. Most guides don’t speak much English, but they carry powerful gas lanterns (handy if you don’t have your own headlamp) and are surprisingly good at helping you snap the perfect photo.
The Nam Lang River flows right through the cave. While the cave system is much longer, the tourable section is about 1 km long and consists of three massive chambers. The walking tour starts at Tham Sao Hin Luang, a huge cavern filled with stunning stalactites and stalagmites. Its most striking feature is the massive limestone columns that reach up to 20 meters high. Because we visited during the rainy season, our adventure ended here—but even seeing just this part was enough to appreciate the sheer power of Mother Nature.
Bamboo rafting (October to May) in Tham Lod
If you visit between October and April, you’ll likely be able to explore all three chambers. The second is Tham Tukkata, the widest one, filled with tiny stalagmites that look like little dolls. After that, you’d hop on a bamboo raft to reach the final chamber, Tham Phi Man. This is where the ancient stone tools, prehistoric pottery, and those 2,000-year-old teak coffins are located.
Pretty incredible, right?
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