Stalactite cave Tham Lot in Thailand.

© Viktoriya Krayn/Shutterstock

Tham Lot

Top choice in Mae Hong Son Province


About 9km northeast of Soppong is Tham Lot (pronounced tâm lôrt and also known as tâm nám lôrt), a large limestone cave with impressive stalagmites, coffin caves and a wide stream running through it for 600m. Along with Tham Nam Lang further west, it’s one of the largest known caves in Thailand, with a total length of 1600m.

Visitors are not permitted to tour the caves alone. At the entrance, you must hire a gas lantern and guide for 150B (one guide leads up to three people) to take you through the caverns. Bamboo rafts (up to three people, one way 300B) from the entrance to the exit take in the Column Cavern, Doll Cave and Coffin Cave. If going one way, you can walk back from outside the cave (20 minutes), but only during the dry season (approximately November to May). In the dry season it may also be possible to wade to the Doll Cave and then take a raft through to the exit (200B). Try to be at the exit at sunset, when hundreds of thousands of swifts pour into Tham Lot and cling to their bedtime stalagmites.

The three side chambers – Column Cavern, Doll Cave and Coffin Cave – can be reached by ladders. It can get crowded on the ladders so watch your step. It takes around 1½ hours to explore the whole complex. During parts of the rainy season (August to October) only one cave is open because of water levels.

A Nature Education Centre has basic displays on the area, as well as exhibits of pottery remains found in the cave.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Mae Hong Son Province attractions

1. Nature Education Centre

0.01 MILES

The Nature Education Centre in the Tham Lot cave complex has basic displays on the area, as well as exhibits of pottery remains found in the cave.

2. Coffin Cave

3.8 MILES

Climb a steep hillside and rickety stairs to reach this sequence of three shallow caves, where you'll find ancient teak coffins carved from solid teak…

3. Nam Tok Mo Paeng

14.4 MILES

The most popular waterfall in the vicinity of Pai, Nam Tok Mo Paeng has a couple of pools that are suitable for swimming. The waterfall is about 8km from…

4. Ban Santichon Viewpoint

15.6 MILES

A viewpoint at the Chinese village of Ban Santichon that offers decent views over the surrounding area.

5. Ban Santichon

15.74 MILES

The cheesy photo ops in traditional Chinese clothing, piped-in music, tea tastings, pony rides, tacky recreation of the Great Wall of China and…

6. Wat Nam Hoo

16.43 MILES

Wat Nam Hoo is about 2km west of Pai and houses a sacred Buddha image said to have once emitted holy water from its head. The place is popular with…

8. Wat Klang

17.79 MILES

A Burmese-inspired Buddhist temple in Pai.