ถ้ำเพชรโพธิ์ทอง

Tham Phet Pho Tong

Useful Information

Location:	Khlong Hat, Khlong Hat District, Sa Kaeo 27260. Highway 317, turn left Highway 3067, after 4 km turn left for another 3 km. (13.413651, 102.325346)
Open:	All year daily 8:30-16:30. [2023]
Fee:	. []
Classification:	Karst cave
Light:	Incandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:
Guided tours:
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Tham Phet Pho Tong, Khlong Hat, Khlong Hat District, Sa Kaeo 27260. Tambon Khlong Had Administration Office, Tel: +66-3751-2142, Tel: +66-8-9936-3880, Tel: +66-8-6101-1539.
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History

Description

ถ้ำเพชรโพธิ์ทอง (Tham Phet Pho Tong, Diamond Banyan Leaf Cave) has four chambers. The entrance chamber at the cave portal is a spacious oval area decorated with white stalagmites. A passage leads downwards to the second chamber, which is illuminated by a huge karstfenster. The third chamber is called Pearl Chmaber because of numerous cave pearls. The fourth has a stalagmite which is said to resemble Buddha.

The cave is named after the brown and beige patches on walls and ceilings resembling golden banyan leaves (Pho Thong) and the diamond (Phet) glittering of the stalactites and stalagmites. The glittering is quite common, as speleothems consist of calcite crystals and the flat surfaces of the crystals reflect the light. The brown patches are actually flintstone nodules which were formed by dissolution and precipitation of quartz by ground water. The consist mainly of quartz but also someiron which oxidzes and the rust ist the brown pigment giving the colour.

The cave is developed with trails and a staircase in the last chamber. There is also electric light, but a lamp is nevertheless recommended. The cave is rather small. The site also has an outlook.

Nearby Tham Hat Sai Kaeo located in the same karst tower has a 25 m deep shaft. There are cave trekking tours offered which include the abseil into this shaft.