Rainy season, safety and preparation
May, Aug – Oct
Steps into the cave — Steep and slippery
45–90 minutes
Good (weak inside the cave)
7 days ahead
When to go
this week
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Best time to go Fine all day little rain through the day
No warnings today — normal road and weather conditions
Hour by hour
Green band = hours used for the score
Best time to go Fine all day little rain through the day · light drizzle possible at times
No warnings today — normal road and weather conditions
Hour by hour
Green band = hours used for the score
Best time to go Fine all day little rain through the day · light drizzle possible at times
No warnings today — normal road and weather conditions
Hour by hour
Green band = hours used for the score
Best time to go Best window 06:00–14:00 Little rain · light drizzle possible at times
Thick morning fog with visibility under 1 km — use headlights and drive slowly
Hour by hour
Green band = hours used for the score
Best time to go Best window 06:00–11:00 Little rain · light drizzle possible at times
No warnings today — normal road and weather conditions
Hour by hour
Green band = hours used for the score
Best time to go Fine all day little rain through the day · light drizzle possible at times
No warnings today — normal road and weather conditions
Hour by hour
Green band = hours used for the score
Best time to go Fine all day little rain through the day
No warnings today — normal road and weather conditions
Hour by hour
Green band = hours used for the score
Starry sky
How likely
Scored from cloud cover at every level and tonight’s moonlight — the darker the sky, the clearer the Milky Way · tap another night below for the next 7 nights
Tham Chom Phon
Tham Chom Phon, Tham Chom Phon Arboretum, Chom Bueng, Ratchaburi.
- Cool, few people
- Sunbeam on the Buddhas
- Near closing
Arrive 15:30
- Sunbeam on the BuddhasInside the caveMidday
- Pha WichitStriped flowstoneDaytime
- Royal ciphers at the mouthJo Po Ro and Pho Po RoDaytime
Gallery
Photos from Wikimedia Commons and contributors · full credits inClassic page
Good to know here
Steep and slippery
Monkeys climb on cars
- Come around 11:00–14:30 to see the sunbeam on the Buddhas
- Many monkeys — hide snacks and watch your car
- Wear grippy shoes; the steps are steep and slippery
- Combine with Khao Ngu Stone Park or Suan Phueng on Hwy 3087
Adults 20 THB · Time needed 45–90 minutes
Holidays and the November festival
| Entry, adult (approx.) | 20 ฿/person |
| Entry, child (approx.) optional | 10 ฿/person |
Cash · Prices may change by season — check with the venue
- Kids OK; watch the steps and monkeys
- Seniors Only for those who can manage steep steps
- Wheelchair Not suitable
- Pets Not recommended
- Jae Maem noodle buffetBeside Muban Chom Bueng Rajabhat University
- Sum PrachachonIsan food, Chom Bueng
- Dress modestly — there are Buddha images inside
- Stay on the paths
- Do not touch or break formations
- Do not feed the monkeys
- Steep, slippery steps; some ducking needed
- Hot and humid inside, with a guano smell
- Many monkeys; some climb cars and can be aggressive
Mid-Nov: Tham Chom Phon festival with light and sound at Muban Chom Bueng Rajabhat University
Best months
Tap a month on the wheel to see weather, rain, haze and crowds from 10 years of records
Best time · Nov–Feb for cool weather · about 11:00–14:30 for the sunbeam on the Buddhas · festival in mid-November
Watch out · After 15:30 near closing · not for weak knees — steep, slippery steps
21°Jan
22°Feb
24°Mar
25°Apr
25°May
25°Jun
25°Jul
25°Aug
24°Sep
23°Oct
22°Nov
21°Dec
Oct by the records 23–30°C · avg rain 268 mm (24 rainy days) · clear 2 days · avg PM2.5 12
The story of this place
Tham Chom Phon lies in Tham Chom Phon Arboretum, Chom Bueng, Ratchaburi, beside Hwy 3087 next to Muban Chom Bueng Rajabhat University, about 30 km from Ratchaburi town. It is not a forest park or national park. The cave, in Permian limestone of the Ratburi Group, is about 240 m long, 30 m wide and 25 m high. Villagers once called it Tham Mutchalin, after the naga Mucalinda who sheltered the Buddha.
Read more 4 more paragraphs
In 1895 (Rattanakosin Era 114) King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) visited with Queen Saovabha. Seeing the striped flowstone "Pha Wichit", which resembled a field marshal's sash, he named the cave "Tham Chom Phon" and had his cipher "Jo Po Ro 114" carved at the mouth. On the same trip he named the area Chom Bueng and made it a minor district. The name has nothing to do with Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram.
On 1 June 1956 King Bhumibol (Rama IX) visited with Queen Sirikit, the Princess Mother and the royal children, at a time when he was concerned about malaria in Suan Phueng and Chom Bueng. He inscribed "Pho Po Ro 1 Jun 99" at the mouth and lunched in the Pha Wichit hall; electric lights were installed in the cave for the first time and teak, kanlapaphruek and nonsi trees were planted. The cipher "Mo Wo Ko" of the then Crown Prince is also there, so the cave is said to have been visited by "four kings".
The cave was damaged by an earthquake in 1985, and on 7 November 1989 the Cabinet listed it as a natural site worth conserving. Its highlight is a ceiling skylight that sends sunbeams onto the reclining and standing Buddhas inside from late morning to early afternoon, and the "Pho Pu Ruesi" hermit-shaped rock where people pray for luck.
From 2021 to 2023 the cave was closed for more than two years because of COVID and damaged facilities, reopening on 26 September 2023 in a ceremony led by the Ratchaburi governor. Each November the Tham Chom Phon festival is held at the Rajabhat university; the 15th edition ran on 13–22 November 2025 with a light-and-sound show.
- before 1895Known as Tham Mutchalin
- 1895King Rama V names the cave and carves Jo Po Ro 114
- 1 Jun 1956King Rama IX visits, inscribes Pho Po Ro; first electric lights
- 1985Cave damaged by an earthquake
- 7 Nov 1989Cabinet lists it as a natural site worth conserving
- 2021–2023Closed for more than two years
- 26 Sep 2023Reopens
See 1 events
- 13–22 Nov 202515th Tham Chom Phon festival
Check-ins & visitor photos
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How to get there
Paved; the cave is beside the road next to the university
To Ratchaburi, then Hwy 3087 to Chom Bueng · Fuel
To Chom Bueng town · Metered
Hwy 3087 (Ratchaburi–Chom Bueng–Suan Phueng)
Free car park at the foot of the hill
Chom Bueng town
Good (weak inside the cave)
About 08:00–16:30 (sources differ)
around 30 km fromRatchaburi town
Tham Chom Phon
Stays near Tham Chom Phon
Approx. nightly price for 2 adults (next week) · final price depends on your dates
FAQ
Before you goTham Chom Phon
Answers travellers want before they go — a one-minute read
Why is it called Tham Chom Phon?
King Chulalongkorn visited in 1895 and thought the striped flowstone Pha Wichit looked like a field marshal's (chom phon) sash, so he named it. It has nothing to do with Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram
Which royal ciphers are there?
Jo Po Ro 114 (Rama V, 1895), Pho Po Ro dated 1 June 1956 (Rama IX), and Mo Wo Ko
How much is entry?
About 10–20 THB per adult and 5–10 THB per child; sources differ
When does the sunbeam light the Buddhas?
Roughly late morning to early afternoon, about 11:00–14:30
Are there monkeys?
Many at the entrance — do not feed them and watch your car
Is it a national park?
No. It is a cave in Tham Chom Phon Arboretum, next to Muban Chom Bueng Rajabhat University
Ready to go to Tham Chom Phon?
Best day this week: Thursday 29 Oct · Check in when you arrive to collect a stamp