Tham Lod Cave, Pai Overview

Nam Lod Cave, also called Tham Lod Cave, is a 1,666 meters deep cave system near Sop Pong in Mae Hong Son Province. There are 3 caves- Column Cave, Doll Cave, and Coffin Cave. The Nam Lang River flows through the caves, creating extensive stalactites and stalagmites. The local Shan people maintain and operate the tours of the caves and also serve as guides.

It has earned them their name which roughly means “The caves through which a river flows” in English. The mysterious caves are home to colonies of bats and swifts that can be seen hanging from the roofs. The caves are located a 15-minute hike away from the ticket counter. You will cross some wooden bridges to get to the makeshift jetty inside the cave, from where you must ride a raft along the river to go deeper inside. Each cave is named after the geological formations they have.

The 3 Caves

Column Cave is named after the huge cylindrical columns rising from the ground and joining the ceiling. There are rusty staircases inside to facilitate better exploration. Different stone formations inside have been named after things or beings they emulate in shape, such as the Popcorn Wall, Waterfall Wall, or a block that looks like Lord Hanuman’s head.

Doll Cave is named after stone formations that look like toy figurines resembling humans as well as animals. There is also a prehistoric painting in Doll Cave dating back 2,000-3,000 years. The cave can be reached by crossing another wooden bridge from the main staircase of Column Cave.

The third one called Coffin Cave gets its name from all the historic findings. Several human remains along with tools, weapons, and objects of everyday use have been excavated from the cave. They date back to the Holocene period, indicating the existence of a hunter-gatherer society at large. Many teakwood coffins, believed to have been placed there by the Lawa tribes thousands of years ago, were also found. Most of the remains have been removed, but you will spot pieces of wood and nails that made up the coffins still inside the cave.

You will have to hike back to the entrance/exit gate once the tour is done.

Kayaking Through the Caves

December to June is the best time to visit the caves if you want to explore on foot. The caves are prone to waterlogging and get fully flooded during the rainy season. The water subsides around November and continues to remain dry and walkable till the next monsoon.

During the wetter months of July to October, the Cave Lodge runs kayaking trips through the caves depending on how high the water level is. The ride is 6-12 km downstream, where you can visit some of the smaller, underdeveloped caves which are not open for regular visits. The trips cost around THB 650-1200 per person. The lodge will provide guides if you are a beginner.