Wat Tham Khao Pun

Kanchanaburi

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The nearest cave temple to Kanchanaburi town is a fun labyrinth of illuminated passageways. The marked trail is a bit of a squeeze in some places (and can be slippery), but ducking beneath limestone protrusions to discover these subterranean shrines is a special experience. It's a stop on the standard boat tour, but still rarely busy, so it might just be you and some fluttering bats. The temple is 4km southwest of town, beyond Chungkai War Cemetery.

The chambers painted white near the exit were a Japanese wartime hospital, and outside the exit, in a replica bamboo barracks, is a little display of POW photos and old typewriters. Follow the roads to the back and up to the stupa for a lovely view over Mae Nam Khwae Noi.

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Nearby Kanchanaburi attractions

1. Chungkai War Cemetery

0.78 MILES

The site of one of the biggest Allied POW camps, Chungkai honours 1426 Commonwealth and 313 Dutch soldiers. Prisoners built their own hospital and church…

2. Wat Chaichumphon

2.1 MILES

Next to the JEATH War Museum, this temple has some interesting statues and shrines, including one fashioned from a WWII-era boat dredged out of the river.

3. JEATH War Museum

2.11 MILES

This small museum, opened in 1977, mostly focuses on the terrible ordeals of the POWs who built the Death Railway. Their harsh living conditions are shown…

4. City Gate

2.22 MILES

This restored original city gate (built 1831) is a remnant of Kanchanaburi's once mighty defensive walls, which linked six fortresses. Just behind it is a…

5. Heritage Walking Street

2.24 MILES

A stroll along this city centre street offers a glimpse of a bygone Kanchanaburi. Many buildings date to the 1920s and '30s and their Sino-Portuguese,…

6. Lak Meuang

2.27 MILES

Behind the City Gate stands this small, gold-trimmed shrine for Kanchanburi city's guardian spirit.

7. Wat Thewa Sangkharam

2.39 MILES

This sizeable temple in Kanchanaburi is worth a wander to admire its grand, bell-shaped stupa near the river and various Thai-style shrines. In particular…

8. Chinese Cemetery

2.58 MILES

In contrast to the manicured uniformity of the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery next to it, this Chinese cemetery is somewhat overgrown but contains some large…

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