Phraya Nakhon Cave: The Pavilion in the Light

Phraya Nakhon Cave: The Pavilion in the Light

I went to Phraya Nakhon Cave.

Phraya Nakhon Cave (Tham Phraya Nakhon) is a large limestone cave in Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park, in Prachuap Khiri Khan province, south of Hua Hin. Inside it stands a small royal pavilion. On a clear morning, sunlight falls through a hole in the cave roof and lights that pavilion.

This is a practical post. What the pavilion is. When it was built. When to go for the light. How to get there. What the climb takes. And what entry costs.

What this cave is

The cave has two main chambers. Both have openings in the roof. Light and rain come in, and trees grow on the cave floor below.

Khao Sam Roi Yot was declared a national park on 28 June 1966. The Department of National Parks (DNP) calls it the first marine national park in Thailand. The name means the mountain of three hundred peaks.

One point to get right. This park is not a UNESCO World Heritage site, and it is not on the UNESCO Tentative List for Thailand. That list was checked for this post. The cave does not need that label. The pavilion and the light are the story.

The Kuha Karuhas Pavilion and Rama V

The pavilion dates from Rama V, and the official sources confirm it.

The pavilion is called Phra Thinang Kuha Karuhas, or Kuha Karuhas Pavilion. It is a small four gabled pavilion. It was built for a visit by King Chulalongkorn (Rama V).

The DNP cave page says Rama V ordered the pavilion built on a mound in the middle of the cave, with Phraya Chonlayut Yothin as the supervising builder. He came in person on 20 June 1890, during a trip to the Malay Peninsula, and gave the pavilion its name.

The Prachuap Khiri Khan province page adds the detail. The pavilion was made in Bangkok, then taken apart, moved, and assembled again inside the cave. Rama V raised the gable apex himself.

The kings after Rama V

On the rock wall to the right, in large white letters, are the royal monograms of Rama V and Rama VII. The province page and the DNP linked sources both point to those two inscriptions. They are still visible today.

For the later visit, the safer date is 20 November 1926 for King Prajadhipok (Rama VII). That date comes from Fine Arts Department information quoted by the park at the 134th anniversary of the pavilion in 2024. One older local article puts the Rama VII visit in 1925. This post keeps 1926, and flags the conflict in the notes saved with this draft.

The same Fine Arts Department list names five kings who visited the cave. Rama IV, Rama V, Rama VI, Rama VII and Rama IX. It gives Rama VI one visit, but it does not say he left an inscription. So this post says only this: Rama VI is on the official visit list, and the wall inscriptions you can still see are those of Rama V and Rama VII.

When the light hits the pavilion

The famous photo is not luck alone. It is timing.

Park officials put the direct light on the pavilion at 10:30 to 11:30 in the morning, on a clear day. Some guides widen that to 10:00 to 11:30. This post keeps the narrower park window. Aim to be inside the main chamber before 10:30, not at 10:30.

Cloud kills the effect. So does arriving at midday. Plan the climb backwards from 10:30.

Best time to visit

Park officials point to November to February for the light on the pavilion. That is also the dry and cooler part of the year on this coast.

Some guides extend the good months to March. This post keeps November to February as the best window, because that is what the park officials quoted locally say about the light itself.

How to get there

Start at Bang Pu village, at the park ticket point for this cave. From there you have two ways to Laem Sala Beach. Then one climb to the cave.

• By boat: a boat from Bang Pu around the headland to Laem Sala Beach, about 10 to 15 minutes. Boats can stop in bad weather or rough seas.
• On foot: walk over the hill from Bang Pu to Laem Sala Beach. It saves the boat, and it adds a steep walk before the cave climb has even started.

From Laem Sala Beach, a stepped path of about 430 metres climbs to the cave entrance. Sources put that climb at about 30 minutes and up. I put the full climb at 45 minutes to an hour. The next section explains why my slower figure is the one to plan on.

For the map, use the Phraya Nakhon Cave map link listed for the cave, and check the DNP park page (portal.dnp.go.th, Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park page) before you go. Park phone and opening details can change.

Boat fares vary and published sources disagree, so check the fare at Bang Pu on the day.

The climb: not easy, and worth it

I went. The climb is not easy. Allow 45 minutes to 1 hour to go up. And it is worth it.

That estimate is slower than the 30 minutes some guides give for the 430 metre path from Laem Sala Beach. Plan on the slower figure. It leaves time for heat, for wet rock, and for stops. If you also walk over the hill from Bang Pu instead of taking the boat, allow more time again.

The path is steep stone steps in forest. Take closed shoes with grip, and take water. If the rock is wet, take the handrails and slow down.

Opening hours and entry price

The DNP cave page gives the cave opening as 08:30 to 15:30. Wider park listings give longer park hours. For the cave itself, plan on the DNP cave hours, and start early enough for the 10:30 light in any case.

Entry is the Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park ticket. Foreign adults pay 200 THB and foreign children pay 100 THB. Thai adults pay 40 THB and Thai children pay 20 THB. One park ticket covers the park attractions for that day.

Prices and hours can change. Check the DNP park page on the day.

What to take

• Closed shoes with grip. The steps can be slippery.
• Water. There is no shortcut on the climb.
• A dry bag or a sealed pocket if you take the boat. You may wade at the beach.
• Time. Be at Laem Sala early enough to climb and still reach the chamber before 10:30.

If you are based in Hua Hin or Cha-Am, this pairs with the wider coast. Start with the Hua Hin travel guide. For a different royal hill further north, read Phra Nakhon Khiri and the ticket question. Note the names. Phraya Nakhon is this cave. Phra Nakhon Khiri is the palace hill in Phetchaburi. They are not the same place.

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