Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park / Phraya Nakhon Cave

อุทยานแห่งชาติเขาสามร้อยยอด · ถ้ำพระยานคร

A sinkhole cave among limestone peaks, where a shaft of sunlight falls on a Thai pavilion built in King Rama V’s era. It is Thailand’s most photogenic cave, reached by hiking and climbing.

Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park lies about 60 km south of Hua Hin. Established in 1966, it was Thailand’s first marine national park. It is made up of hundreds of limestone peaks, mangrove wetlands and beaches.

The park’s most famous site, Phraya Nakhon Cave, is a huge sinkhole formed when the cave roof collapsed. Sunlight pours through the opening onto the floor of the cavity, where a four-sided, pointed-roof Thai pavilion called Khuha Kharuehat was built in 1890 for King Rama V’s visit. The pavilion bears the handwritten signatures of Rama V, Rama VII and Rama IX, and it is regarded as a symbol of Prachuap Khiri Khan province.

To get there, first go to Bang Pu village. Then either take a long-tail boat (about 400 baht round trip per boat) or hike over the hill for about 30 minutes to reach Laem Sala Beach. From the beach, climb steep stone steps for about 430 meters (roughly 30–40 minutes) to enter the cave. The best time is around 10:00–11:00, when sunlight falls directly on the pavilion, so it is recommended to leave Hua Hin before 8 a.m.

National park entry is 200 baht for foreigners and 100 baht for children. The cave has no extra charge. Opening hours are 06:00–18:00. Other attractions in the park include the Khao Daeng viewpoint trail and a Khlong Khao Daeng mangrove boat trip (about 400 baht per boat, for monkeys and waterbirds).

Getting there: a private car round trip from Hua Hin costs about 1,500–2,000 baht, or you can join a local half-day tour. There is no direct public transport.

Note: the climbing path is steep and slippery, so wear trainers and bring plenty of water. There are many monkeys in the cave, so do not feed them. Long-tail boats may stop running in the rainy season.

Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park / Phraya Nakhon Cave

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Nearby sights

Places to eat nearby