Wat Tham Suea
วัดถ้ำเสือ
A golden Buddha on the hilltop stands beside a Chinese-style nine-tier pagoda, overlooking the rice paddies of the River Kwai plain. A small cable car takes visitors up, making it a scenic temple on the southeast outskirts of Kanchanaburi.
Wat Tham Suea (meaning “Tiger Cave Temple”) sits on a small limestone hill about 20 km southeast of Kanchanaburi city, in Tha Muang district. At the summit sits a golden Buddha about 18 metres tall. In front of the statue is a long conveyor belt: worshippers put coins into small bowls, which ride the belt down to the Buddha as an offering. Right next door, Wat Tham Khao Noi has a multi-tiered pagoda in Chinese style. The two temples share the hilltop and look especially striking from the rice fields below. You can climb about 150 steps to the top, or take the small ramp cable car for a modest fee. The summit has wide views of the rice fields and dams across the Mae Klong river plain, and the scenery is best in the late afternoon. Note: this is not the famous “Tiger Temple,” which is a different monastery (Wat Pha Luang Ta Bua). Authorities shut it down in 2016 over animal abuse, and tiger viewing is no longer offered. Entry is free. Getting there: about 30 minutes by hired car from town or by rented motorbike. Dress note: shoulders and knees must be covered, and shoes must be removed before entering the shrine hall.
Opening hours
Approx. 07:00–17:00
Nearby sights
- Wat Ban Tham
- Wat Tham Mangkon Thong
- JEATH War Museum
- Kanchanaburi Skywalk (Song Khwae-Mae Klong)
- Chungkai War Cemetery
- Kanchanaburi War Cemetery
- Wat Tham Khao Pun
- Thailand–Burma Railway Centre