Landslide blocks main tourist site in Prachuab Khiri Khan

[Thaivisa News]

Prachuab Khiri Khan: A landslide has blocked the only walkway to one of Thailand’s amazing attractions, the Phraya Nakhon Cave in this southern province. Strict safety measures are being observed.

Inside this natural cave is a royal pavilion that shines gloriously under the sunlight. Although it is a cave, this place enjoys the sun through a big hole on its top. The elaborate pavilion was erected in 1890 for King Rama V’s visit. After many kings of Thailand came to this cave, it becomes a popular destination.

Saratcha Suriyakul na Ayutthaya, who heads the Conservation Area Management Office 3 with jurisdiction covering the cave, told ASTV Manager on Sunday that the walkway to the Phraya Nakahon Cave was now off-limits to tourists.

“Anyone who wishes to visit the cave will have to take a boat instead,” he said.

In the wake of a tropical storm, the landslide took place on the Thian Mountain on Thursday’s night. Although there was no casualty, the incident has blocked the walkway to the Phraya Nakhon Cave.

Saratcha said officials had barred tourists from getting near the landslide spot out of safety concerns.

He explained that his office was waiting for experts from a nearby geology office to assess the safety around the mountain before deciding to reopen the walkway. The Meteorological Department, meanwhile, has forecast rainstorms for many parts of Thailand this week.

Phraya Nakhon Cave is a part of the Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park. It is named after Phraya Nakhon, who discovered it over 200 years ago.

[mwbrown]

I went to Phraya Nakhon Cave on Saturday with a guest from overseas. It was my second trip so I desperately wanted to take the boat around to avoid the hike up and down the walkway to the cave-beach, but for some reason there were no boats available. Ugh.

We bought our tickets, with no notification of the rockslide, and hiked up and came across the rockslide. Someone had already built a tree-ladder over the main car-size boulder, about 5 steps up, walk across the boulder and 5 steps down. There were two men sitting on the boulder, one stopped us and took a picture as we walked up the ladder.

Dozens of people did this on Saturday, so please ignore this article.