Tham Pha Nang Khoi

Tham Pha Nang Khoi sits about 34 km from Phrae city along the Phrae-Rong Kwang road, in Rong Kwang district. It’s a limestone cave cut into a cliff roughly 50 metres high, with a main tunnel about 150 metres deep and 10 metres wide that curves through the rock in several bends rather than running in a straight line. Entry is free, and it’s open daily from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM.

The cave takes its name from a local legend: a princess named Arunyanee is said to have waited here for a lover who never came back, eventually turning to stone — a stalagmite formation inside is identified as her petrified figure. Beyond the legend, the appeal is straightforward limestone caving: stalactites and stalagmites built up over thousands of years of mineral-rich water dripping through the rock, and several connected chambers to work through as the tunnel bends left and right.

Watch out: There’s no permanent lighting installed inside. Bring a torch or use a phone light — without one, the darker chambers are simply unreachable.

The site is registered as a natural feature by Thailand’s environmental protection agency rather than sitting inside a national park, so there’s no additional park fee stacked on the free cave admission, and no ranger station gating entry. That also means facilities are minimal: no gift shop, no cafe, and signage on the approach road can be sparse enough that asking locally for directions is genuinely useful.

Insider Tip: Visit in the morning. The short approach trail to the cave mouth has some sun exposure, and cooler morning air makes the climb noticeably easier than a midday visit in the heat.

Wear shoes with real grip — the rock inside stays damp year-round — and carry water for the uphill approach. Combine the visit with Baan Wongburi back in Phrae town, since the cave itself is a short stop and pairs naturally with a half-day loop through the city’s better-known heritage houses.