Tham Sing

Tham Sing (“Lion Cave”) in Kut Chap district holds red-ochre rock paintings estimated at around 2,300 years old, found within Kut Chap National Forest Reserve on the Phu Phan range roughly 40 km from central Udon Thani. Free entry, daily 08:00-17:00. A local hunter first spotted the paintings — one resembling a lion — which gave the site its name once forestry officials confirmed their age.

The paintings fall into two groups: figurative images of animals and handprints, and non-figurative geometric patterns, all made with red pigment applied by painting, dabbing, and spraying. A 3 km nature trail loops through the surrounding forest reserve, crossing mixed deciduous forest, dry dipterocarp woodland, and open grassland with a mix of native plant species. Two other named caves sit nearby — Tham Kok Ma (“Horse Stable Cave”) and Tham Nok Yung (“Peacock Cave”) — the latter known for stalactite and stalagmite formations that resemble a peacock’s spread tail.

Watch out: This is a forest reserve trail, not a lit show cave — there’s no ticket booth, no facilities, and phone signal is patchy. Go with enough water and daylight to complete the 3 km loop comfortably.

Early mornings, before the midday heat settles over the open grassland sections, make for the most comfortable walk. The site is reached via rural roads out of Kut Chap district town, best done with your own transport or a hired driver from central Udon Thani since there’s no direct songthaew route. Sturdy shoes with grip help on the rockier stretches near the paintings. Combine the trip with Phu Phra Bat Historical Park, Udon Thani’s UNESCO-listed rock art and Dvaravati site, for a fuller day of the province’s prehistoric heritage, or fold it into a wider loop around Udon Thani.