Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The story is that Rama IV built the stone gate that separates the main chamber from a
second chamber as a security measure for a couple who once lived in the cave. A figure of
a prostrate body in the third chamber is said to represent the cycle of life and death but it
hasn't experienced a peaceful resting place as bandits destroyed much of it in search of
hidden treasures. Deeper in the cave is supposedly a rock formation that looks like Christ
on the cross but our literal eyes couldn't spot it. (Thais are especially imaginative at spot-
ting familiar forms in cave stalactites.)
Around the entrance to the cave you'll meet brazen monkeys looking for handouts.
Guides lurk in the car park, but they're not essential and aren't always forthcoming about
their fees (usually 100B per person). You'll need to arrange transport here from town
(around 150B round-trip).
Phra Ram Ratchaniwet
( 0 3242 8083; Ban Peun Palace; admission 50B; 8.30am-4.30pm Mon-Fri)
An incredible art nouveau
creation, construction of this elegant summer palace began in 1910 at the behest of Rama
V (who died just after the project was started). Designed by German architects, who used
the opportunity to showcase contemporary design innovations, inside there are spacious
sun-drenched rooms decorated with exquisite glazed tiles, stained glass, parquet floors
and plenty of wrought-iron details.
While the structure is typical of early 20th century Thailand, a period that saw a local
passion for erecting European-style buildings in an effort to keep up with the 'modern' ar-
chitecture of Thailand's colonised neighbours, the scale of the palace is impressive. Check
out the double-spiral staircase, which provides a classic debutante's debut, and the state-
of-the-art, for the time, personal bathroom of the king. The palace is on a military base
1km south of town; you may be required to show your passport.
HISTORICAL SITE
Wat Kamphaeng Laeng
(Th Phokarang)
A 12th-century remnant of the time when the Angkor (Khmer) king-
dom stretched from present-day Cambodia all the way to the Malay peninsula, this ancient
and once ornate shrine was originally Hindu before Thailand's conversion to Buddhism.
There is one intact sanctuary, flanked by two smaller shrines and crumbling sandstone
walls, making for intriguing photo opportunities.
BUDDHIST TEMPLE
