Stegodon Cave - Satun

Several years ago, villagers in an area on the boundaries of Trang and Satun were fishing in Wang Kluay Cave, a large cave which Khlong Wang Kluay flows through. They came across an unusual object which they brought out of the cave with them and sent it for official inspection. It turned out that this was a jawbone from the ancient elephant the Stegodon, which lived in the area about 2 million years ago.

The news created great interest among archeologists and geologists, as well as local officials in Thung Wa district where the fossil was found. Further investigation of the cave began and many other valuable items of archeological interest were discovered.

Mr. Narongrit Thungprue, head of the Thung Wa Tambon Administrative Organization, was behind the establishment of a working committee to make Wang Kluay Cave more accessible and establish it as a new tourist attraction for Trang and Satun. The entrance was altered so that instead of first having to climb and enter from above, it would be possible for boats to take tourists right inside the cave. Steps were also built and community kayak and guide training were established in preparation for the arrival of tourists. Thung Wa Cave was renamed “Stegodon Cave “ or “Thamle Stegodon” in Thai (“Thamle” means a seawater cave). To provide the full tourist experience, Thung Wa district set up theThung Wa Mammoth Museum to provide information about the fossils that were found in the area and about Thung Wa’s prosperous past, when it was known as Little Penang.

In the past, the area was submerged below the ocean and it is thought that the fossils were carried into the cave by the currents. However, it’s also possible that the area around the cave was inhabited by these animals who died and whose remains piled up, while later geological changes created the cave. To visit, you begin at the cave mouth where safety procedures are strictly followed.

Tourists are required to wear life jackets and safety helmets. Torches are given out for viewing the cave’s stalactites and stalagmites. Water and snacks are also provided. The cave is about 4 km long, the longest saltwater cave in Thailand, and the trip takes about 1 1/2 hours.

The cave forms a Y-shape with the only way out through one of the forks of the Y. The boats go to the end of the cave and then double back to exit through the other fork. This takes you out through the mangroves and back to the sea. A total of 252 fossils have been registered with the Department of Mineral Resources, with another 30 awaiting registration and more fossils are still being found.

Travel Note: Kayaking to Stegodon Sea Cave to track the fossils is one of the programs that make you travel back in time to the prehistoric period.

More details contact Thung Wa Tambon Administrative Organization,

Thung Wa, Satun

T: 074 789 317