Biking to Wat Tham Seua, Kanchanaburi
By Charlie No
Wednesday 15th July, 2009 | 442 words | Category: Biking in Thailand | 8 feedbacks »

Hi folks, I’ve been away for a while due to family obligations; but good souls always return.
On Sunday, here in Suphanburi Town, I took my trusty Tiger girl out of her cage for a days outing to nearby Kanchanaburi province. I didn’t have any previous plans or ideas about what to visit or see, I just mounted her, my Tiger boxer, and “Here we go”.
The road conditions towards Kanchanaburi are really great , the roads enabled me to cover the distance in about one hour only. Upon arrival in Kanchanaburi I decided to go to the east, away from the bridge over the River Khwae (not kwai as many foreigners used to say). The bridge is already so famous that I don’t want to elaborate about it.
Heading towards the east, I crossed the River Khwae which unveiled, instantly, her beauty. The River Khwae is obviously a beauty queen, with paddy rice fields, and mountains surrounding her banks.

After about 15 km following the River Khwae, a very beautiful structure arose from the skies. At first glance, from a far distance, I couldn’t see what kind of building it was, but on coming closer to the scene I realized it was a temple.
To get access to the temple you have to climb one flight of stairs but it counts to 157 steep steps. There is a cable lift available too, but this is more for the pussycats; a real man always go for the tougher way.
I was really surprised by the temple’s beauty. The name of the temple is Wat Tham Seau, which translates as Tiger Cave Temple, and it is located on a hilltop . I spent nearly 2 hours in the temple because there was so much to see. There is a huge Buddha image which is covered with a half dome (sphere) structure; and from the top one has a wonderful view of the River Khwae. The temple is one of the most colourful temples I ever have witnessed in my entire life. I was impressed by its innocent beauty.

Beautiful Buddha images are also inside the temple buildings inside the mountain which are inside a cave (tham). After a very surprising temple visit, very off the well beaten Kanchanaburi tourist track, I returned very satisfied to my home in Suphanburi .
Wat Tham Seau is located in Tambon Muang Chum just 5 kilometers from Mae Klong Dam. If you don’t have your own transport, it is recommended to talk to a motorbike taxi or tuk-tuk driver in Kanchanburi Town who ought to be more than enthusiastic to take you on a trip there. Well-worth going…..
Do you have any questions about Thailand? Maybe you are planning a holiday or just want to learn more about Thai culture. Have all of your questions answered for free at ThailandQA.com. These forums are part of the family friendly Paknam Web Network.
| « Biking to Krasieo Dam, Suphanburi | Biking to Pattaya - Part 2 » |
8 comments
The temple has beautiful hand-carving of hindu deity sculptures presumably done by khon-Thai experts.
I did not see any Chinese stuff like dragon which is a must.
This complex is two temples in one. Good to finally read something in English about Tiger Cave Temple which happens to be just down the road from us.
For me, it was empty, garish mismatch. Very similar in style to Taiwanese stuff. Just lacks the spirit and the peace. And the caves were closed at that time, too. The view was nice though. And it does look stunning from a distance.
Of course, people have different opinions. For me, really nasty disappointment. That's all I wanted to say in case anyone cares :-)
Don't worry.You dint say anything personal.you just expressed your feelings , anf that's acceptable.
Charlie
Hope to read soon about your trip this weekend to Krasieo Dam.
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