Sam Roi Yot & Phraya Nakhon Cave
Limestone hills and a cave where a royal pavilion stands under a shaft of sunlight, an hour south of Hua Hin.
Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park is 60km south of Hua Hin, and its Phraya Nakhon Cave holds a royal pavilion lit by a hole in the ceiling. Entry is 200 baht plus 400 baht for the boat crossing. A half day covers it.
Park fee THB 200; boat to Laem Sala THB 400 per boat return
Entry fee checked against operator or park publication, October 2026. Hours can change without notice — confirm on the day.
Limestone hills and a cave where a royal pavilion stands under a shaft of sunlight, an hour south of Hua Hin.
The park's name means 'mountain with three hundred peaks', after the limestone outcrops along the coast. Phraya Nakhon Cave is a collapsed chamber open to the sky, and the small Thai pavilion inside — built for King Chulalongkorn's visit in 1890 — is now the image on the 200-baht note's reverse. At mid-morning a shaft of light falls directly on it.
The cave is one of the most unusual sights in Thailand — a golden pavilion lit from above by a hole in the ceiling. The boat and climb take most of a morning.
What you’ll actually see
- The Kuha Karuhas pavilion inside Phraya Nakhon Cave, lit by the ceiling opening
- The 430-metre climb from Laem Sala beach to the cave, through bamboo forest
- Laem Sala beach itself, reached by a 15-minute boat ride or a 30-minute walk over the headland
- The Bueng Bua lotus marsh, where boat trips run at sunrise
How to visit it well
- Sunlight hits the pavilion between 9 and 11am.
- The climb from the beach is steep for about 15 minutes.
- Take the boat from Bang Pu; it is a 5-minute crossing.
Mistakes worth avoiding
- Arriving after 11am, when the light shaft has moved off the pavilion
- Wearing flip-flops — the last 100 metres into the cave is a steep rock scramble
- Skipping the boat and doing the headland walk in the heat of the day
Is it worth it?
Worth the half day from Hua Hin, and the best thing in the area. The light shaft is genuinely remarkable between 9am and 10:30am. Go early, take the boat, and bring water for the climb.
Common questions
Drive to Bang Pu beach, take a 15-minute boat to Laem Sala (400 baht return for the boat), then walk 430 metres up. From Hua Hin it is about an hour by car.
Between 9am and 10:30am, when the sun is high enough to shine through the ceiling opening onto the pavilion.
Moderate — 430 metres of steps and rock, about 30 minutes. Not suitable for anyone with knee problems, and the last section needs both hands.
200 baht for foreign adults. The boat across to Laem Sala is 400 baht return per boat, not per person.
Tours that include Sam Roi Yot & Phraya Nakhon Cave
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Last updated: October 2026 · Prices and hours checked by Nattapong Srisuwan