Wat Tham Suea: Kanchanaburi’s Epic Tiger Cave Temple

Wat Tham Suea, or Tiger Cave Temple, is one of our favorite places in Kanchanaburi. Here, you’ll find an 18-meter golden Buddha statue sitting within a flame-edged shell structure. It’s perched at the top of a hill overlooking the river and fields of the Mae Klong Valley. The views are fantastic, and there’s even an orange brick pagoda that you can admire on the same elevated platform. Right next door lies Wat Tham Khao Noi, a separate Chinese temple that’s easy to visit during the same trip.

Tiger Cave Temple is open daily from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and like all active Thai temples you need to follow the dress code by covering your shoulders and knees. As soon as you arrive at the carpark, you’re greeted by a red, green and yellow Naga staircase, and a cable car to the left. Unfortunately, when we visited, the cable car was out of order. So we had to walk up the 157 steps - a fun but serious challenge in the sweltering Kanchanaburi heat.

Wat Tham Suea Kanchanaburi - Naga Staircase — *Naga staircase*

Wat Tham Suea Kanchanaburi - Golden Buddha — *Golden Buddha statue*

Wat Tham Suea Kanchanaburi - Golden Buddha Statue — *Wat Tham Suea*

How to Get to Wat Tham Suea, Kanchanaburi

We headed to Wat Tham Suea by scooter after a somber visit to the Death Railway Museum and Research Centre. It took us about 30 minutes from Kanchanaburi’s main tourist hub. The route leads you along the Mae Klong River and past a few fascinating sites tucked into the hills, such as the Wang Hip Cemetery Park and Heavenly Dragon Cave. These are cool little detours you can take to turn a simple temple visit into a full-day adventure.

Renting a scooter or motorbike is definitely the best option for Wat Tham Suea, and for Kanchanaburi more generally. It means you can travel at your own pace, stop for lunch at a local restaurant, and follow your nose to whichever attraction piques your interest. You could also order a Grab, although finding a driver for the return leg might be a bit difficult.

Why is it Called “Tiger Cave Temple”?

Most travelers shoot straight up to the golden Buddha statue without knowing there’s a small cave that you can explore at the base of the hill. Legend has it that a massive wild tiger used to call this cavern home, before it was discovered by a wandering monk. Inside you’ll see things like small Buddhist shrines, temple offerings and a collection of tiger statues. Whether or not a real tiger ever lived here is up to you to decide.

The story is very similar to that of Tiger Cave Temple in Krabi. This temple also features a cave at the bottom of a hill where tigers supposedly lived but instead of just 157 steps to the top, it involves a gruelling 1,260-step climb. Whatever you do, don’t confuse these two when sourcing information online. Wat Tham Suea in Kanchanaburi is a much less physically demanding experience and doesn’t require that mental prep.

Wat Tham Suea Kanchanaburi - Tiger Cave Temple — *Tiger statue at the top of Wat Tham Suea*

Photography Tips for Wat Tham Suea

Wat Tham Suea is a stunning photography destination, especially from a bird’s eye view. However, if you’re planning on flying a drone, there’s a few legal hoops to jump through. Firstly, you’ll need to register with the Thai CAAT and NBTC. Then you might need permission from the temple authorities. Without this, you could get fined or have your gear confiscated. It’s also important to keep your drone a safe distance from others and be respectful of any worshippers who won’t appreciate the buzzing noise.

We find drones annoying to be honest and don’t own one ourselves. The great thing about Wat Tham Suea is that there’s plenty of other photo-ops to be had: you can walk up the orange pagoda and take photos through the small windows, get different angles from the base of the big Buddha or capture unique perspectives from the bottom of the Naga staircase.

Wat Tham Suea Kanchanaburi - Photography Tips — *Golden Buddha statue*

Wat Tham Suea Kanchanaburi - When to Visit — *Golden Buddha statue*

Wat Tham Suea Kanchanaburi - Orange Pagoda — *Orange brick pagoda*

When to Visit Wat Tham Suea, Kanchanaburi

For softer lighting, go in the early morning or late afternoon. Either 9:00 AM or 3:00 PM would work well, as all you really need is two hours. Sadly, the temple isn’t open for sunrise or sunset. Our trip to Kanchanaburi took place in February and the surrounding countryside was a little barren at this time, not as green as we had hoped. Obviously, going in the wet season or just after will provide lush landscapes to admire from the viewing platform.

Wat Tham Suea Kanchanaburi - Views from the Top — *Views from Wat Tham Suea*

How Much is the Entrance Fee?

Entry to Wat Tham Suea is completely free, making it a wonderful budget experience for backpackers. You might spend a few bucks buying a cold drink at the top or making a small donation, that’s it. In general, we found Kanchanaburi to be superb value for money, a lot cheaper than Bangkok. Our stay at the boutique Inchantreedoopool hotel only cost us around $50 USD a night and it came with a pool and comfortable, modern rooms.

More Things To Do in Kanchanaburi

Wat Tham Suea is absolutely worth visiting but it’s not the only awesome thing to do in Kanchanaburi. If you’re visiting the temple in the morning, be sure to swing by Meena Cafe for a coffee and some Instagram-worthy views. We also highly recommend Mallika City for its quirky, heritage-style architecture and Erawan National Park for its epic 7-tiered waterfall trail.

These attractions, along with Wat Tham Suea, break up the museum visits nicely and provide a relaxing contrast to the heavy weight of WWII history. One thing we want to finish on is how crucial it is to stay in Kanchanaburi for a few nights. Despite being a short distance on a map, attempting a day trip here from Bangkok is a recipe for disaster. It would be a mad rush and you’d miss out on experiencing this gem of Western Thailand properly.

Wat Tham Suea Kanchanaburi - Buddhist Temples — *Wat Tham Suea*