Hidden Earth 2017

Northern Thailand: The SMCC 2016 Expedition to Doi Phuka National Park

30 minute Lecture|Mr Andy Goddard

Abstract

For the past seventeen years the Shepton Mallet Caving Club (SMCC) and friends have been exploring and surveying the karst of Thailand. This presentation will report on the 2016 expedition to the mountains of Doi Phuka National Park in the north east of Thailand where over three and half kilometres of diverse caves were explored and surveyed. Over the course of ten days, two vertical stream caves that were identified in 2014, were bottomed, resulting in the sixth deepest cave in Thailand. The secrets of the cave 'Tham Beat Sip' were [eventually] unravelled and the longest conglomerate cave in Thailand was surveyed to a respectable 1.9km.

The presentation will also introduce the objectives of the 2018 Expedition; the 13km long river cave 'Tham Phra Wang Daeng' and the surrounding karst of Phitsanulok.