Tham Phra Wang Daeng, also known as the Cave of the Monk ( th, ถ้ำพระวังแดง), is a deep cave located in
Thung Salaeng Luang National Park
Thung Salaeng Luang National Park ( th, อุทยานแห่งชาติทุ่งแสลงหลวง, ) is a national park in Phitsanulok and Phetchabun Provinces of Thailand. It encompasses substantial portions of Wang Thong an ...
,
Amphoe Noen Maprang,
Phitsanulok Province, upper
central Thailand
Central Thailand (Central plain) or more specifically Siam (also known as Suvarnabhumi and Dvaravati) is one of the regions of Thailand, covering the broad alluvial plain of the Chao Phraya River. It is separated from northeast Thailand (Isan) by ...
. It is the longest cave in Thailand, the distance is about 13 kilometers. Buddhist statues and relics, carvings and reliefs, a subterranean river, multiple bat colonies, and a trove of
speleothem
A speleothem (; ) is a geological formation by mineral deposits that accumulate over time in natural caves. Speleothems most commonly form in calcareous caves due to carbonate dissolution reactions. They can take a variety of forms, depending on ...
s populate the cave. In 2003, a biological expedition to the cave resulted in the discovery of new fish species, including discoveries in the
Balitoridae
The hillstream loaches or river loaches are a family, the Balitoridae, of small fish from South, Southeast and East Asia. The family includes about 202 species. They are sometimes sold as "lizardfish" or (in Germany) "flossensaugers". Many of the ...
and
Cyprinidae
Cyprinidae is a family of freshwater fish commonly called the carp or minnow family. It includes the carps, the true minnows, and relatives like the barbs and barbels. Cyprinidae is the largest and most diverse fish family and the largest verte ...
families.
[https://www.researchgate.net/publication/270508267_Three_new_species_of_fishes_from_Tham_Phra_Wang_Daeng_and_Tham_Phra_Sai_Ngam_caves_in_northern_Thailand_Teleostei_Cyprinidae_and_Balitoridae RGate]
See also
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List of caves
This is a list of caves of the world that have articles or that are properly cited. They are sorted by continent and then country. Caves which are in overseas territories on a different continent than the home country are sorted by the territory' ...
*
Speleology
Speleology is the scientific study of caves and other karst features, as well as their make-up, structure, physical properties, history, life forms, and the processes by which they form (speleogenesis) and change over time (speleomorphology). ...
References
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Caves of Thailand
Geography of Phitsanulok province