Thailand News: A Tour Group Stranded in a Cave in Southern Thailand, with One Death

According to Thai media reports, on the evening of August 6, staff at Khao Sok National Park in Surat Thani, southern Thailand, received a report that a group of tour guides and tourists had been trapped in the Nam Talu Cave near the Ratchaprapha Dam due to flooding caused by a sudden mountain torrent. Immediately, they organized a rescue team and rushed to the scene.

Up to now, 31 tourists and 1 tour guide have been successfully rescued and have been sheltered in floating houses arranged by the staff of Khao Sok National Park. However, one tour guide remains missing, and rescue personnel are intensifying their search efforts.

Nam Talu Cave, located in the Khlong Phae area of the 4th supply station of Khao Sok National Park, is a large-scale cave. Its entrance faces southeast and extends towards the northeast, with a width of 30 meters at the entrance and approximately 10-30 meters inside. The main chamber is 777.6 meters long and concave in shape.

The rocks at the entrance of the cave are limestone, and water flows through the cave entrance year-round from the limestone mountains to the northeast, continuing towards the back of the cave. The water level varies, with some areas being shallow and slow-flowing, while the back of the cave features a waterfall with deep and fast-flowing water. Stalactites and stalagmites of various shapes can be found inside the cave. Visitors are only allowed to enter and explore the cave under the guidance of a tour guide.

It is important to note that Nam Talu Cave is closed for maintenance from June 1 to November 30 each year.

At around 3 am on August 7, rescue personnel discovered a body inside Nam Talu Cave, which was later confirmed to be one of the missing tour guides.