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Pha Taem

Thailand · Asia
Prehistoric cave art at Pha Taem© Henry_Flower (talk) (Uploads) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Significant

A Mekong-side cliff in Thailand painted with giant fish, rice farmers and rows of handprints.

Age
~3,000 yrs
Period
Late Prehistoric
Setting
Open-air
Art form
Paintings
Discovered
1981
Status
Open to Visitors
⧗ See it on the timeline

On a sandstone cliff high above the Mekong at the eastern edge of Thailand, the Pha Taem panels stretch for some 180 metres. Red-ochre paintings of giant catfish, elephants, human figures and hundreds of handprints record early rice-farming communities of the Khong River.

Gallery

Notable Features

  • ~180 m of Mekong cliff paintings
  • Giant catfish and rice-farming scenes
  • Hundreds of red handprints

Depicted Subjects

FishHuman FiguresHand PrintsCattle

Plan a Visit

AccessThis cave can be visited.
Sources & Further Reading
≡ Wikipedia➤ Directions
Hours & prices change — always confirm on the official site before travelling.
Photographs via Wikimedia Commons — image credits. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.