Search “wat tham suea krabi” and the place is the Tiger Cave Temple in Tambon Krabi Noi, Mueang Krabi. It is a working monastery at the bottom of a hill and a concrete stairway to a Buddha above the trees. It is not Wat Tham Suea in Kanchanaburi. It is also not on the Krabi riverside. Agoda’s landmark list, checked 27 October 2026, puts the temple 1.93 kilometres from B2 Krabi Premier Hotel on Phet Kasem Road, and puts the city centre 10 kilometres from that same hotel.
The place page is Wat Tham Suea. The stairway has its own card at Stairs Wat Tham Suea.
Quick facts
Checked 27 October 2026. I did not climb the stairs that morning. The numbers below are the sign file and the reviews I could actually read.
- Where: Tambon Krabi Noi, Mueang Krabi. Agoda’s pin for Tiger Cave Temple (Wat Tham Suea) sits on the same coordinate as the place page, 8.123925, 98.925131.
- The 2016 sign: a photograph taken 22 February 2016, Wikimedia file 1237 Steps. The file description says it is the sign that indicates the number of steps.
- 2026 write-ups: a June 2026 visit, posted on Tripadvisor on 10 October 2026, counts 1,260 steps. An August 2026 visit, posted on 12 October 2026, counts 1,260 steps.
- Fee: the June visit’s write-up says the entrance fee was 50 baht. I did not find a tariff. Carry small notes.
- The closer bed: B2 Krabi Premier Hotel, 575 Phet Kasem Road, 1.93 kilometres from the temple on that Agoda list. Ao Nang Beach is 15.05 kilometres from the hotel.
The stair count is two numbers
The file on Wikimedia is blunt. It is titled 1237 Steps. The photograph is dated 22 February 2016. The description says it is the sign at Wat Tham Suea indicating the number of steps on the stairway to the mountaintop. That is the old count this site has been repeating as “1,200-plus” and, on the stairs card, as 1,237.
The newer notes do not use 1,237. On the Tripadvisor page for Tiger Cave Temple, read 27 October 2026, a review of a June 2026 visit posted on 10 October 2026 calls it 1,260 steps. A review of an end-of-August 2026 visit, posted on 12 October 2026, also says 1,260 steps. I am not going to average those into a third number, and I am not going to pretend I stood in front of the sign on 27 October. Read the sign at the bottom of the stairs. If it has changed again, the sign wins.
The climb is the whole point of the visit, and it is a stairway, not a trail. The June write-up calls the steps high and steep, with places to stop, a toilet about halfway, and free drinking water at the top. The August write-up calls the same climb steep and says a 9:00 arrival still found the summit quiet. I am passing those details on as what those two people wrote. I did not time the climb and I am not going to invent a minute count.
Go while the concrete is still cool. The stairs are in the open. Midday is the bad window. Come down in daylight. Closed shoes with a grip beat sandals on a long concrete flight. Take water with you even if someone at the top is giving it away.
What you pay at the gate
I do not have a posted fee. The review posted on 10 October 2026, of a June visit, says the entrance fee was 50 baht. The August write-up does not mention a charge. Older pages on this site say entry is free. Those sentences can all be true of different mornings, or one of them can be wrong. I am not picking a winner from a desk in another country.
Take 50 baht in coins or small notes. If someone asks for it, ask what it is for and keep the receipt if you get one. If nobody asks, do not invent a donation you did not make. Donation boxes are a normal part of a Thai monastery. A box is not the same thing as a ticket.
It is a working temple. Cover shoulders and knees before you walk into a shrine, and take your shoes off before a Buddha image. I did not see a written dress code on 27 October 2026. That is the ordinary rule, not a sign I photographed.
Monkeys, and the new gate
The review of the August 2026 visit says the main gate construction had just finished, with a parking lot on the left after you enter, and that you walk through the main temple building to reach the old path to the stairs. The same review says macaques on the stairs go into bags and pockets for food and drink, and that they will jump at people who are carrying something loose. The June write-up says the monkeys at the foot of the hill were hardly visible in the heat of the day.
Keep food and bottles inside a closed bag. Do not feed them. I am not adding a weapon to the packing list. A walking stick shows up in that August review as the writer’s own method. It is not a temple rule I can point to.
Getting there without a fare I have not checked
I am not putting a songthaew price on this page. I did not ride one to the gate on 27 October 2026, and I am not copying an old fare forward.
What I can measure is the hotel pin. Agoda lists Tiger Cave Temple at 1.93 kilometres from B2 Krabi Premier Hotel. That is a short ride, or a hot walk if you like walking. Ao Nang Beach is 15.05 kilometres from the same hotel, so this is the wrong bed if the day is the sand. The day trips guide still pairs the temple with the Emerald Pool. The 3-day itinerary puts the temple on the inland morning. Getting around Krabi is the transport page. The town layout is Krabi Town.
Sleeping close enough to start early
B2 Krabi Premier Hotel is the property at 575 Phet Kasem Road, Moo 11, Tambon Krabi Noi. The hotel’s own page gives that address under the company name Nap Krabi Hotel. Agoda lists it as hotel 2175593, a 4-star property opened in 2017, with 80 rooms on 7 floors. The review score on Agoda, checked 27 October 2026, is 7.9 from 4,146 reviews. Check-in is from 14:00. Check-out is until 12:00.
Agoda’s useful-info block says the ride to the airport is 5 minutes. The hotel’s own page says the airport and the bus terminal are 10 minutes away. I am leaving both sentences standing. The facility list includes an outdoor pool, a gym, free Wi-Fi and free on-site parking. It does not name a restaurant. The gallery includes a photo labelled coffee shop.
The same useful-info block says reception is open until 23:59. The facility list marks the front desk as 24-hour. Those two lines do not agree. If you are landing late, ask before you treat 23:59 as a closed door.
December to February is when Krabi fills and rates move up. A free-cancellation rate holds the price you see on the day you book. This is not a beach hotel. Book it for the temple morning, not for a sea view.
The things to do guide still has the temple as one item in a longer list. This page is the stair count and the gate.
FAQ
What is Wat Tham Suea in Krabi?
The Tiger Cave Temple in Tambon Krabi Noi, Mueang Krabi. It is a monastery at the foot of a hill and a concrete stairway to a Buddha. It is not the Wat Tham Suea in Kanchanaburi, and it is not on the Krabi riverside.
How many steps are there?
A photograph of the sign taken 22 February 2016 is filed as 1237 Steps. A June 2026 visit written up on 10 October 2026, and an August 2026 visit written up on 12 October 2026, both say 1,260. Read the sign at the bottom of the stairs.
Is Tiger Cave Temple free?
I cannot say. The review posted on 10 October 2026 says the entrance fee on a June visit was 50 baht. I did not find a tariff on 27 October 2026. Carry small notes. If you are charged, ask what the payment is for.
How do I get to Wat Tham Suea?
From B2 Krabi Premier Hotel on Phet Kasem Road, Agoda lists the temple at 1.93 kilometres. Ao Nang Beach is 15.05 kilometres from that hotel. I am not quoting a songthaew fare. The ride options are in getting around Krabi.
Are there monkeys on the stairs?
Yes, according to the people who climbed in 2026. The August visit’s write-up says they take food and drink out of bags on the stairs. The June write-up says the monkeys at the foot were hard to see in the heat. Keep food in a closed bag and do not feed them.
Where should I stay if the morning is the temple?
At the hotel 1.93 kilometres away, not on Ao Nang beach. B2 Krabi Premier Hotel is the Agoda listing. Check today’s rate. A free-cancellation rate locks the price shown that day. December to February is when Krabi is fullest.
Sources
- Wikimedia, File:1237 Steps.jpg, photographed 22 February 2016 by Seligne, CC BY-SA 4.0. Description: the sign indicating the number of steps.
- Wikimedia, File:Wat Tham Suea SF0001.jpg, photographed 1 November 2025 by Stefan Fussan, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Tripadvisor, Tiger Cave Temple (Wat Tham Suea), reviews posted 10 October 2026 (June visit) and 12 October 2026 (August visit), read 27 October 2026.
- Agoda hotel 2175593, B2 Krabi Premier Hotel, property data read 27 October 2026. Landmark distance to Tiger Cave Temple: 1.93 km.
- B2 Krabi Premier Hotel, official page, address 575 Phet Kasem Road and the 10-minute airport line, read 27 October 2026.
- YouTube, Travels on Toast, “Climbing the HIGHEST Temple in Krabi | Tiger Cave Temple”, published 24 February 2022.
