Tham Piu

Northern Laos


Tham Piu, where villagers sought protection from American bombers during the Indochina war, saw hundreds die on 24 November 1968 when a US fighter plane fired a rocket directly into it. It still shows signs of smoke damage, while the floor is littered with small, unsophisticated memorial cairns. Bring a torch (flashlight). The site is 2.6km up a degraded asphalt lane that heads west from the main road at a turning signed 'Tham Piew', around 4km north of Muang Kham.