Dragon's Horns on southern Tioman is a granite big wall: 14 routes, the longest South Tower line around 360 m, grades from 6a to 7c+. What really shapes the trip is getting onto the island: Mukut has no jetty the public ferry can use, the ferry season runs roughly April to September, and the northeast monsoon from November to February suspends sailings often enough that the rest of the approach is hours on foot through jungle with your gear.
Ulu Piah is 27 limestone routes from 5c to 8b on the Mount Hugh Low massif near Tambun, Perak, across four sectors. Call or WhatsApp the landowner, Haji Hamid (+60 19-573 6787), with your headcount and time before you go; the approach is rough and pothole-ridden so take a high-clearance car, and community reports describe fatal rockfall risk with a helmet required for the belayer.
Malaysia's natural crags fall into three groups: limestone sport climbing in Perlis and the northern states, ten separate walls at Batu Caves north of Kuala Lumpur, and the big walls of Tioman and Sarawak in Borneo. Perlis is driest from January to April, Batu Caves climbs year round but every wall charges and holds up differently, and Tioman ferries run less often from November to February.
North Wall is in Ao Nang town, under five minutes' walk away. All titanium bolts (Hilti 500 glue), 103 routes from 4b+ to 9a, a 50 THB all-day entry fee, gear rental, toilets, and it climbs from September to March. theCrag carries two warnings: you must park outside in a designated spot and not by the pond at the main entrance, and there are thieves targeting climbing gear, phones and cash. Private land, and drilling or chipping the rock is forbidden.
Chiang Dao is red limestone 1.5 hours north of Chiang Mai, with 61 routes logged on theCrag from 5b to 8a+ and 30 of them on the Pha Daeng main wall. The crag sits inside Pha Daeng National Park and is tolerated rather than permitted: rangers very occasionally ask you to leave, and a park closure closes the climbing. The area was shut for fire prevention from 1 March to 15 May 2025.
Chong Phli, also called Spirit Mountain, sits on the Krabi mainland between Ao Nang and town, with 157 routes logged on theCrag from 4b+ to 9a across ten sectors. About 90% of the bolts are titanium with RE-500 glue, some routes use slings because the rock is soft, and every anchor and sling is checked once a year. There is a homestay and community centre at the crag with bungalows, water and toilets — the closest thing to a resort base on the mainland.
Crazy Horse is a limestone sport crag in the Mae On valley east of Chiang Mai, with 289 routes in 22 sectors on theCrag. It is closely bolted, mostly 5s and 6s, and its caves hold 4- and 5-pitch lines, which makes it northern Thailand's best crag for climbing from beginner grades up to 6c. It closed in 2018 over a criminal case between local government offices, and since then it has reopened and had prohibition signs put up again. As of October 2026 there is still no official reopening notice, so when you book the CMRCA shuttle the evening before, ask them face to face whether you can climb.
Koh Tao is Thailand's only real granite bouldering destination, with 496 routes logged on theCrag using Font grades from 1A+ to 8A+, and 123 routes in the Backyard & Frontyard sector alone. But it is a community crag, not an open public resource: some sectors have sensitive access, bolting needs the Koh Tao Climbing Club's permission, and the guidebook is an US$8 app whose revenue goes entirely into route development.
Lampang is northern Thailand's newest crag, developed by CMRCA and 30 minutes from the town. But it sits on military land: you must register with CMRCA in advance and pay for permission, and you can only climb on days when a CMRCA guide is present. theCrag logs 25 routes from 5b to 6c+, there is a lot of loose rock, and you wear a helmet.
Lopburi is a 200-metre limestone tower 160 km north of Bangkok, with 127 routes logged on theCrag from 3a to 8a. Reaching the Temple Area means walking through Wat Pa Suwannahong, and the status is tolerated rather than permitted: since March 2023 a 20-climber daily cap with advance registration, leave before 6pm, say hello to the monks on the way in and out, and donate 20 to 100 THB. The other approach is a 20–30 minute walk to the back of the mountain.
The Nam Pha Pa Yai camp sits about 130 km northeast of Bangkok, with 101 routes logged on theCrag from 4a to 8b. But the biggest wall, River Wall with 65 routes, has been closed since January 2024 over access problems, and theCrag still carries a warning saying it looks shut with no sign of change. The camp still takes bookings and closes from April to June. With the main wall gone, the trip is not worth a special journey.
Railay East sits on the west side of the Phra-Nang peninsula; theCrag logs 314 routes for the whole of Railay, with Muay Thai, the 123 Wall, The Keep, Hidden World and Diamond Cave on this side. From 9am to 4pm is climbing school territory and it is very crowded — theCrag literally says do not come between those hours if you dislike crowds. Many routes run on old expansion bolts, and the three old routes on the left of the 123 Wall plus the four extensions above Kratoy are all marked do-not-climb.
The west side of Railay holds Southeast Asia's most famous multipitch: Lord of the Thais (7b, 5 pitches, 120 m), Continental Drifters (7c+, 4 pitches) and Circus Oz (7a, 4 pitches), plus Crystal Flame (6b+, 3 pitches, 70 m). But the descent notes are where the risk lives — two routes say do not climb, and the abseils need two 60-metre ropes, extra rope at the rappel station, or a knot in the end.
Tonsai is the island on the east side of the Phra-Nang peninsula, with 448 routes logged on theCrag from 4a to 9a and two thirds of them on the beach side. The rock is limestone with jugs, stalactites, tufas and cave roofs. Bolt condition is the big trap: one route can be all titanium while the one three metres away has rusty expansion bolts and says Do not climb. There is no road access — you rely on longtail boats that only run in daylight.
Thailand's crags split three ways: Krabi's islands and mainland are the busiest, Chiang Mai to Chiang Dao hold northern limestone, and the central valleys come with temple and camp rules. December to February is driest in Krabi. Crazy Horse still has no official reopening notice, Lampang sits on military land, and Koh Yao Noi is officially off limits. Pick a region first, then deal with bolts and transport.
Cat Ba Island's 178 routes split into five sectors: Butterfly Valley is the biggest but has the oldest bolts, Fisher Valley was taken over by Cat Ba Climbing and has been rebolted and improved from the 2024 typhoon all the way through 2026, and Hidden Valley has overhanging roof routes and a small bouldering cave; permits cost 30,000 VND for Fisher and 50,000 VND for Hidden, Ben Beo has been closed by a government announcement, and a helmet is mandatory everywhere on the island.
The Hữu Lũng main valley is a limestone sport crag with nine walls and 147 routes: Head Wall is the earliest developed and the closest to the village, Dragon Wall is in shade all morning and dry in the rain, and Dead End has the area's longest 8a+ and the only multipitch route, Chúc Sức Khỏe. The walls sit in private orchards, and the 15,000–25,000 VND access fee has to be paid in cash.
The east side of the Hữu Lũng valley and the newer 12 sub-areas, 120 routes: WoofStuck is shaded all day but has an 8b, Cobra demands 70 meters of rope and 16 quickdraws, Infinity Cave is a big cave that stays dry in the rain. Primitive Wall is still under development, Floatin' Shore's grades are indicative only, The Arch means a 20-minute clay path that turns extremely slippery when wet, so budget a whole day.
Lan Hạ Bay's 326 routes split into two ways to climb: sport climbing on the sand at Tiger Beach, Moody's Beach and the rest, and 24 deep water soloing cliffs that grow straight out of the water. Deep water soloing needs a tide above 2 meters, so in winter it works on only a few days; spring (April–May) and autumn (September–November) are the seasons where both work. On top of that, climbing in the Ha Long Bay area is illegal, harbor police turn people away, and boat operators can lose their licenses.
Northern Vietnam has three places to climb: 267 limestone sport routes at Hữu Lũng near Lạng Sơn, 178 island sport routes on Cat Ba, and 326 deep-water and beach routes at Lan Hạ Bay. Winter suits sport climbing, but Lan Hạ deep-water soloing needs a tide above 2 m, so most days are out. Quốc Oai has banned sport climbing since 2019, Ben Beo has been officially closed, and climbing in Ha Long Bay is illegal — rule those out before you plan.