Fossil Shell Beach
Susaan Hoi, or Fossil Shell Beach, is located at Ban Laem Pho in Krabi, in the vicinity of Hat Noppharat Thara - Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park. Susaan Hoi is a matter of curiosity and although visitors to Susaan Hoi are told that there exists only two other similar sites in the world, one in US and another in Japan, most are either engrossed to this or totally indifferent.
The age of the fossils at Susaan Hoi is placed as about 40 million years ago. At that time, Susaan Hoi was a large freshwater swamp. Eventually, it became landmass. Over time, successive layers of shell created rock slabs known as "shelly limestone" of over 40cm. These rest on 10 centimetres of lignite, below which was subsoil.
Due to geographic upheaval, this shelly limestone at Susaan Hoi is now distributed in great broken sheets on the seashore at Laem Pho. They look like broken chunks of cement flooring from afar.
Susaan Hoi Site 1
Site 1 is located west of the Visitor Centre. It crops out as a rocky beach and can be clearly seen during maximum low tide.
Susaan Hoi Site2
Site 2 is located at the Visitor Centre. It is exposed as a 1-2 m thick limestone bed. This limestone bed contains millions of compacted gastropods and is underlain by 20-40 m thick lignite and claystone beds.
Susaan Hoi Site 3
This site can be accessed along the track during low tide. Mollusc beds at this site are approximately 3 m thick, consisting of long gastropods and bivalves. The gastropod fossils from this site range in size from the stubby 1-2 cm to the elongated 4-5 cm forms.
Address: Sai Thai Subdistrict, Mueang Krabi District, Krabi 81000
Opening - Closing: Daily 9:00 a.m. - 17:00 p.m.
Due to geographic upheaval, this shelly limestone at Susaan Hoi is now distributed in great broken sheets on the seashore at Laem Pho. They look like broken chunks of cement flooring from afar.
Susaan Hoi Site 1
Site 1 is located west of the Visitor Centre. It crops out as a rocky beach and can be clearly seen during maximum low tide.
Susaan Hoi Site2
Site 2 is located at the Visitor Centre. It is exposed as a 1-2 m thick limestone bed. This limestone bed contains millions of compacted gastropods and is underlain by 20-40 m thick lignite and claystone beds.
Susaan Hoi Site 3
This site can be accessed along the track during low tide. Mollusc beds at this site are approximately 3 m thick, consisting of long gastropods and bivalves. The gastropod fossils from this site range in size from the stubby 1-2 cm to the elongated 4-5 cm forms.
Address: Sai Thai Subdistrict, Mueang Krabi District, Krabi 81000
Opening - Closing: Daily 9:00 a.m. - 17:00 p.m.