Suu San Hoi (Fossil Shell Beach)
Mollusks are exciting right?
Published/Last edited or updated: 13th November, 2018
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Known in English as Fossil Shell Beach, Suu San Hoi was a freshwater swamp that teemed with mollusks back when the dinosaurs roamed. Today it’s a large collection of seaside fossils where local school kids get dragged on field trips, and if that sounds like fun, you can drag yourself out here too.
Travelfish says:
Appearing like discarded pieces of concrete from afar, slabs of Shelley limestone containing approximately 75-million-year-old mollusk fossils sit strewn around the shore at the far eastern end of Ao Nammao. You’d have to be a biology enthusiast with a particular interest in ancient shellfish to get a real thrill out of it, but the seaside scenery isn’t too shabby and the site is easy to reach by songthaew from either Ao Nang or Krabi town.
Low tide is the best time to visit, as some of the fossils return to their original salty home when the tide comes up. You can always check out a small showroom that houses some of the more impressive finds. From there it’s a fairly steep descent down a stairway to reach the beach and the rest of the fossils.
The other attraction here is a seaside park with gazebos where local couples come to get doughy eyed at sunset. You can also take a walk up Ao Nammao beach from here, though swimming is next to impossible due to all of the rocks. The attraction mainly draws Thai visitors and a range of food and souvenir stalls set up around the car park to meet their needs.
Hat Noppharat Thara - Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park oversees Suu San Hoi. Admission is 200 baht for foreign adults and 100 baht for children—rather pricey for such a small attraction.
Transport information
To get here from Ao Nang, Haad Noppharat Thara or Krabi town, hop in any white songthaew and expect to pay 40 to 60 baht per person for the lift. If coming on your own from Ao Nang, take the main drag (Highway 4203) north away from the beach and hang a right shortly after passing the Tesco Lotus supermarket on to Khao Kaew Soi 1. Keep east and then bear right at the traffic circle; from there it’s a straight shot to Suu San Hoi.
Contact details for Suu San Hoi (Fossil Shell Beach)
Address: Five km east of Ao Nang, Hat Nopparat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park
Coordinates (for GPS): 98º53'0.96" E, 8º1'20.64" N
See position in Apple or Google Maps: Apple Maps | Google Maps
Admission: 200 baht for foreign adults, 100 baht for foreign kids
Reviewed by
David Luekens
David Luekens first came to Thailand in 2005 when Thai friends from his former home of Burlington, Vermont led him on a life-changing trip. Based in Thailand since 2011, he spends much of his time eating in Bangkok street markets and island hopping the Andaman Sea.
