Fossil Shell Beach

Fossil Shell Beach (Susan Hoi) is a protected geological site at Laem Pho on the Andaman coast in Mueang Krabi District, Krabi Province, about 17 km west of Krabi Town. It features a vast slab of 75-million-year-old fossilized freshwater snail shells, one of only three such exposed fossil shell beaches in the world. The compacted shell layers form a distinctive coastal platform valued for scientific study and visitor education.

Visitors can expect a broad, flat coastal platform composed of dense, compacted layers of fossilized freshwater snail shells extending into the Andaman Sea. The site has an open shoreline with information boards, a small museum display and sheltered viewing areas. At low tide the fossil slabs are fully exposed for close observation and photography. The surrounding area includes a sandy shoreline, mangroves, food stalls and souvenir shops. Swimming is not the focus; the experience is primarily sightseeing and geological observation.

The site preserves a massive deposit of fossilized freshwater snail shells (Melanoides) estimated to be 40-75 million years old, formed when a freshwater swamp was inundated and shells were compacted into limestone slabs. It is recognized as a significant geological heritage site for studying prehistoric environments in southern Thailand.