240 Million Year Old Shell Beach At Sam Roi Yod, South of Hua Hin

[Jonathan Fairfield]

240 Million Year Old Shell Beach At Sam Roi Yod

HUA HIN:-- Many Thais and foreigners know that Thailand has a beach in Krabi Province which features many shells as old as 75 million years.

Recently it has been confirmed by the Department of Mineral Resources that a new shell beach as old as 240 million years has been found in Prachuab Khirikhan Province.

The shell beach, located in the Sam Roi Yod National Park, features oyster shells many of which are as old as 240 million years. The fossilised shells are scattered throughout the limestone hills of the park. Visitors can clearly see this natural wonder on the way to the Hin Tern lookout.

According to a specialist, the area of the Sam Roi Yod National Park was once a sea as deep as 30 to 40 metres. Uncle Lamai, a guide at Sam Roi Yod, said that local people and students in the area were being trained to become tour guides who could provide useful information about the shell beach. They will to tell tourists not to touch any fossilised shells to preserve this natural attraction.

Apart from the oyster shell beach, the Sam Roi Yod National Park boasts many other tourist attractions. To name but a few are the 180 metre high Hin Tern hill which offers panoramic vista, a 1 kilometre study trail, Tham Phraya Nakhon and Tham Kaew, which are the caves visited by King Rama V.

Beung Bua is a swamp favored by bird watchers. Each year, over 100,000 visitors come to the Sam Roi Yod National Park. With this new tourist attraction more tourists are expected, commented the Director of Phetchaburi National Park Division Mr. Watthana Phornprasert. This is a new and interesting tourist attraction that Thais and foreigners must visit!

-- Hua Hin Today 2014-10-07