Satun UNESCO Global Geopark

Satun became Thailand's first UNESCO Global Geopark in 2018, on the strength of the rock: this corner of the country exposes a near-continuous sequence of Palaeozoic marine sediments, from Cambrian through Ordovician, Silurian and Devonian to Carboniferous and Permian, laid down when the land was seabed on the margin of Gondwana. The fossil record is the substance - trilobites, nautiloids, brachiopods and graptolites in the rock, with the Tarutao Group among the oldest sedimentary sequences in Thailand at over five hundred million years. Sites are dispersed: Le Stegodon cave, entered by boat and holding Stegodon elephant fossils and stalactites; Wang Sai Thong travertine pools; Khao Noi and Tanyong Po fossil beaches; Phu Pha Phet cave; and the coast and islands. There is a geopark museum. A car is essential and the sites need planning; interpretation in English is patchy.

What you actually see

• The fossil beds - trilobites, nautiloids and brachiopods in coastal rock.
• Le Stegodon cave - entered by boat, with elephant fossils and formations.
• Wang Sai Thong - travertine pools stepped down a hillside.
• The Palaeozoic sequence - over five hundred million years of marine sediment.

When to go

November to April; cave boat trips depend on water level and are affected by rain. Allow two to three days and a car - the sites are far apart.

Honest expectations

Sites are dispersed across four districts with no public transport worth using. English interpretation is limited. Fossils require some knowledge to see - they are in the rock, not on display. Cave trips depend on water level.

Nearby

Pak Bara and the Tarutao islands are west; Hat Yai is east.