Sa Morakot (Emerald Pool)

Sa Morakot (Emerald Pool) is a warm-spring pool complex inside Khao Phra-Bang Khram Wildlife Sanctuary in Khlong Thom district, Krabi, reached by an 800-metre boardwalk from the car park. Entry is 400 THB for foreign adults (200 THB for children); the site opens daily from 08:30 to 17:00.

Experience

Three linked pools make up the site, each distinct enough to be worth the full loop rather than stopping at the first one. Sa Kaeo, the pool closest to the entrance, runs perfectly clear over pale limestone but is off-limits for swimming. Sa Morakot itself is the main event — an emerald-green pool fed by underground warm springs at 30-50°C, shallow enough in parts to wade and deep enough further out to swim, with forest canopy overhead keeping the water shaded through the middle of the day. Sa Namphut, about 600 metres further along the trail, has a clearer blue tint and is viewing-only; it’s also known as habitat for rare wetland wildlife, so the path here stays back from the water’s edge.

The connecting nature-study trail runs about 1,400 metres between the pools, boardwalked in the low sections, with a longer 2.7km loop available for anyone who wants more forest walking rather than a straight there-and-back.

Atmosphere & Timing

Arrive close to the 08:30 opening if swimming is the priority — tour groups and day-trip vans from Krabi Town and Ao Nang tend to land mid-morning, and the main pool gets crowded fast once they do. The forest cover keeps the walking trail cooler than open ground, but there’s little shade directly over the water at Sa Kaeo, so sunscreen matters even on a short visit.

Insider Tip: Pair the visit with the Blue Pool, a short walk further into the sanctuary — most visitors do both in one trip since they’re covered by the same entrance ticket area, and the Blue Pool’s stiller, deeper-blue water makes a good contrast to Sa Morakot’s greener, swimmable pool.

Watch out: Only Sa Morakot itself is safe and permitted for swimming — Sa Kaeo and Sa Namphut are look-but-don’t-touch, partly for water-quality reasons and partly to protect the rare wildlife around Sa Namphut. Ignore any local suggestion to swim outside the marked pool.

Practical

The sanctuary is in Khlong Thom Nuea subdistrict, roughly 45 minutes by car from Krabi town — there’s no scheduled public transport, so most visitors arrive by rented car, motorbike, or a day-tour van. Bring cash for the gate fee, a change of clothes if you plan to swim, and water shoes for the uneven pool floor. The Khao Pra-Bang Khram Wildlife Sanctuary page covers the wider reserve the pools sit inside, and Wat Khlong Thom Museum is a worthwhile stop on the same drive.