UNESCO has designated about half of Satun province as Thailand’s first Global Geopark for its renowned natural beauty and geological significance.
Satun UNESCO Global Geopark is located in the Satun province of southern Thailand, comprising four districts (Thungwa, La-ngu, Manang, and part of Mueang Satun) including two national parks and one wildlife sanctuary. Altitudes reach up to 732m, with mountains and foothills characterising the eastern and northern areas, while beaches and coastal islands dominate the Andaman Sea part of the Geopark.
The UNESCO website describes the Satun Geopark area as “a peaceful place with renowned natural beauty”, renowned for its abundance and high diversity of fossil species as well as for the oldest succession of fossils.
Prasat Hin Panyod, characterised by a spectacular pinnacle karst landscape, including a stunning sea cave and hidden lagoon that can be visited by kayak, is singled out as the most important geosite.
Yuthasak Supasorn, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) governer, said in a statement: “UNESCO designation is a great honour that can only help ensure sustainable tourism growth, which the TAT feels is definitely something worth supporting and celebrating.”
In total, the UNESCO executive board in Paris endorsed 13 new sites worldwide as new UNESCO Global Geoparks, eight of which are in Asia including Cao Bang (Vietnam), Izu Peninsula (Japan) and Rinjani Lombok (Indonesia).
The full list can be found here.
