TL;DR: The Emerald Pool (Sa Morakot) sits inside Thung Teao Forest Natural Park, about 55-60km (roughly an hour by car) from Krabi Town and around 70-75km from Ao Nang. Foreign adults pay ฿400 (~US$12) and children ฿200 (~US$6) to enter, with the park open roughly 8:30am-4:30pm; Thai nationals pay a much lower ฿30/฿20. Swimming is only allowed in the turquoise Emerald Pool itself, reached by an 800-metre dirt-road shortcut or a 1.4km boardwalk through forest; the nearby Blue Pool is for viewing only, closed to swimmers year-round and closed to visitors entirely from May to October to protect breeding Gurney’s Pittas. The Krabi Hot Springs sit about 15 minutes’ drive away and cost roughly ฿90 (~US$2.70) for adults separately, or about ฿100 (~US$3) extra when added to an Emerald Pool ticket. Go before 9am on a weekday to beat the tour-bus crowds.
If you’ve searched “Emerald Pool Krabi,” you’re probably picturing the postcard: cool turquoise-green water inside dense forest, a break from beach days and boat tours. This guide covers what it actually costs, the difference between the swimmable Emerald Pool and the view-only Blue Pool next to it, the hours (including the Blue Pool’s seasonal closure), and how to pair the visit with the nearby Hot Springs. Every price and hour below is checked against current 2026 visitor sources, listed at the end.
What is the Emerald Pool (Sa Morakot)?
Sa Morakot, literally “Emerald Pool,” is a spring-fed freshwater pool inside Thung Teao Forest Natural Park, part of the Khao Pra-Bang Khram Wildlife Sanctuary in Krabi’s Khlong Thom district. The pool gets its name from the striking turquoise-green colour of the water, a mix of mineral content and the surrounding limestone that gives it a genuinely different look from Krabi’s beaches. It’s roughly 20 metres wide with a depth of about 1-2 metres in most spots, shallow enough for casual swimmers but deep enough to be a proper swim rather than a paddle.
How much does it cost to enter?
Foreign adults pay ฿400 (~US$12) and foreign children ฿200 (~US$6); Thai nationals pay ฿30 and ฿20. This is current 2026 park pricing confirmed across multiple recent visitor guides. You’ll still find some older articles online quoting a ฿200 adult fee, a leftover from an earlier pricing structure before park fees were raised, so treat that lower figure as outdated and budget for ฿400. Payment is cash at the entrance gate.
What are the opening hours?
The park runs roughly 8:30am to 4:30pm. Within that window, the Blue Pool section keeps its own shorter hours of roughly 10am to 3:30pm when it’s open at all, since it closes entirely from May to October (more on that below). There’s no reason to wait for a specific opening moment; the earlier you arrive within the daily window, the better the water and the smaller the crowd.
Emerald Pool vs Blue Pool: what’s the difference?
| Emerald Pool | Blue Pool | |
|---|---|---|
| Swimming | Yes, main draw of the site | No, swimming banned at all times |
| Water colour | Turquoise-green | Deeper sapphire-blue |
| Hours | ~8:30am-4:30pm | ~10am-3:30pm, closed May-October |
| Why it’s off-limits (Blue Pool) | n/a | Quicksand-like mud underfoot and inconsistent water temperature make it unsafe to enter |
| Distance from car park | 800m (dirt road) or 1.4km (boardwalk) | A further short walk past the Emerald Pool |
Figures compiled from current Krabi park visitor guides; see Sources.
The Blue Pool’s deeper blue tint comes from a different mineral concentration and depth than the Emerald Pool, which is part of why it looks so different just a short walk away. Park authorities close it completely from May through October to protect the breeding season of the Gurney’s Pitta, a rare forest bird found in this reserve, so don’t plan a visit specifically around the Blue Pool if you’re travelling in the wet season.
How do you get there from Krabi Town and Ao Nang?
By car or scooter, it’s about 55-60km (roughly an hour to 90 minutes) from Krabi Town and around 70-75km from Ao Nang. The drive runs south on Highway 4 toward Khlong Thom, then follows signposted turns onto the park access road; expect the final stretch to be a smaller, well-marked local road rather than a highway. Renting a scooter for the day is the cheapest self-drive option if you’re comfortable riding that distance; a private taxi round trip runs considerably more, often quoted around ฿2,500 (~US$76) or more depending on wait time.
Most visitors without their own vehicle book a half-day tour, typically starting around ฿1,100 (~US$33) per person from Krabi Town, which usually bundles in a stop at the Hot Springs and sometimes Tiger Cave Temple as well, plus transport, though park entrance fees are often charged separately on top. Given the distance and rural roads, a tour or a hired driver is the more relaxed option over a self-driven scooter for most travellers.
Can you combine it with the Krabi Hot Springs?
Yes, and most day trips do exactly that. The Krabi Hot Springs Waterfall sits about 15 minutes’ drive from the Emerald Pool. Bought on its own, Hot Springs entry runs roughly ฿90 (~US$2.70) for adults; bought as an add-on when you’re already paying for an Emerald Pool ticket, it typically costs around ฿100 (~US$3) more at the gate, a modest discount for pairing the two. The Hot Springs are a series of natural warm cascades and pools, a pleasant contrast to the cool Emerald Pool earlier or later in the same day.
Best time to visit
Arrive by 8-9am on a weekday. The water is coolest and clearest first thing in the morning; by mid-afternoon, hours of sun on a relatively shallow pool make it noticeably more lukewarm. Crowds build steadily from around 10am, and weekends and Thai school holidays bring hundreds of local visitors on top of the usual tour groups, turning the compact pool area into a genuine scrum. Rainy season, roughly May to October, sees fewer tourists overall, though heavy rain upstream can leave the water murkier than the clear-season norm.
What should you bring?
- Swimwear (no separate changing facilities are guaranteed, so wear it under your clothes)
- Water shoes or sports sandals; the rocks and pool edges are reported as extremely slippery, and there’s no ladder into the water
- A towel and a dry bag for phones and valuables
- Insect repellent, ideally something with a reasonable DEET concentration, since this is dense forest
- Cash for the entrance fee and any food or drink bought at the car park stalls, since food isn’t allowed inside the reserve itself
Honest downsides
- The fee is a genuine step up from Krabi’s cheaper attractions. At ฿400 for a foreign adult, this is one of the pricier single-site entries in the province, closer to Krabi’s national park boat fees than to a typical waterfall stop.
- It’s a long drive for a swim. At 55-75km depending on your base, this is a half-day-plus commitment, not a quick add-on, so plan it as its own outing or paired with the Hot Springs rather than squeezed between other stops.
- The pool is small and popular. Once tour buses arrive from mid-morning, the swimming area can feel crowded fast; the appeal genuinely depends on getting there early.
- The rocks are slippery and there’s no ladder. Take the entry and exit slowly, especially with kids or less confident swimmers.
- The Blue Pool disappoints anyone expecting a second swim spot. It’s a look-and-move-on stop, not a second pool, and it’s closed outright for half the year.
Bottom line
The Emerald Pool earns its place as one of Krabi’s better land-based days out: a genuinely different landscape from the beaches and boats, cool clear water, and a solid rainy-season backup when the sea is too rough for island tours. Go early, budget the current ฿400 adult fee rather than an outdated lower figure, and add the Hot Springs while you’re already out that way. For the wider land-based picture, see outthailand.com’s things to do in Krabi guide, pair the day with Tiger Cave Temple if you’re doing a full inland itinerary, and check the best time to visit Krabi before you travel. Basing in Ao Nang, factor the longer drive into your day, and browse what’s on in Krabi for anything else worth timing around the trip.
Sources
- Solosophie: How to Visit Emerald Pool Krabi: current entrance fees, opening hours, Blue Pool seasonal closure and hours
- Thailand Magazine: Krabi’s Emerald Pool (Sa Morakot), Fees, Access & Tips: entrance fees, park location, trail distances, food policy
- Krabi Nature: Krabi Emerald Pool (Crystal Pool) in 2026: distance from Krabi Town/Ao Nang, trail options, best time to visit, Blue Pool details
- My Thailand Tours: All You Need to Know About Krabi Emerald Pool: Hot Springs fee, distance between Emerald Pool and Hot Springs, driving directions
- KrabiTrek: Krabi National Park Fees: Hot Springs standalone fee structure used to cross-check current combined-ticket pricing