Short answer
Entry to the Emerald Pool (Sa Morakot) in Krabi is 400 baht for a foreign adult and 200 for a child, paid in cash at the gate, according to Thai Holiday Guide and Phuket 101. It opens at 08:30; sources give a closing time of 16:30 or 17:00. The nearby Khlong Thom hot springs are run by a local authority and charge separately, with foreign adults at 160 to 200 baht in October 2026. Swimming is allowed only in the main pool, and it is a car day, not a boat day.
What it costs: 400 baht for foreign adults, 200 for children
At the gate of the Emerald Pool, locally called Sa Morakot, foreign adults pay 400 baht and children pay 200 baht, according to Thai Holiday Guide's page for the site and to Phuket 101, whose article was last updated on 18 March 2025. Phuket 101 gives Thai nationals 30 baht for adults and 20 for children, and parking at 30 baht for cars and 20 for motorbikes. Thai Holiday Guide says to bring cash.
We could not find an official notice of these rates, so treat them as the going price rather than a guaranteed one. The pool lies inside the Khao Phra Bang Khram wildlife sanctuary, which is not one of the national parks in the 2022 fee table that TrueID published, so the national park fees quoted elsewhere on this site do not apply here. Ask at the ticket booth if the price differs from what you expected.
What you can see, and where you can swim
Three pools make up the site, and you can swim in only one. Thai Holiday Guide describes Sa Kaeo, the clear pool nearest the entrance, as off-limits for swimming; Sa Morakot, the main pool, as the one where you can wade or swim; and Sa Namphut, further along, as viewing only. Phuket 101 says the main pool is about 20 metres wide and one to two metres deep, and that its colour comes from limestone and minerals.
Phuket 101 warns that the rocks around the pool are extremely slippery, and Thai Holiday Guide advises water shoes for the uneven pool floor. Wikivoyage describes the pools as hot springs with a temperature of 30 to 50 degrees Celsius, and Thai Holiday Guide gives the same range at the source. The water cools as it flows away from the spring, so the main pool feels warm rather than hot. Phuket 101 says swimming in the blue pool is strictly prohibited because of quicksand and changes in temperature.
Opening hours, the walk in and when it is quiet
Thai Holiday Guide lists daily hours of 08:30 to 17:00, while Phuket 101 says the park opens from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Plan to leave by 16:00 to be safe. Two walking routes start at the entrance: Phuket 101 describes a short path of 800 metres straight to the pool and a longer 1.4 km raised jungle boardwalk, and Wikivoyage mentions a 2.7 km nature trail named after an English conservationist, Tina Jollife.
Crowds follow the tour vans. Thai Holiday Guide says groups from Krabi Town and Ao Nang tend to arrive mid-morning and that the main pool then fills quickly, and its Krabi guide says weekday mornings before 9 am are quiet, while weekends are different. Arrive when the gate opens at 08:30 if swimming matters to you. There is little shade directly over the water at Sa Kaeo, so bring sunscreen even for a short visit.
The hot springs are a different place with a different ticket
The Khlong Thom hot springs, Namtok Ron Khlong Thom, are a separate attraction a short drive away. Thai Holiday Guide says the local Khlong Thom Nuea Subdistrict Administrative Organization runs them, not the national park system, and that they open daily from 08:00 to 18:00. Its October 2026 local check put foreign adult entry at 160 to 200 baht and children at 100 baht. It adds that rates at local-authority sites change without much notice.
Here the water is a soak, not a swim. Thai Holiday Guide describes warm water at roughly 35 to 42 degrees Celsius dropping through three short tiers into shallow pools, cooler at the bottom and hotter towards the source; Wikivoyage gives 40 to 50 degrees. Do not assume one ticket covers both places: Thai Holiday Guide says tours often sell the two together, but the sites are run by different authorities, so you pay each gate.
Which to combine in one day
The easy pairing is the Emerald Pool and the hot springs, because both are in Khlong Thom district, a few kilometres apart. Thai Holiday Guide lists organised day tours of about 8 to 9 hours that combine the Emerald Pool, the hot springs and the Tiger Cave Temple. If you drive yourself, start at the Emerald Pool at 08:30 and finish at the hot springs in the afternoon, which Thai Holiday Guide says are quieter after 3 pm.
The Tiger Cave Temple belongs at dawn, not at the end of a hot day, so it may suit a separate morning; our Tiger Cave Temple guide explains the climb. To finish a Friday, Saturday or Sunday in town, add the Krabi Town night market. Do not try to add a boat tour the same day: the sites close by about 17:00 and the drive in is long.
When to go: dry season, and why the blue pool can be closed
Thai Holiday Guide says the best season for the sanctuary is November to April, when trails are firmer, and that afternoon downpours are common from June to October. It also notes that the blue pool closes from May to October, a point that Phuket 101 explains as the breeding season of Gurney's pitta, a rare bird. Thai Holiday Guide adds that the bird is now almost gone from the sanctuary, so do not come for it.
Thai Holiday Guide advises bringing a change of clothes if you plan to swim, and a towel and water shoes are sensible too. If you want to see the blue pool, check in advance that it is open for your dates: November to April is the dry season, and the closure window quoted by Phuket 101 is May to October.
How it fits with our boat days
We should be plain: we do not run an Emerald Pool tour. Our Krabi days are on the sea, and the Krabi 4 Islands speedboat tour, from $35 per person, returns at about 2:00 pm, while the drive to the pool takes about an hour from Krabi Town and about 90 minutes from Ao Nang, according to Phuket 101. After a boat day you would arrive tired, with little time before the gate closes.
Think of it as a separate inland day: pool at the opening hour, hot springs in the afternoon, boat days either side. The sea park fee on the 4 Islands route is 200 baht per adult and 100 per child, which is half of the Emerald Pool gate price, and it is paid in cash at check-in. See the 4 Islands or Hong Islands guide to choose your boat day.
Practical checklist
- Bring cash: 400 baht per foreign adult and 200 per child for the Emerald Pool, plus a separate amount for the hot springs.
- Arrive at 08:30 when the gate opens, and plan to leave by 16:00.
- Wear water shoes, because the rocks around the pools are slippery.
- Swim only in the main pool, not in the clear pool nearest the entrance or in the blue pool.
- Check the blue pool is open if you travel between May and October.
- Keep the day separate from a boat tour.
Questions and answers
How much is the Emerald Pool in Krabi?
Thai Holiday Guide and Phuket 101 give 400 baht for foreign adults and 200 baht for children, with Thai nationals paying 30 and 20 baht. We found no official notice, so carry cash and check at the gate.
Can you swim in the Emerald Pool?
Yes, in the main pool, Sa Morakot, according to Thai Holiday Guide. The clear pool nearest the entrance and the blue pool further on are for looking only.
Is the Emerald Pool the same as the hot springs?
No. The Emerald Pool is inside a wildlife sanctuary. The Khlong Thom hot springs are run by a local authority, a few kilometres away, and you pay a separate entry.
How long does it take to get from Ao Nang to the Emerald Pool?
Phuket 101 says about 60 km from Krabi Town and about 90 minutes from Ao Nang by road. Thai Holiday Guide says about 45 minutes from Krabi Town and no scheduled public transport.
Is the Blue Pool open all year?
Phuket 101 says the Blue Pool closes from May to October, during the breeding season of Gurney's pitta. Confirm before you travel in those months.
What time does the Emerald Pool open?
08:30 daily, according to both Thai Holiday Guide and Phuket 101. Closing is given as 16:30 or 17:00, so arrive early and leave by 16:00.