Saline Hot Spring Khlong Thom — Attraction in Krabi Province

We went here as part of a trip out on a moped we had hired. Having visited the Emerald Pool, we were close by so decided to check it out. It’s a bit out of the way and, although there are some BIG signs for it on the main road, they aren’t consistent and we missed the turning first time.

It’s not quite what I’d imagined it would be. I expected a commercialised setup, similar to the Emerald Pool. However, it’s quite different.

You pay your fee at the entrance to the car park (if you don’t drive straight past it that is!). Park up and walk down to the bottom of the parking area, past the buildings. There you’ll find a gated pathway leading into a tree-lined park-like area. There are several sunken pools spread out over the ‘park’ with four open air showers on the right hand side of the main path. At the far end are a few small buildings, consisting of; male and female changing areas, with showers and lockers; a prayer room and (I think) a space to get a massage.

We were the only non-locals there and it was fairly quiet. A handful of small groups of adults and families. Very laidback and relaxed.

It’s not a glamorous place but, it you like or want a Hot Springs experience then check it out.

No photos unfortunately. It felt wrong to be taking selfies or photos with other people...

Well, I liked the hot springs well enough, I did. Not crowded at all, which was grand. And if you’ve got a Thai driving licence, they knock a bit off the price, only 50 baht per person, bless them. Without it, you’re lookin’ at 200 baht each, but that's it, there’s free parking, so can’t complain too much.

The water’s lovely. Over 40 degrees, salty. I won’t go making a song and dance about it. It’s just a nice set of hot springs, that’s all. But it’s a good one, fair play. Real smooth sailing, you know?

Now, what didn’t tickle me fancy was the massage on the grounds. The ladies were polite and meant well, God bless ‘em. But 400 baht for an oil massage and 300 for a Thai one? Bit steep, if you ask me. Especially since the massage itself was, well… not the best I’ve had. Below average, I’d say, though...

I was shocked to find that one of the most ridiculous places in Thailand was actually the most uncomfortable. The only pool I could stay in for more than a few seconds was the only one with a temperature below 46 degrees Celsius. The rest of the pools were scorching hot! There was no shade around the bathing area, so I was exposed to the harsh sunlight and hot water at the same time. The showers near the dressing rooms were all broken, so I couldn’t even cool off after swimming. And to top it all off, I had to pay 100 THB to enter the place. I spent the next 30 minutes hiding in small shades, trying to figure out what the trick was. I ended up leaving all sweaty and not even able to take a shower.

Come here if it's raining as hell of if you are a fan of very hot water in very...