Satun was once submerged in the southern hemisphere until the movement of tectonic plates pushed the terrain up. Covering an area of 2,600km² in four districts, its geopark is home to the region's most ancient marine fossils such as nautiloids dating back to the palaeozoic era (between 500-250 million years ago).
"In 2018, Unesco designated it as the country's first global geopark. It is still new to our society even though we have promoted it after the discovery of the stegodon elephant fossil in 2008. Once endorsed, world heritage is under its convention, but a geopark is subject to local law," said Narongrit Thungprue, director of the Satun Global Geopark, in a press trip.
