Don Hoi Lot, in the province of Samut Songkhram, is a famous tourist destination for those intrigued by shellfish. The location is nothing more than a sandy embankment at the mouth of the Mae Klong River that stretches 8 kilometers in length and 4 kilometers wide. This area covers Don Nok and Don Nai.
At Don Hoi Lot you’ll find many types of shellfish, including surf clams, ridged Venus clams, tongue shells and cockles. However, the shellfish that brings in curious visitors are the razor clams, known in Thai as Hoi Lot. Thus, it is these shells that have lent their name to the embankment.
Razor clams are bivalve mollusks and easily distinguished from all the other shells and bivalves in the area. It is known for its elongated, rectangular shape, whose similarity to the straight razor gives it its name. The shells are smooth, with vertical and horizontal reddish-brown markings separated by a diagonal line. The inner surface is white and the foot is creamy white and brown. Razor clams use their foot to dig to a safe depth. Low tide is the best time to go looking for razor clams. It is also the time when the villagers come to catch them too.
The way the villagers catch razor clams is very interesting and worth observing. To lure the clams from the earth, you will see the villagers taking a thin stick covered with lime and inserting it into the holes where the clams are present. The lime irritates the clams and this prompts them to emerge from the hole. Thus, allowing the villagers to easily catch them. The villagers are very careful about not using the lime directly on the embankment as they know that they will harm the other shellfish living there.
Those of you keen on seeing Don Hoi Lot and its amazing marine life should visit Samut Songkhram between March and May. During these months the low tide timing is longer and the embankment gets exposed for a longer period of time. You can hire a boat from the village to reach Don Hoi Lot and on the way you can take some time to see the beautiful mangroves. After visiting Don Hoi Lot, you can go to the village and see the beautiful souvenir shops that sell Hoi Lot fish sauce, shrimp paste of Khlong Khon, dried seafood and many other local produce.
Address : Don Hoi Lot, Bang Jakraeng Sub-district, Mueang District, Samut Songkhram
GPS : 13.362350, 100.022667
Contact : District Office 034 723 749
E-mail : complain@bangjakreng.org
Website : http://www.bangjakreng.org/th/, http://www.donhoilod.com/
Opening Hrs. : All year round. Please check water levels with the district office beforehand.
Best Time : March - May; Low-tide
Highlight : Observe and catch razor clams
Activites : Sight-seeing
From Bangkok, drive along Rama 2 road past the intersection to Samut Songkhram. Once you get to the 62nd road marker, turn left and continue on Route 2003 for another 4 kilometers.
