The largest province of the South
located 685 kilometers from Bangkok is Surat Thani the province with a
name that literally means "City of the Good People". A former capital
of the Srivijaya Empire, the province covers an area of approximately
12,891 square kilometers. Surat Thani Province borders the Gulf of
Thailand to the north and east, Chumphon Province to the north, Nakhon
Si Thammarat and Krabi Provinces to the south, Phang-Nga and Ranong
Provinces to the west and Nakhon Si Thammarat Province to the east.
High plateaus and forested mountains are located to the west of the
province, while there are low basins in the center and along the
eastern coast. This topography has created 14 river basins including
Tapee, Pum Duang, Tha Thong, Tha Krajai, Chaiya, Tha Chang which are
the most important basins. All rivers in Surat Thani flow east of the
province to the Gulf of Thailand.
The numerous islands along the coast makes Surat Thani (often known as
Surat in short) a perfect hideaway for vacationers from around the
world. The ideal destination for many is the Penang-sized Ko Samui,
Thailand’s third largest island, and its neighbour Ko Pha-ngan a
celebrated island that hosts the biggest beach full moon party. North
of Ko Pha-ngan is Ko Tao, renowned for its excellent coral reefs.
To top it all is the dazzling 250-square-kilometer Ang Thong Marine
National Park, where a stunning archipelago awaits to greet visitors
with their charming palm-fringed beaches, crystal clear water and
colorful coral reefs. The best time to enjoy one of these islands to
the fullest is from April to November.
History of Surat Thani
Surat Thani is a city with a long history. Archeologists believe that
it was once a community of prehistoric tribes of indigenous people
including the Saemang and original Malays who built their communities
on the Tapee River Basin and Ao Ban Don. Later on, the Indians migrated
into the area and gradually spread out their culture, as evidenced in
the discovery of ruins of ancient communities in Tha Chana and Chaiya
Sub-districts.
In the 13th century, the city became a part of and, as some historians
might claim, a center of the glorious Srivijaya Empire the kingdom that
dominated the whole Malay Peninsula and much of Java. It was during
this period that Mahayana Buddhist reached its height of influence. The
empires grandeur can still be admired in many areas of Chaiya District.
When the empire hit the bottom, it was divided into 3 main cities
namely Chaiya, Tha Thong and Khiri Rat. They were all under the
jurisdiction of Nakhon Si Thammarat until King Rama IV decided to move
Tha Thong City to Ban Don and required that it report directly to
Bangkoks administration. The name Ban Don was, at the time, changed to
Kanchanadit. It was with the establishment of the Monthon, a former
administrative unit, that all three cities were merged into one under
the name Chaiya. In 1915, King Rama VI changed the name Chaiya to Surat
Thani.
The seal of Surat Thani says a lot about its history. Featuring the
pagoda of Phra Boromathat Chaiya, the seal is proof of the influence of
Mahayana Buddhist on Surat Thani. Phra Boromathat Chaiya is the most
revered and important historical place in the province. It is believed
that the pagoda contains Buddha relics.
Today, Surat Thani is an important commercial and shipping hub for rubber and coconut trading.
History of Ko Samui
According to the evidence
found on Samui Island, historians believe that it was first inhabited
by man at most 1,200 years ago. In 1940s, the island was still isolated
from the outside world. Those wishing to travel to Samui had to travel
from Surat Thani for approximately 6 hours. As in-land transportation
was not well established, it took several hours for people to walk
through the lush jungles to the beach. It was only in the early 1970’s
that Ko Samui became a dream destination discovered by backpackers.
With the development of infrastructure, an increasing number of
travelers were attracted to the island. Samui’s concrete ring road was
finished in 1973 by the order of the government. Passing beautiful
beaches around the island and connecting sub-district areas, the road
facilitated tourism. The Tourism Authority of Thailand explored the
island in 1980 and realizing the high tourism potential of Samui, a
plan to develop and promote tourism on the island was implemented. As a
result, it has become and will continue to be a popular tourist
destination in Thailand.
Today’s Ko Samui
Ko Samui is located in the Gulf of Thailand, approximately 84
kilometers east of Surat Thani Province, or approximately 700
kilometers south of Bangkok. Known as the Coconut Island, Ko Samui is
one of the most famous and popular attractions of Thailand. With an
area of 247 square kilometers, Ko Samui is the third largest island of
Thailand after Phuket and Ko Chang (of Trat Province). The topography
of the island is that of a plain with a mountain range in the middle
and 7 important streams. In addition, there is a 50-kilometer paved
road that encircles the island. Moreover, the area of the island
stretches to a group of 48 surrounding islets.
Despite the fast pace of
development, Ko Samui has been able to maintain its charm its classical
image of a tropical beach resort fringed by coconut trees. Travelers to
the island can enjoy a mixed blessing of vibrant day and nightlife
along side with tranquility which can easily be found across different
parts of Ko Samui as the archipelago is a peaceful home for fishermen
and a natural den for seagulls and other rare birds.
Hat Chaweng and Hat Lamai
are Ko Samuis most beautiful and most popular beaches. Both have a huge
selection of accommodations suitable for every budget. Please note that
room rates increase during the high season, from December to July, when
Samui sparkles. The nightlife of each beach is different: Hat Chaweng
is better for couples, women and families, while single men are drawn
to the beer bar culture of Hat Lamai. These resorts, as well as Na Thon
(Samui’s main town), have communications, exchange and car/motorcycle
hire facilities. Other beaches include Hat Choeng Mon, Hat Mae Nam in
the north and Hat Na Thon, the island’s major seafront settlement where
shops, restaurants and tour agencies are concentrated.
Apart from its many lovely
beaches and tranquil bays, Ko Samui is also noted for its high quality
coconuts that grow densely everywhere. The best time to visit Ko Samui
is from February to April when the sea is calm. The Southern dialect
and the standard Thai language are spoken while English is widely
understood in tourist areas.
Getting to Ko Samui
By air
Bangkok Airways flies from Bangkok
to Ko Samui 13 times daily. The flight takes about one hour and 10
minutes. It also offers daily flights between Phuket and Samui. For
more information, call its Bangkok office, 0 2229 3456, 0 2229 3434,
Samui office, 0 7742 2512 - 9 or Samui Airport Office 0 7724 5601-8.
By bus
Air-conditioned and non air-conditioned
buses leave Bangkok’s Southern Bus Terminal for Surat Thani several
times daily. The trip takes about 11 hours. For further information,
call 0 2435 1199, 0 2435 1200 (air-con), 0 2434 5557 - 8 (non-air-con).
By car
From Bangkok, take Highway 4 (Buddha Monthon
Road) through Phetchaburi and Chumphon Provinces and then drive on to
Highways 41 and 401 to Surat Thani Province. From Surat Thani, visitors
can take their cars to Ko Samui through a vehicle ferry at Donsak Pier.
The trip takes 1.30 hours.
By rail
Several trains leave Bangkok’s Hualamphong
Station for Surat Thani daily. The trip takes about 12 hours. Train /
bus / ferry combination tickets are also available. For more
information, call Hualamphong Railway Station, 0 2223 7010, 0 2223 7020.
From Surat Thani to Ko Samui
1.Express boat
1.1 An express ferry boat of
Songserm Travel departs from Tha Thong Pier in Surat Thani at 8.00 a.m.
and arrives at Na Thon Pier in Samui at 10.30 a.m. every day. For the
return trip, the boat leaves Na Thon Pier at 2.00 p.m. and reaches Tha
Thong at 4.30 p.m.
1.2 Express boats of Seatran
Express operate three times a day between Ban Don and Ko Samui.
Departure times are 7.00 a.m., 12.30 p.m. and 2.30 p.m. The trip takes
two hours.
2. Ferry Boats of Seatran
Seatran Ferry, which can
accommodate 60 cars and 400 passengers, operates several trips per day
between Don Sak (Surat Thani) and Ko Samui, from 5.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.
The trip takes about 1.30 hours.
3. Night ferry
A slow night ferry leaves
Ban Don Pier nightly at 11 p.m. and reaches Na Thon Pier at Samui
around 5 a.m. (6 hours). For the return trip, the boat leaves Na Thon
Pier at 9.00 p.m. and arrives at Ban Don Pier at 4.00 a.m. (7 hours).
Getting around Ko Samui
Samui is an explorer’s dream
to discover something new. Offering a wealth of diversity of landscape,
vistas, flora and fauna, and yet small enough to seek adventure in its
many out-of-the-way places, Samui is best seen by taking songthaews
(red local bus) which operate around the island. The fare starts at 20
baht, depending on the distance of the destination.
By Taxi
For many reasons, the least suitable for exploring, but the
safest and easiest way to get to the destination is to go by taxi. The
official taxi service time is until 9.00 p.m. Visitors are recommended
to negotiate strongly for the fare and keep in mind that negotiation
should always be dome before boarding. Note that the fare at night will
be escalated.
By a rented Jeep
Rented Jeep, 4WD, is available from many family-owned agencies and some
well known large companies. The vehicle will serve as the basic means
of transportation taking visitors around many hillside natural and
man-made attractions which are easily accessible from the ring road.
Some of these vehicles come with insurance, but the coverage is
limited. Always ask for details first. The minimum price is from 800
baht.
By Motorcycle
A more flexible way to get around the island, rented
motorcycle costs approximately 200 baht / day. Beware, as roads other
than the main roads on Ko Samui are quite rough in some parts.
Distances From Amphoe Muang (Surat Thani Town) To Other Districts:
Ban Na Doem
Ban Na San
Ban Ta Khun
Chai Buri
Chaiya
Don Sak
Kanchanadit
Khian Sa
Khiri Ratniyom
Ko Pha-ngan
Ko Samui
Phanom
Phra Saeng
Phunphin
Tha Chana
Tha Chang
Wiang Sa
Vibhavadi |
50
41
71
112
68
61
18
61
55
100
84
80
68
12
78
37
68
70 |
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