Thailand > SURATTHANI

General Information
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, Phangnga 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 neighbor – Ko Pha Ngan – a celebrated island that hosts the biggest beach full moon party. 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 – 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 empire’s 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 Bangkok’s 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.

How to get there
By Car
Surat Thani can be most conveniently reached by car from Bangkok by taking Highway No. 4 to Chumphon Province via Phetchaburi and Prachuap Khiri Khan Provinces and then taking Highway No. 41 and Highway No. 401 directly to Surat Thani City.

By Bus
Air-conditioned buses depart from Bangkok's Southern Bus Terminal to Surat Thani Province everyday. Call the southern Bus Terminal tel: 0 2434 5557-8 or visit www.transport.co.th

By Train
Trains leave Bangkok's Hua Lamphong Railway Station 10 times daily from 12 p.m. until 10.50 p.m. The trip takes approximately 12-13 hours. Ask for the train from Bangkok to Phun Phin, the closest station to Surat Thani. For further details, please call 1690, 0 2223 7010, 0 2223 7020 or visit www.railway.co.th.

Surat Thani Railway Station is 12 kilometers from town. A bus service between the station and the town is available.

By Air
Thai Airways International has 2 daily flights connecting Bangkok with Surat Thani. The flight time is approximately 70 minutes. For more information, contact their Bangkok office at tel. 1566, 0 2280 0060, 0 2628 2000 or get your on-line e-ticket at www.thaiairways.com

By Boat
Seatran (077 275060, 136 Na Meuang Road) operates a bus/boat combination to Ko Samui. The fee is 150 bahts.

Phantip Travel (077 272230, 293/6-8 Talat Mai Road) offers tickets to Ko Tao (500 bahts), Ko Pha-Nhan (250 bahts), and Ko Samui (140 bahts). The operator is Raja Ferry (07 314523, 077 371151 or 077 371206) who offers bus/boat combinations to the islands.

Getting around the city
Apart from the local orange bus (9 bahts / trip / person),songthaews are another option to get around the city. It costs 10 bahts / trip / person. Samlors will cost approximately 20-30 bahts. The orange bus departs from the Phu Phin train station to the city every 10 minutes from 6.00 a.m. until 8.00 p.m. The same ride by taxi will cost approximately 100 bahts.

Air-conditioned vans connecting the airport and town costs 70-80 bahts / person / trip. Tickets can be purchased at travel agencies or THAI office (077 272610).

Festivals
Chak Phra Festival
Surat Thani celebrates the official end of the annual 3-month Buddhist Rains Retreat (Ok Phansa) in mid-October with the Chak Phra Festival (literally 'the procession of hauling the Buddha image’). The tradition stems from the belief that the Buddha ascended to Heaven during Phansa to preach to his mother. The festival marks the Buddha's return to Earth, and is an occasion for religious merit-making and general celebrations. Local people organise dazzling land and waterborne processions of revered Buddha images (to symbolise the Buddha's return to Earth) and boat races on the Tapi River where long boats, manned by up to 50 oarsmen, are ebulliently raced. Religious devotion, spectacle and merriment combine to make Surat Thani's Chak Phra Festival a memorable annual event.

Rambutan Fair
The annual August fair celebrates the delicious fruit, first planted in Surat Thani during 1926. Highlights include floats adorned with rambutans and other fruits, exhibitions of local products and ornamental plants, and demonstrations by specially trained monkeys who harvest coconuts.

Khao Sok National Park	Tai Rom Yen National Park	Mu Ko Ang Thong National Park	Koh Samui	Than Sadet - Ko Pha-ngan National Park
Koh Tao and Koh Nang Yuan	Koh Tao and Koh Nang Yuan	Suan Mokkha Phalaram	Phra Boromathat Chaiya	Chaiya National Museum
Monkey Schools	Moo Ban Phumriang	Kaeng Krung National Park	Khlong Phanom National Park

Hotel Name	Class	Location	Price
Ban Laem Sai Beach Resort & Spa Koh Samui		Maenam Beach	805 THB
Coral Bay Resort & Spa Koh Samui		Chaweng Beach	805 THB
Imperial Samui Hotel		Chaweng Noi Beach	805 THB
Samui Orchid Resort Hotel		Lamai Beach	870 THB
Bo Phut Resort & Spa Koh Samui		Bo Phut Village	920 THB
Orchid Suites Koh Samui		Lamai Beach	950 THB
Bill Resort Lamai Beach Koh Samui		Lamai Beach	970 THB
Sala Samui Resort & Spa		Choengmon Beach	977 THB
Nara Garden Beach Resort Koh Samui		Bo Phut Beach	1,050 THB
Natural Wing Health Spa & Resort Koh Smui		Maenam Beach	1,070 THB
Samui Laguna Hotel		Lamai Beach	1,130 THB
Al 'S Hut Resort Koh Samui		Chaweng Beach	1,200 THB
Al 'S Resort Koh Samui		Chaweng Beach	1,200 THB
Samui First House		Chaweng Beach	1,200 THB
Weekender Resort & Hotel Koh Samui		Lamai Beach	1,200 THB
The Island Resort & Spa Koh Samui		Chaweng Beach	1,264 THB
Samui Yacht Club		Lamai Beach	1,265 THB
Varinda Garden Resort Koh Samui		Lamai Beach	1,295 THB
Samui Paradise Chaweng Resort		Chaweng Beach	1,300 THB
Golden Sand Beach Resort Koh Samui		Lamai Beach	1,380 THB
Malibu Beach Resort Koh Samui		Chaweng Beach	1,380 THB
Pinnacle Resort Koh Samui		Maenam Beach	1,380 THB
Samui Park Resort		Lamai Beach	1,552 THB
Coral Cove Chalet Koh Samui		Lamai Beach	1,610 THB
Baan Hin Sai Resort, Koh Samui		Bo Phut Village	1,670 THB
Seascape Beach Resort Koh Samui		Chaweng Beach	1,685 THB
Chaweng Resort Koh Samui		Chaweng Beach	1,725 THB
Aloha Resort Hotel, Koh Samui		Lamai Beach	1,840 THB
Arayaburi Boutique Resort Koh Samui(Ex.Bay View Village)		Bo Phut Beach	1,900 THB
Mango Village Samui		Lamai Beach	1,955 THB
Best Western Samui Bayview Resort		Choengmon Beach	1,955 THB
First Bungalow Beach Resort Koh Samui		Chaweng Beach	2,107 THB
Peace Resort Koh Samui		Bo Phut Beach	2,170 THB
Jungle Park Beach Resort Koh Samui		Lamai Beach	2,300 THB
Cabana Grand View Hotel Koh Samui		Bo Phut Village	2,300 THB
Amarin Victoria Resort Samui		Maenam Beach	2,415 THB
Chaweng Cabana Resort Koh Samui		Chaweng Beach	2,530 THB
Samui Amanda Resort Koh Samui		Had Bang Ma kham	2,645 THB
Chaweng Blue Lagoon , Koh Samui		Chaweng Beach	2,656 THB
Iyara Beach Hotel & Plaza Koh Samui		Chaweng Beach	2,700 THB
Samui Jasmine Resort		Lamai Beach	2,760 THB
Central Samui Village		Chaweng Beach	2,818 THB
Chaweng Buri Resort Koh Samui		Chaweng Beach	2,875 THB
Impiana Resort Koh Samui		Chaweng Noi Beach	2,885 THB
Artrium Tropical Exclusive Club & Spa Samui		Maenam Beach	3,047 THB
Ban Sabai Spa Samui		Bo Phut Beach	3,105 THB
Imperial Boat House Hotel Koh Samui		Choengmon Beach	3,139 THB
Thai Ayodhya Villas & Spa Koh Samui		Lamai Beach	3,140 THB
Chaba Samui Resort		Chaweng Beach	3,162 THB
Zazen Boutique Resort & Spa Koh Samui		Bo Phut Beach	3,430 THB
Samui Cliff View Resort & Spa		Lamai Beach	3,515 THB
Muang Kulaypan Hotel Koh Samui		Chaweng Beach	3,530 THB
Banana Fan Sea Samui		Chaweng Beach	3,540 THB
Lawana Resort Koh Samui		Bo Phut Beach	3,565 THB
Samui Palm Beach Resort		Bo Phut Beach	3,680 THB
Rocky Resort Koh Samui		Lamai Beach	3,705 THB
Rummana Boutique Resort Koh Samui		Lamai Beach	3,737 THB
Nora Beach Resort & Spa Koh Samui		Chaweng Beach	3,910 THB
Samui Buri Beach Resort & Spa		Maenam Beach	4,140 THB
Chaba Cabana Beach Resort & Spa Koh Samui		Bo Phut Beach	4,140 THB
Paradise Beach Resort Koh Samui		Maenam Beach	4,255 THB
Pavilion Samui Boutique Resort		Lamai Beach	4,370 THB
Bandara Resort & Spa Koh Samui		Bo Phut Village	5,135 THB
Amari Palm Reef Resort, Koh Samui		Chaweng Beach	5,219 THB
Popies Samui		Chaweng Beach	5,300 THB
Kandaburi Resort & Spa Koh Sumui		Chaweng Beach	5,335 THB
Chaweng Regent Beach Resort Koh Samui		Chaweng Beach	5,397 THB
Muang Samui Spa Resort		Chaweng Beach	5,400 THB
Central Samui Beach Resort		Chaweng Beach	5,980 THB
Samui Peninsula Spa & Resort		Bo Phut Beach	6,325 THB
Napasai Samui Pansea Orient-Express Hotel		Maenam Beach	8,035 THB
The Tongsai Bay Koh Samui		Choengmon Beach	8,535 THB
Lamai Villas Koh Samui		Lamai Beach	8,855 THB
Santiburi Resort Koh Samui		Maenam Beach	10,280 THB
The Briza Beach Resort & Spa Koh Samui		Chaweng Beach	17,238 THB
Karma Samui Resort		Chaweng Beach	18,675 THB

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