Ko Samui & Surat Thani
The Coconut Island & The Province of 100
Islands
Accessability: By road, 644 km. from
Bangkok to Surat Thani; by rail, 651 km. from Bangkok to Surat Thani; by sea, 2-3
hrs. from Don Sak, Surat Thani, to Ko Samui; by air, 1hr. from Bangkok to Surat
Thani or Ko Samui.
Bordering the gulf of Thailand, Surat Thani is the largest province in the South with
an area of 12,890 kmē and a population of 831,378 (end of 1995). It was formaly
known as Kanchanadit and then Chaiya. It got its present name, which means the
Town of Good People, only in 1915.
Ang Thong Islands
As there are many islands along its coast, Surat Thani is also known as the Province
of a Hundred Islands. Of these, the best known today is Ko Samui,
the Coconut Island which has become a popular resort for both Thai and foreign
tourists, because of its long, clean sandy beaches, traquil atmosphere and countless
coconut palms all over the island. With an area of 247 kmē, Ko Samui is the third
largest island of Thailand after Phuket
and Ko Chang off the eastern coast.
The most popular beaches on Ko Samui are Chaweng Beach and
Lamai Beach. Visitors may dive to enjoy the colourful coral off the
beaches or at the nearby islets, such as Ko Taopun, Ko Som and Ko Mad Lang.
There are two waterfalls on the island- Hin Lat and Na Muang,
which are very beautiful in the rainy season. Among the famous religious
objects are the huge Buddha Image on Ko Fan, Hin Ngu Buddha statue some 17
km. from the county town, Laem So Chedi which contains a relic of the Buddha and
the Buddha's Footprint on Khao Le Hill. A must for visitors to Ko Samui is the twin
rocks at Lamai Bay - Hin Ta and Hin Yai, both grotesquely shaped. Today the island
is a well developed tourist resort with all kinds of accommodation, restaurants and
places of entertainment. There is also a 50 km. round-the-island highway
connecting the various beaches and the county town. As mentioned at the
beginning, it can be reached by boat from Surat Thani or by air from Bangkok.
There are even chartered flights from Europe and elsewhere during the high season.
Hin Ta rock group on Hat Lamai
Chaweng Beach
About an hour's boat ride to the north of Ko Samui is another island named
Ko Pha-ngan. It has an area of 192km" and has several fine beaches and a
beautiful waterfall, but is still waiting for development. Also near Ko Samui is
Ang Thong Islands National Marine Park which is full of fascinating beaches,
caves and coral formations, but which is out of reach of the individual tourist who
has to join a group organized by a tourist agency in order to visit the place.
Other interesting places in Surat Thani include - Phumriang Village,
famous for a local product called Phumriang silk; Wat Phra That Chaiya,
an ancient monastry which houses relics of Lord Buddha; not far from the
temple stands the Chaiya National Museum, which displays excavated
ancient artifacts of Chaiya town and nearby areas; Wat Suan Mokha
Phalaram, a Buddhist retreat visited by people from far and near who want
to meditate and to find the truth of life; the Monkey-training school,
where tourists can view dozens of wild monkeys trained as coconut collectors.
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By the way, all visitors to Surat Thani should not miss tasting oysters, rambutans
and khai khem chaiya (salted eggs) produced in this province.
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