An introduction to Koh Samui |
Koh Samui & Surat Thani - The Coconut Island & The Province of 100 Islands |
| Accessibility: 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 Koh Samui; by air, 1hr. from Bangkok to Surat Thani or Koh Samui. | Bordering the gulf of Thailand, Surat Thani is the largest province in the South with an area of 12,890 km² and a population of 831,378 (end of 1995). It was formally 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 Koh Samui, the Coconut Island which has become a popular resort for both Thai and foreign tourists, because of its long, clean sandy beaches, tranquil atmosphere and countless coconut palms all over the island. With an area of 247 km²Koh Samui is the third largest island of Thailand after Phuket and Koh Chang off the eastern coast. |
The most popular beaches on Koh 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 Koh Taopun, Koh Som and Koh 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 Koh 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 Koh 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 |
Accommodation: Koh Samui Click here A map of
Koh Samui |
| About an hour's boat ride to the north of Koh Samui is another island named Koh Pha-ngan. It has an area of 192km² and has several fine beaches and a beautiful waterfall, but is still waiting for development. Also near Koh 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 Phrathat Chaiya, an ancient monastery which houses relics of Lord Buddha; not far from the temple stands the Chaiya National Museum, which displays excavated ancient artefacts 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. |
| By the way, all visitors to Surat Thani should not miss tasting oysters, rambutans and khai khem chaiya (salted eggs) produced in this province. |
