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THE
NORTH I CENTRAL
&
EAST
COAST I THE
NORTHEAST I THE
SOUTH |
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Chumphon
I
Krabi
I
Nakhon
Si
Thammarat
I
Narathiwat
I
Pattani
I
Phang
Nga |
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Phattalung
I
Phuket
I
Ranong
I
Satun
I
Songkhla
I
Surat
Thani
I
Trang
I
Yala |
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 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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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