Surat Thani (often in short
Surat, Thai:
สุราษฎร์ธานี) is the largest of the
southern provinces (
changwat) of
Thailand, on the eastern shore of the Gulf of Thailand. Surat Thani me
ans
City of Good People, the title given to the city by King Vajiravudh (Rama VI).
Neighboring provinces are (from north clockwise) Chumphon, Nakhon Si Thamma
rat, Krabi, Phang Nga and Ranong.
Geographically the center of the province is the coastal plain of the Tapi river, mostly grassland interchanged with rubber tree and coconut plantings. In the west are limestone mountains of the Phuket range mostly covered with forests. The Khao Sok National Park is located in these mountains. To the east the hills of the Nakhon Si Thammarat (or Bantat) mountai n range start to rise, protected in the Tai Rom Yen National Park. Many islands in the Gulf of
Thailand belong to the district, including the tourist islands Ko Samui, Ko Pha-ngan and Ko Tao, as well as the Ko Ang Thong marine national park. The main rivers of the Surat Thani province are Tapi River and Phum Duang River, which join at the town Tha Kham shortly before they drain into the Bandon Bay. The delta of these rivers, locallyknown as
Nai Bang (ในบาง), is located directly north of the city Surat Thani. It consists of several channels with small islands mos tly covered by mangrov
e or orchards.Further protected areas in the province are the Khlong Phanom and Kaeng Krung national park, Than Sadet-Ko Pha-Ngan marine national park, the non-hunting areas Khao Tha Phet andNong Thung Thong and the wildlife sanctuaries Khlong Phraya, Khlong Saeng and Khlong Yan. The HatKhanom - Mu Ko Thale Tai, which will contain a few small island south of Ko Samui, is currently in process of creation.
Nation park
- Ko Ang Thong marine national park***
- Khao Sok national park***
- Khlong Phanom national park
- Kaeng Krung national park
- Than Sadet-Ko Pha-Ngan marine national park
- Tai Rom Yen National Park
Transportation- The province is crossed by the southern railway, with the main railway station located at Phunphin about 25 km from downtown. A branch line to the west ends in Khiri Rat Nikhom, originally planned to run till the coast next to the island Phuket, but construction ended in 1956.
- Parallel to the railway in north-south direction runs the Asian Highway 2 (Thailand Route 41). The major road in east-west direction is Route 401 connecting Takua Pa with Nakhon Si Thammarat, and Route 44 in southwestern direction from Kanchanadit to Krabi. Route 44 was built as part of the landbridge project connecting the Gulf of Thailand with the Andaman Sea. Unlike other highways there are no crossing inter sections, the wide space between the two lanes is reserved for pipeline and railway.
- Two regional airports are located in the province - Surat Thani International Airport in Phunphin and Samui Airport on Ko Samui. The Surat Thani International Airport is served by three airlines: Thai Airways International Thai AirAsia One-Two-Go Airlines from Don Mueang International Airport The
Samui Airport is served by Bangkok Airways and Thai Airways International from Suvarnabhumi Airport, Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Phuket, Chiang Mai and Penang
The islands Ko Samui und Ko Phan Ngan are connected with the mainland by ferries, which mostly start at Don Sak, while the ferries to Ko Tao start at Surat Thani or Ko Samui.
Festivals
Festivals .When Buddha return to earth from heaven and was greeted by crowd.Chak Phra annually take place immediately after the end of 3 month rain
retreat about October.It is celebrate in many south but in Surat Thani is the biggest.It is Chak Phra Festivals on land and on the Tapi River.Before Chak Phra Day ,on the night there are build the screen of Buddha's story around the city and celebrate its all day all night.On land,the splendidly adorned floats are pulled across the town by the participants.At the same time,on watera float decorated in colorful Thai design of a float made to carry the Buddha image.Chak Phra Festivals then concludes with and exciting boat race and treaditional game.
- Rambutan and Thai Fruits Festivals The rambutan trees were first planted in Su rat Thani in 1926 by the Chinese Malay Mr. K. Vong in Ban Na San. An annual rambutan fair is held in beginning of August. Surat thani's Rambutan is the best in thailand.Festiva l (Southern Treditional) It is held on the full moon of the 10th month in traditional calender (about August). Many people will go to the temple and remember for the ancestor.Friend and relations will come back home and go to temple altogether.Treditional people can made sweetmeat for this festival.
- Surat thani Songkran festival, Thai New Year (water festival) @Surat Thani is celebrated every year on 13 April at Bandon bay street and aroun d the town and Ko Samui is celebrated on 13-15 April at chaweng beach lamai beach and around the island street.
- Surat Thani Loy Krathong Festival on the Tapi River.It is held on the full moon of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar. In the western calendar this usually falls in November. During the night of the full moon, many people will release a raft like this on a river.
The Konyu Cutting (Hellfire Pass) was once part of the Death Railway during World War II. It is a 73 m long and 25 m high rock cutting done by hand from Australian and British POWs. They started in April 1943 and finished the cutting 3 month later. Another cutting was 450 m long and 8 m depth. The POWs were forced to work up to 18 hours a day. At night the cuttings were lit by carbide lamps, bamboo bonfires and torches filled with diesoline. The eerie light and the shadows of the gaunt POWs playing on the cutting walls suggested the name the site would later be given - Hellfire Pass.
re available to help but the bulk of the work at Hellfire was carried out by 3.5 kg hammer and tap men, using steel drills and hammers. In July 1943 the cutting was completed. At least 63 men were beaten to death during the construction of the pass and many more died from starvation, dysentery and cholera. More than 70 % of the POWs died while the construction of the Death Railway. Admission fee: free
e of the museum is to honor the Allied POWs and Asian conscripts who died while the construction of the Death Railway. It shows impressive how and why POWs worked at the nearby Hellfire Pass during WW II. A 4-5 hours walking trail leads you along the way of the Death Railway. Admission fee: free
