Surat Thani hotels Thailand and travel guide

Surat Thani - The provincial capital of Surat Thani rose to importance during the Srivijaya period (7th -13th centuries) because of its strategic position at the mouth of the Tapi and Phum Duang Rivers.

The largest southern province, Surat Thani is steeped in history as part of the Srivijaya empire with ancient Chaiya a key city. A must-visit spot is Phra Boromthat Chaiya, with its authentic Srivijaya architecture. Its beautifull, 200-year-old chedi contains relics of the Buddha, while the nearby national museum contains statues and artifacts discovered in Chaiya.

Surat Thani is famous for coconuts, mainly picked by pig-tailed monkeys which are trained in special schools around the province. The schools also put on entertaining shows for visitors.

Although the town is a major road and rail hub, it is more famous as the gateway to Samui island, the province's top tourist destination. Thailand's third largest island, Samui is fabled for its long, clean beaches (most especially Chaweng) lined with high quality resorts, numerous restaurants and entertainment spots. The island's interior is mountainous and forested, giving rise to growing numbers of treks and eco-tours.

Divers head to the quieter Koh Phangan and Koh Tao islands, whose superb coral reefs and underwater scenery are great attractions. Further west, the Ang Thong National Park comprises 40 islands with beautiful beaches, clear waters, and stunning rock formations. Many tour companies arrange sea canoe explorations of the islands.

In Surat Thani's hinterland, Khao Sok National Park is a popular ecotourism destination, thanks to a great variety of flora and fauna, coupled with outstanding scenery with lots of trekking and boating trails.

Chaiya
Located 54 km. north of Surat Thani, just a few kilometres east of Highway No. 41, Chaiya is one of southern Thailand’s oldest towns, believed to have been a centre of the Srivijayan Empire, which was a Mahayana Buddhist sect based in Sumatra, with strong Indian influences. In fact, it is likely that the town’s name comes from the second part of the word “Srivijaya.” A great number of artefacts dating back a thousand years or more have been recovered here, including a bronze statue of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, an acclaimed masterpiece now on display in the National Museum in Bangkok. Chaiya’s two main sights are Wat Phra Borommathat and the Chaiya National Museum, located next to each other on the west side of town. The main feature of the temple is its Chedi, which dates back to the ninth century and is one of the few remaining examples of Srivijayan architecture.

Covering an area of over 700 sq. km. in the west of Surat Thani, Khao Sok National Park consists of tropical rainforest draped over limestone outcrops, which form hundreds of islands in Ratchaprapha Dam, resulting in some of the country’s most dramatic landscapes. The Park is home to elephants, bears and even a few tigers, though visitors are more likely to hear the raucous whoops of gibbons and glimpse a few of the 188 bird species during a stay in the park. Khao Sok also has the world’s largest flower, the Raffiesia Kerrii, which can grow up to 70 centimetres wide when it blooms for a few days in December or January.

There are several hiking trails within the park that are suitable for everyone, though for steep routes hikers must be in good physical condition. A less strenuous, but equally pleasurable activity is to take a canoe trip around the towering rocks that protrude from the dam. Khao Sok is best visited between January and April, when skies are usually clear. There are plenty of places to stay near the visitor centre.

Wat Suan Mokkh
This forest temple, located 6 km. south of Chaiya on Highway No. 41, means “Garden of Liberation” and was home to the late Buddhadasa Bhikkhu, one of Thailand’s most revered monks, famous for his “back-to-basics” approach to Buddhism. Both Thais and foreigners flock here to study meditation courses, which begin on the first day of every month and last for ten days. The technique used is called “mindfulness with breathing” by which meditators keep their attention on their breathing, and return to it whenever the mind wanders. Foreigners study in the International Dharma Heritage building just a kilometre from Wat Suan Mokkh, and visitors are welcome to drop by any time.

Chak Phra Festival
“Chak Phra” literally means “pulling the Buddha”, and takes place at the end of Buddhist Lent in October when Buddha images from all the town’s temples are paraded along the streets, and the most important one is floated with pride on the river. It is a time of great joy, and people offer new robes and daily necessities to the monks, while Tapi River becomes the scene of some exciting longboat racing.

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.