Thailand’s largest island is a wonderland of wildlife and rainforest fringed by white sand beaches with some of the world’s largest island

Wild Interior
Visitors to Phuket Province generally head for the sea, but the interior is worth exploring for its vivid patchwork of plantations and rice paddies, crowned by the island’s last rainforest in Khao Phra Thaw Royal Wildlife Reserve. Here, rainy season hikes provide the best views of Ton Sai and Bang Pae waterfalls, with possible sightings of resident wildlife such as flying foxes and slow loris: visit the Gibbon Rehabilitation Center near Bang Pae falls and see how they reintroduce captive gibbons to the jungle.

Trading History
Phuket Town was once a trading point for ships from China , India , Arabia , Malaya and Portugal . 19th century Sino-Portuguese shop houses on Phang-Nga, Yaowarat, and Ranong Roads stand testimony to those days, with fine restorations on Deebuk and Thalang Roads. Also on Phang-Nga Road , the mystical Shrine of the Serene Light is a 150-year-old Chinese temple with notable art and a tranquil garden. See the surrounding area from nearby Phuket Hill (Khao Rang).

Vegetarian Festival
A cultural legacy, the Vegetarian Festival ushers in Taoist Lent in September / October, when religious Chinese avoid eating meat. The festivities involve colorful, noisy street parades, with devotees doing penance through pain. Among other things, they pierce their cheeks and tongues with swords.

General Features
Located 463 km south of Bangkok, Chumphon is bordered by a mountain range and the province of Ranong and part of the Thai-Burma border to the west, the Gulf of Thailand to the east, Prachuap Khiri Khan province to the north, and Surat Thani province to the south. With a high mountain ridge to the east, as well as the west, Chumphon is vulnerable to monsoonal rains from the Gulf. There are two distinct seasons: the rainy season from June until January, and summer from February to May. The three rivers of Taphao, Chumphon and Lang Suan bring regular, year-round flows of water to Chumphon.

Riches on Land and by the Sea
Its proximity to the Gulf of Thailand means that the main occupation of Chumphon folk is agriculturally based in the fertile plains between the mountains where there is high humidity and good quality soil. The areas main income stems from cultivating par? rubber, palm oil, fruits and coffee. Most of Thailand’s coffee is grown in Chumphon. A wide variety of fruit is on sale alongside highways, such as Leb Meu Nang (cooking banana), pineapple from the Sawi district, longan from Lang Suan district, and durian and zalacca palm.

Gateway to the South
Chumphon is the first of Thailand’s southern provinces encountered when driving south, often considered less interesting than neighboring provinces such as Prachuap Khiri Khan, Surat Thani, Phang-nga and Phuket. Normally, tourists flow to destinations further south. However, Chumphon is the gateway to the south and has a number of natural attributes of interest ranging from high mountain ranges, mangrove forests, offshore islands and fertile coral reefs – especially those found in Mu Koh Chumphon Marine National Park. Touring Chumphon presents a variety of interesting attractions to visit such as caves, waterfalls, river rafting, mangroves, beaches and islands.

Laem Son Beach
This pine tree franked beach sticks out to the sea like a big cape. The sand here is grey with some rugged surface. The beach may not look attractive but this is the place where travelers get on a boat to many of the islands such as Koh Khang Khao and Koh Kam Yai. An office of Laem Son National Park is located on this beach with restaurants, bungalows and tour centres in close proximity. The beach is about 53 km from Ranong Town .

Koh Khang Khao
Visible from Bang Ben beach in Laem Son National Park , the small island of Koh Khang Khao is truly an exotic island. The island has abundance of colourful shallow corals and a lovely beach with soft fine white sand. Its finest beach is situated in the east. You can rent a boat from Had Bang Bane at Laem Son National Park . The trip lasts about 30 minutes for a long-tailed boat and 10 minutes for speedboat. The best time to visit is between November and April.

Koh Kam Yai
Koh Kam Yai may not be famous for coral reefs or sandy beach – the island has more forested hills than beaches – but it is known by the local as the island of sea birds. Fifteen kilometers from the shore, it is the largest island of Koh Kam archipelago, which is also part of Laem Son national Park. There is no human settlement on the island, making it perfect for a variety of migrating birds that seek refuge during the cool season. Tourists, who take a diving trip to Koh Fai Waeb, stop by this island for bird watching. At low tide, you can walk on a sand dune causeway to another nearby island Touring period is between November and April.

Koh Chang
Koh Chang, the largest island in Ranong. The island is part of Mu Koh Phayam National Park. There are small fishing villages on the island. Most of villagers moved from Surat Thani and Koh Pha Ngan about four decades ago. This is an interesting site worth visiting since their way of life remains untouched by mainstream tourism. Many of Koh Chang’s nice beaches are found at the west. There are some shallow coral reefs around the island for snorkeling. The longest beach on the island is Ao Yai. The four kilometer long beach is safe for swimming and has a wooden bridge that links to another beach on the eastern part of the island. Several bungalows are available on Ao Yai. Another nice beach is Ao Khai Tao. The beach is located in the western end of the island and can be reached by boat only. It is the site of Ao Khai Tao National Park Ranger Unit. You can swim at the beach or trek to the viewpoint for 5 kilometres. There is no accommodation is on this beach.

To get to the island, you can get on a local boat at the pier near Ranong estuary. The trip takes about 2 hours.

Koh Phayam
Thirty three kilometers from the shore is a small island of Koh Phayam . The island has beaches that are both peaceful and pristine. The wide sandy beach has the backdrop of forested hills, which is a habitat of monkeys, boars and a variety of sea birds. There is a small community of friendly Buddhist islanders on the island, mostly cashew nut farmers. They get around the island via a small tarmac road which is capable of accommodating motorcycles only. That means there is no car on this island.

Perhaps the island’s best beach is Ao Yai. It is located at the southwest of Koh Phayam Pier. The beach is about 2 kilometres long and filled with white clear sand. From this beach, you can see Koh Kam, Koh Surin and Koh Yan Chuek in Myanmar .

Bungalows for rent can be found at the north of Ao Yai. At the back of the bungalows are coconut and cashew nut farms. The beach offers a real retreat for travelers who prefer quiet surroundings.

There is another beach called Ao Khao Kwai at the northwest of Koh Phayam Pier. The beach has white clear sand and crystal clear water. Koh Yan Chuek of Myanmar can be seen from this beach. You can find bungalows for rent on this beach as well.

To get there, travelers take a boat from Koh Phayam pier behind Pak Nam police station in Ranong. The journey takes about 2 hours. The best time to visit the island starts from November to December.

Despite being a small province, Ranong is abundant with natural attractions; the sea, islands, mountains, forests, waterfalls, mangroves forests. Yet, it is barely known among overseas tourists. This lush and rainy province bordering southern Myanmar , Ranong has among its attractions hot springs and stunning marine parkland. Indeed, this province offers a lot more than just another coastal province.

Chinese Influence
Bordering southern Myanmar and 600 kilometres south of Bangkok , mountainous Ranong Province receives more rain than elsewhere in Thailand , covering it in lush greenery. Ranong town began as a Chinese Hokkien settlement, and this is evident from its older architecture. One example is Nai Khai Ranong, the former home of Koh Su Chiang, a Hokkien governor of Ranong during the reign of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V). Situated in the north of the town, only one of the three original structures still exists. Now a clan house and shrine exhibiting relics of the Koh clan, it is open to visitors.

Attraction

Hot Springs
A few kilometers out of town by Wat Tapotaram, visitors can wash with water scooped from hot and cold containers at the Ranong Mineral Hot Springs. Hot mineral baths (with the same spring water) are available at the public spa of the nearby Jansom Thara Ranong Hotel. Further on from the springs is Hat Som Paen, once a tin-mining village. A creek running through the local temple contains giant carp, said by some to be angels and therefore sacred and protected. According to local belief, affliction with leprosy awaits anyone who harms the fish.

Punyaban Waterfall
Just a ten minute drive from Ranong Town , you will reach the Punyaban Waterfall tucked in an evergreen forest. This moderate size waterfall of three levels nestles in a wonderful vista of mountains. The waterfall originates from small streams in the forest preservation area named La Un and Rachakrud Forest . There is a 300 metre nature trail near the fall. Tourists can walk through a lush green forest to observe the ecological system of the tropical rain forest. Small restaurants and toilets are available in the area.

Khao Fa Chi
One of the charming characteristics of Ranong is its picturesque scenery along the road. Khao Fa Chi (Fa Chi Mountain) offers a majestic viewpoint of Ranong’s verdant landscape. Located about 30 kilometres from Ranong town, the viewpoint at the peak of Khao Fa Chi is about 259 metres above the sea level and reached by road. From there, you can see the La Un River draining into the Andaman Sea . The peak is also the location of Khao Fa Chi Telecommunication Centre. It is worth a visit especially for a sunset watch.

Ngao Waterfall
The Tanaosri mountain range, which covers much of Southern Thailand , is abundant with dense tropical rain forests. They are a watershed of many waterfalls, including Ngao Waterfall. This large waterfall has its origin in the jungles in Ranong. The stream from the deep forest flows down from the cliff, which can be seen from several hundred meters away. You can trek with a national park ranger in the forested mountain to see various species of wild orchids and, if luck is in your side, the princess crab – a new specie of crab that has a white shell and claws with a dark violet mouth, eyes and legs.

The Grass Mountains
Opposite Ngao Waterfall is what the local call the ‘Bald Mountains’ or ‘Ghost Mountains’.