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 Samui
The
name literally means
"city of the good people"
and is the former seat of
the Sivichaya Empire. It is the
largest and most important province
of the South, located 644 kms. from
Bangkok. It occupies an area of
12,891.5 square kilometers bordering
on Chumphon and the Gulf of Thailand
to the north, Nakhon Si Thammarat
and Krabi to the south, Phangnga
and Ranong to the west and the Gulf
of Thailand and Nakhon Si Thammarat
to the east. |
Surat
Thani
once formed part, and may have been
the centre of the Mahayana Buddhist,
Srivijaya Empire which, steeped
in legend and mystery, dominated
the Malay peninsula and much of
Java some 1,500 years ago. Srivijaya
was best described by the itinerant
Chinese monk I Ching after a pilgrimage
he made to India during the late
600s. Archaeological discoveries
at Chaiya indicate the former empire's
splendour. |
Geographic
characteristics
of Surat Thani are high plateau
and mountains covered with valuable
woodforest to the west and low basins
in the central and eastern seashore
area. There are a tremendous number
of islands along the coast and two
major rivers: the Tapi River and
Phum Duang River. It is administratively
divided into 18 Amphoes and 1 King
Amphoe i.e., Amphoe Muang, Ban Na
San, Ban Ta Khun, Chaiya, Don Sak,
Kanchanadit, Khian Sa, Khiri Ratthanikhom,
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Koh
Phangna,
Koh Samui, Phanom, Phrasaeng, Phunphin,
Tha Chana, Tha Chang, Wiang Sa,
Ban Na Doem, Chai Buri and King
Amphoe Wiphawadi. |
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