Thailand
The South

The south is made up of 14 provinces and is a region of diverse attractions with rivers, jungles waterfalls, lakes, limestone cliffs and outcrops covered with vegetation, and national parks. With the exception of two provinces, all touch the coast and so the region is abundant in sandy beaches fringed with palm and casuarina trees.

Offshore are numerous islands, including Phuket to the west and Samui to the east. Both offer unspoilt beaches, spectacular scenery, and a host of water sport facilities including scuba diving and snorkelling, so you can enjoy the rich marine life and colourful coral formations that grow in the warm coastal waters.

One of the world's top tourism resort destinations, Phuket, the smallest province, is shaped like an irregular pearl, surrounded by 39 smaller islands and is 21 kilometres wide by 48 kilometres long.

Sparsely populated outside Phuket town, the provincial capital, the island is covered in lush green hills, coconut groves, rubber plantations and the coastline is dotted with a dozen beautiful beaches. An hour flight from Bangkok links Phuket with the mainland, as do two bridges.

Phuket town's architecture reflects its centuries-old history of tin mining by European and Chinese from which vast wealth was derived. The environment has been magnificently restored and accommodation is available in all price categories, from bungalow-style with native thatch through to five-star international resorts.

Aside from attractions offered by the resorts, Phuket has a Crocodile Farm which also has an aquarium; Phuket Orchid Garden and Thai Village offering cultural and elephant shows;  Thalang National Museum; and a wildlife park, 20 kilometres from town which is home to innumerable birds, monkeys and other creatures in surrounds interspersed with waterfalls 

Nature lovers will want to visit Hat Mai Khao where sea turtles lay their eggs between December and February. A visit to a pearl farm is also a popular day-trip from Phuket and its major resorts.

If you are looking for action after a day of relaxing on the beach, Ao Patong is a long beach lining the bay 13 kilometres from town and is the focus of Phuket's exciting nightlife with restaurants and entertainment. Or visit southern Thailand's biggest restaurant, Thai Nan which seats 1,500 diners in village-style houses. Beyond Phuket are the twin islands of Phi Phi in Krabi province, accessible from Phuket by daily ferry boats. Here are splendid beaches, blue seas and lush tropical vegetation, sheer cliffs rising hundreds of feet above the sea and bird's nests highly prized by the Chinese for making soup.

Phang Nga Bay is included on day tours from Phuket to see the hundreds of limestone outcrops which rise dramatically from the water. A fishing village built entirely on stilts over the mangrove river estuary adds to Phang Nga's mysterious charm.

Near Panyi, in the Andanian Sea, are the twin islands of Nom Sao and Thalu where the island's interior has been eroded and boats glide through a cave filled with massive stalactites.

On the mainland in Krabi province are more beaches to explore which are less developed than Phuket, although there is still plenty of accommodation. Krabi is also renowned for the Diamond Cave (Tham Phet) which has spectacular stalactites and stalagmites.

Satun, further south has two national parks. On the opposite coast lies Songkhla, one of Thailand's most famous seaside resorts, where Hat Yai is the commercial and entertainment centre. Bull fighting can be seen there on the first and second weekends of each month.
Samui's history dates back 1,500 years; it is the country's third largest island, 280 square kilometres in area, 25 kilometres long and 22 kilometres at its widest point. It is one of three main islands in a 20 island archipelago, the others being Pha-Ngan and Taoi.

The beautiful unspoilt island of Samui can be reached by air from Bangkok or ferry from Surat Thani. It has a forested hinterland of granite and limestone hills and the shoreline is made up of palm-fringed beaches, the best spots being Chaweng and Lamai.
A butterfly farm exhibits not only all the island's species, but also has a large variety of native mountain flora and an aquarium displaying all the species of fish found in the waters off Samui and nearby islands. The Samui Monkey Theatre has two shows a day featuring monkeys and elephants playing together.
Apart from its rich marine life, Samui's natural sights include two waterfalls, Hin Lat and Na Muang, while on neighbouring Fan, connected by causeway to Samui, is the Wat Hin Ngu temple and meditation centre. Visitors can go island hopping to Pha Ngan, Tao and Nang Yuan where beautiful bays with coral formations offer excellent conditions for snorkelling. The more adventurous will enjoy Mu Ko Angthong National Park, a goup of 40 islands north-west of Samui where spectacular limestone formations, caves, lagoons and beaches can be found.
In the north of the region lies Ranong, a hot springs health spa, and further north still, bordering the central region on the west side of the Gulf of Thailand, is Hua Hin, a quiet coastal town more traditional in style than Pattaya across the Gulf. Hua Hin is Thailand's oldest beach resort and has been visited by Thai royalty and aristocracy since the 1920s.

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