Surat Thani province is 644 kilometers from Bangkok and it has a high plateau and forested mountains in the west, and low basins in the center and along the east. The province is divided into 19 districts which are further subdivided into 131 subdistricts and 1028 villages.
The most famous attraction of Surat Thani province is Ko Samui, a 247-kilometer island. The island is east of Surat Thani’s provincial capital and can be either reached by boat from Surat Thani town or ferry from Don Sak. The island is famous for its beautiful and scenic beaches and bays, and it is literally covered with forested hills and coconut palms. You can also visit the Samui Butterfly Park, Monkey Center, the phallic rock formation at the southern end of Lamai Bay and a gigantic seated Buddha image on Ko Fan.
In the district of Chaiya, you can visit the ancient pagoda of Phra Borommathat Chaiya which houses many Buddha relics. The pagoda is 54 kilometers north of Surat Thani town and it is believed to be over 1,200 years old dating back to Srivijaya Period. In the compound of the pagoda is the Chaiya National Museum which is actually two buildings. One building has exhibits of stone and broze sculptures from the ancient city of Chaiya while the other building has exhibits of prehistoric artifacts from Dvaravati, Sri Vijaya, Lopburi, Sukhothai and Ayutthaya periods.
Surat Thani is also popular for its oysters as the oysters bred in the numerous oyster farms are much larger than those found in other parts of Thailand. Most oyster farms in Surat Thani are around the estuarine areas of Kradae Canal and Thong River in Kanchanadit district.
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