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Travel Destinations - Surat Thani Province
Surat Thani is southern Thailand's
largest province, covers some 12,800 square kilometres, and
has an extensive coastline lapped by Thai Gulf waters. The
provincial capital is 685 kilometres south of Bangkok.
Surat Thani boasts some of Thailand's loveliest islands namely
the Penang-sized Ko Samui, Thailand's third largest island,
palm-fringed jewel of a sparkling archipelago that includes
the stunning 250-square-kilometre Ang Thong Marine National
Park.
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 district indicate the former empire's splendour.
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