Surat Thani

About

While most travellers just use Surat Thani as a gateway to the popular islands of Ko Samui, Ko Pha-Ngan, and Ko Tao, the city was once the seat of the ancient Srivijaya empire, and the last bit of ‘real Thailand’ in the area. The Ban Don district could be considered the city’s Chinatown, with century-old Sino-European architecture and traditional shops and temples that make it worth exploring. In the heart of the city, the large Wat Tham Bucha and Srivijaya-style City Pillar Shrine are visited daily by locals, making them a great place to join to admire some fine architecture and glimpse the city’s daily life, while a nearby bridge leads to an island park. The nearby Tapi riverfront is also worth a visit - from here you can take a longtail boat trip into the Tapi’s tributaries, through tunnels of towering palms and past old stilted houses.