Surat Thani

สุราษฎร์ธานี; Surat Thani
Coordinates	9 ° 8 ′ N , 99 ° 19 ′ E Coordinates: 9 ° 8 ′ N , 99 ° 19 ′ E
Symbols
	coat of arms
	coat of arms
Basic data
Country	Thailand
province	Surat Thani
ISO 3166-2	TH-84
Residents	126,131 (2012)
	City pillar ( Lak Müang ) of Surat Thani

Headquarters of the Surat Thani City Council

Surat Thani (in Thai สุราษฎร์ธานี ) is a city ( เทศบาล นคร สุราษฎร์ธานี ) in the Surat Thani province of Thailand . It is the capital of the district ( Amphoe ) Mueang Surat Thani of the Surat Thani province.

Surat Thani has 126,131 inhabitants (as of 2012).

geography

The Surat Thani Province is located in the southern region of Thailand . The city of Surat Thani is located on the east coast of the Bay of Bandon belonging to the Gulf of Thailand in the middle of a fertile plain at the mouth of the Tapi River . The distance to the capital Bangkok is approximately 640 kilometers.

For most tourists, the city of Surat Thani is just one stop on the way to the holiday island of Ko Samui .

Economy and Importance

Surat Thani is the center for mining and timber trading. The port is the starting point for lively fishing. The coconut plantations, where trained monkeys unscrew the nuts and throw them down from the trees, are famous. Since 1969 Surat Thani has been the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese Surat Thani , which is responsible for around 6000 Catholic Christians in southern Thailand.

traffic

To the west of the city is Surat Thani Airport ( Thai : ท่าอากาศยาน สุราษฎร์ธานี , IATA airport code : URT, ICAO code : VTSB).

The station Surat Thani in the south runway , the Bangkok with Malaysia connects, is located about 15 km from the city center in the neighboring district Phunphin .

To the east of the city is the port from which ships cross to the tourist islands of Ko Samui , Ko Pha-ngan and Ko Tao . Therefore Surat Thani is a popular transfer point to the islands in the Gulf of Thailand next to Chumphon for budget-oriented travelers arriving by bus or train from Bangkok .

history

The area around Surat Thani has been settled since prehistoric times, as is shown by paleolithic tool finds. The small city ( Müang ) Chaiya not far from Surat Thani was an important city of the Srivijaya Empire , possibly even the capital for a time.

The city of Surat Thani received its current name in 1915 from King Vajiravudh (Rama VI.) , Which translates as the city of good people , as the residents were very devout Buddhists .

Attractions

Wat Dai Dhammaram ( วัด ไตร ธร ร มา ราม ) - moderately interesting temple complex ( Wat ) from more recent times with a high viharn , the gable of which is richly decorated with colorful carvings.
Khao Tha Phet - a mountain south of the city that is protected as a game reserve. There is a good view of the city from there. The Si Surat stupa , built in 1957, is also located on the summit .