Surat Thani (province) > Surat Thani

Surat Thani

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Surat Thani city pillar shrine
Surat Thani city pillar shrine


Surat Thani (สุราษฎร์ธานี) is the provincial capital of Surat Thani Province.

Contents

[edit] Understand

Surat Thani is a gateway to the islands of Thailand's eastern coast: Ko Samui, Ko Tao (great for scuba diving), and Ko Pha Ngan and also the natural beauty of the Khao Sok National Park. Though large it has a low density of 7-Elevens and so on. There are many Chinese temples. There are also many good restaurants and bars in this city which normally go unnoticed by foreign visitors.

A good, fairly indepth map of the city centre can be found here at the Tourism Thailand webpage.

[edit] Get in

[edit] By plane

Surat Thani Airport (Template:IATA | Template:ICAO) is about 20 km west of the city in Phunphin district. AirAsia and Thai Airways operate daily flights to/from Bangkok.

[edit] By train

The Surat Thani train station, despite its name, is located in Phunphin, about 12km west of the town center. Most comfortable are the overnight trains from Bangkok, which arrive in early morning. There are always many who try to catch the tourists and sell them trips to Surat or the islands directly - usually the most aggressive sellers are the most expensive. However, it's not a big problem to reach a 'Surat Thani City' from Phunphin - 'Surathani' railway station - by municipal bus (departure every 30 mins) from the train station building. It costs only 20 baht. Taxis from Phunphin to Surat City are around 150-200 baht.

[edit] By bus

The new bus terminal is located a bit outside the city, however if you plan to go directly into the city it's usually possible to ask for a stop before. The old bus terminal in the middle of city is now only frequented by the some private buses, which are however much more risky than the government buses. If coming from Phuket, endeavour to catch an express bus rather than the local service which picks up and drops off passengers along the entire route, as the latter takes about 6 hours to reach Surat Thani.

[edit] By boat

You can take the ferry from any of the islands nearby, taking about an hour. There is food on board and movies as well.

[edit] Get around

When you get off the ferry there is a bus ride included with the trip (note the strange system of paper tickets combined with circular stickers that you stick on your shirt). It is a 45 minute bus ride down backroads from the ferry terminal to Surat Thani. More than one ferry terminal services Surat Thani.

[edit] See

Being here is different than for most cities, as the residents here are used to seeing foreigners but don't bother with trying to sell things to foreigners for a living. Most tourists here are just passing through to the islands, as there are no real attractions within the city.

A popular place for picnic as well as for sports is Ko Lamphu, a small car-free island in the river Tapi, connected by bridge to the city at the city pillar shrine. A nice view is the riverfront, built as a promenade. In the evening hours there are also some food stalls there, however the night market concentrates at a sidestreet next to Wat Sai.

There are several Buddhist as well as Chinese temples within the city, however none really notable. To the north is the Roman Catholic St.Raphael Cathedral, actually a small wooden church.

Outside the city, there is a monkey training centre near by in Kanchanadit. The hill Khao Taphet south of the city offers a great view over the city, as well as a the Si Surat chedi as some billboards with the animals living in that non-hunting area. Further south is the Khun Thale swamp, a nice small lake but without any further attractions.

[edit] Do

60 km north of Surat Thani is a small town called Chaiya, which gives a good representation of what small town life used to be like in Southern Thailand. It is one of the oldest towns in Thailand - dating to the 8th and 10th centuries. This was during the Srivijaya empire (~200 - 1400).

Halfway between Phuket and Surat Thani but still within the province of Surat Thani is the town Ban Takhun. There is little to do here but this is a very convenient stopping point for people on the way to Phuket, Khao Sok National Park and the Rajjaprabha Dam. Tourist information is available behind the bus shelter opposite the Takhun Temple at both the Pet Shop and the Ice Shop next door where the owners can speak English. The Pet Shop Girl also has cold drinks and English language books for sale.

At the Rajjaprabha Dam there is a beautiful view point which looks out onto the reservoir and the ring of limestone mountains surrounding it. There are refreshments and basic Thai food available there. Unless accommodation has already been booked visitors are not allowed to stay overnight and are required to leave by 7pm. Accommodation is available either on raft houses (ask at the pier) out on the reservoir or in hotels near the view point.

[edit] Buy

The motorway heading north from Surat Thani to Chaiya and Chumphon is lined with dozens of little stalls selling the famous Chaiya Salted Eggs. These duck eggs are a delicacy not to be missed and can be either boiled or fried as with normal eggs.

[edit] Eat

The night market has some great food vendors. Particularly the rotis at the western end.

Next to the Sahathai department store there is a Pizza Company outlet and a Swensens for expensive ice-cream.


On Chalok Rat Road opposite the large outdoor Popeye Restaurant is a cosy little pub called Earth Zone and it is owned by Suk and Pooy. The pub is beautifully decorated with an outdoor area which is surrounded by plants and trees and the interior is decorated with water features and Khmer-style statues. Pooy boasts an impressive menu with an extensive vegetarian section using a special Chinese mushroom, she also cooks up the usual Thai-style meat and fish dishes and some Western favourites. Suk takes care of the drinks and ambiance with beer, whisky, cocktails and a wide selection of Western music. The Earth Zone is open between the hours of 6pm and 12am.

[edit] Drink

Lamoon is a pub situated on Amphur Road and is run by Kai who recently returned to Surat after spending many years in Switzerland. He is fluent in both English and German and has created a beautiful beer garden which also has some indoor seating. The food isn't the best but the surroundings, the atmosphere and the clientele more than make up for that. Friday night parties with lucky numbers and drinking games are a regular occurrance as are (fortunately very short) acoustic performances by a local American teacher.

[edit] Sleep

[edit] Budget

  • Chayo Bar is on the riverfront, opposite Ban Don Pier where the night boats leave for the islands. Free accommodation in a limited number of rooms, but do not expect anything special: mattress-on-floor rooms, fans and shared bathrooms. Run by Chayo and Toto who will look after you well but do not suffer fools gladly. Also serves food. **Chayo and Toto have since moved due the the rising rents near the pier. Their new shop is on Talad Mai Road near the entrance Talad Kaset 2 Bus Station.**
  • Ban Don Hotel is a place for really cheap and clean rooms, but for ~250 baht, don't expect anything fancy. Most rooms don't have air-con or hot water and the entrance is through a shady looking restaurant. But, if you're looking for a place just to stay a night while passing through, it's pretty good for the price. Located close to Ban Don Road and Na Mueang Road.


  • Tapee Hotel is a mid-range priced hotel at 300-500 baht. The price differences range from fan to a/c and I think view, but I'm not sure. As a woman traveling alone I liked the bright entrance, manned desk and short distance to the market and bus stations. The rooms were older, very clean, the A/C worked quietly, there was one English channel on TV (also spanish and a cantonese one I think) and it had a hot water shower. Located on Chonkasem Road, it's about a 10 minute walk from the two bus stations and five from the waterfront and night market, which you should not miss. Turn left from the lobby, right at the next main road and follow your nose. The walk home later in the evening is interesting, as many of the 'short time' hotels have their ladies out, but the area is safe.

[edit] Mid-range

  • Southern Star Hotel - 650 baht a night, many travel agents willing to show high class hotels and places to travel to.
  • 100 Islands Resort and Spa - 770 to 1200 baht a night. Clean, spacious rooms. Wide range of facilities and amenities including air conditioning, minifridge in the room, a pool, spa and restaurant on site. It's located slightly outside the city centre. If your taxi driver doesn't know where it is, they should know where Tesco-Lotus is, the hotel is near there.

[edit] Splurge

  • The Diamond Plaza hotel is the best hotel in town. It's on the outer edge as you enter from Phun Phin station. You can take any of the orange train station buses to get there.

[edit] Get out

Most travellers in Surat Thani are on their way to or from the islands:




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