Surat Thani Travel Guides and Tours

Surat Thani is the capital of the southern Thai province Surat Thani and is located near the mouth of the river Tapi on the Gulf of Thailand.
The city had a population of 126,018 as of 2007, occupying an area of only 68.97 square kilometers. The city itself has no tourist attractions and is thus only known to tourists as a transfer to the nearby Ko Samui island.However, Surat Thani's seaport forms the regional commercial center as a transportation hub for the main products of the province, rubber and coconuts.
The city's current name means City of Good People and was selected by King Vajiravudh (Rama VI) in 1915 to reflect the strong devotion of the locals to Buddhism. Previously, the city was known as Bandon, which means Village on higher ground.
Since 1969, the city has been the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Surat Thani Province, responsible for about 6,000 Catholic Christians in southern Thailand.
The city is accessibly by rail from Bangkok, though the Surat Thani Railways Station is actually located in Phunphin, about 15 km far from downtown. Asian highway AH2 also passes the city at Phunphin. A regional airport, Surat Thani International Airport, is about 30 km from the city by road. Though some ferries to Ko Samui are provided in the downtown, the main ferry pier is located at Don Sak, 40 km east (about 60 km by road) on the coast of Gulf of Thailand.