Surat Thani is southern Thailand’s largest province, covers some 12,800 square kilometers, and has an extensive coastline lapped by Thai Gulf waters. The provincial capital is 685 kilometers south of Bangkok.

Surat Thani boasts some of Thailand’s loveliest islands namely the Penang-sized Koh Samui, Thailand’s third largest island, stunning 250-square-kilometre Ang Thong Marine National Park.

Suratthani 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.