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PHANG NGA (TOUR 15I): - 25 November to 4 December 2015

 Ao Koei beach, Kuraburi District, Phang Nga Province


Phang Nga Province


Phang Nga is one of the southern provinces of Thailand, on the shore of the Andaman Sea to the west and Phang Nga Bay to the south. Neighboring provinces are (from north, clockwise) Ranong, Surat Thani, and Krabi. To the south is Phuket Province, connected by a highway bridge.
Geography......The province is on the west side of the Malay Peninsula, and includes the many islands of the Phang Nga Bay. The most famous one is the so-called James Bond Island, a needle formed limestone rock in the sea, which featured in the 1974 movie The Man with the Golden Gun. The Ao Phang Nga (Phang Nga Bay) National Park was established in 1981 to protect the many islands. The Similan Islands and Surin Islands, two of Thailand's main diving destinations, are also part of Phang Nga Province.
History......The name of the province likely derives from pangan used to describe primitive people from the Malay Peninsula. The area of Phang Nga and Phuket was later occupied by the Burmese. Then in 1824 the Burmese were defeated and expelled by a Siamese army under King Rama II. Phang Nga received provincial status in 1933.
More recently the province was the worst affected area during the Asian Tsunami of 2004 while today it is the centre of attention linked to the trafficking of Rohingya, Uighur and Syrian refugees especially in Kuraburi District.
Attractions......Phang Nga province dominates the huge bay which takes its name but most visitors to the magnificent islands in the bay arrive either from Phuket or Krabi. Two larger islands in the province, Ko Yao Yai and Ko Yao Noi are relatively untouched but Koh Khao Phing Kan (James Bond Island), part of Ao Phang Nga National Park, gets most attention as does the muslim village of Koh Banyee. Further up the coastline the area around Koh Lak has magnificent beaches and is still relatively quiet while there is plenty to do in Takua Pa including the old Portuguese settlement and fort at Bang Sai Takua Pa. More interesting attractions are listed at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phang_Nga_Province.