Day 3, Friday 17th March - Surat Thani
Traveling Blind.......As mentioned before, due to circumstances we're virtually traveling blind. As we wake up this morning we know where we are but have only a vague idea of what to do today. At some point we will find ourselves in the city of Surat Thani but first I have in mind to visit an attraction simply called Mangrove Forest which is about 20 minutes from our resort.
Mangrove Forest.......Arriving at the car park is it all but deserted but we soon find the entrance to the mangrove trail and follow it to its end within view of the ocean. At this point all the vegetation is submerged but there is a clear channel cutting through the mangrove forming the Bang Po River, one of many small rivers draining into the ocean in this district. Clearly this extensive mangrove is home to a variety of wildlife from fish, crabs, snakes to water birds and even monkeys.
While the mangrove here at Tha Khoei is an excellent example of mangrove ecosystem, it does not appear to be well supported as evidenced by the lack of maintenance of the trail infrastructure. It's probably just too far from the city in an area dominated by mangrove. I'm fortunate to have a car but many visitors especially foreigners don't have that luxury. from a view of the Gulf of Thailand we head back to the car park and proceed inland. We arrive at Phunphin where there is a different attraction.
Phunphin Geological Museum.......Phunphin Geological Museum is located in a new state of the art building; so new in fact that they are still adding the final cosmetic touches to the building. Inside the building there are three levels with ramps, corridors and walkways connecting the various sections. Firstly, you are introduced to the formation and relationship of the planets of our solar system. You are next introduced to how the earth was formed then to the geological timelines from the birth of life to the modern day. Quite an interesting section deals in depth with geology specific to Thailand and the type of rocks and minerals that are found in various locations throughout the country with specific reference to the geological time periods. The museum also deals with the disastrous effects geological events can have such as volcanoes, tsunamis, landslides, flooding etc.
There is quite a lot to take in here and an hour spent would not be too much. It really does open one's eyes to some of Thailand's amazing attractions which we tend to take are granted. Furthermore, this is a free resource open to all. Not too far away is another location worthy of my attention.
Surat Thani Railway Station.......Still in Phunphin, I locate the railway station. I must admit I have paid little attention to this section of the railway in the past and I'm quite surprised to find the railway station here in Phunphin is the main Surat Thani railway station. This puts it some distance from the actual centre of the city. A quick look at the map gives an indication of why this is the case since the city of Surat Thani does not lie in a direct line of the railway as it passes south from Bangkok to Thailand's deep south and the Malaysian border. At the station there is just enough activity to keep me interested for a good half hour but from here we had directly into the city some 20 minutes away. As afternoon draws to a close, we reach another attraction.
City Pillar Shrine.......City pillar shrines (San Lak Mueang) exist all over Thailand and are believed to be the site where the first stones were laid to establish a new city or town. These sites represent spiritualism, a sense of belonging and the place to pray for good luck. By the standards of other city pillar shrines, the one here is large and particularly attractive. Surat Thani is deemed to be at the centre of the Svirijaya kingdom that ruled from here in ancient times.
Food Festival.......From the City Pillar Shrine, we head on foot along Mamueng road. This road is given over to a food festival with stalls and dining along the edge of the Ta Pi River. Now, just after sunset this is an ideal location to find a seat and some street food from the numerous outlets set up along the riverbank. Today has hardly been a hive of activity as we make our way back to the resort but then again that's not necessarily what we've come for.
As things stand, we're staying in Surat Thani for at least one more night having booked a third night near the city at Hop Inn.
Next Page.
Traveling Blind.......As mentioned before, due to circumstances we're virtually traveling blind. As we wake up this morning we know where we are but have only a vague idea of what to do today. At some point we will find ourselves in the city of Surat Thani but first I have in mind to visit an attraction simply called Mangrove Forest which is about 20 minutes from our resort.
Mangrove Forest.......Arriving at the car park is it all but deserted but we soon find the entrance to the mangrove trail and follow it to its end within view of the ocean. At this point all the vegetation is submerged but there is a clear channel cutting through the mangrove forming the Bang Po River, one of many small rivers draining into the ocean in this district. Clearly this extensive mangrove is home to a variety of wildlife from fish, crabs, snakes to water birds and even monkeys.
While the mangrove here at Tha Khoei is an excellent example of mangrove ecosystem, it does not appear to be well supported as evidenced by the lack of maintenance of the trail infrastructure. It's probably just too far from the city in an area dominated by mangrove. I'm fortunate to have a car but many visitors especially foreigners don't have that luxury. from a view of the Gulf of Thailand we head back to the car park and proceed inland. We arrive at Phunphin where there is a different attraction.
Phunphin Geological Museum.......Phunphin Geological Museum is located in a new state of the art building; so new in fact that they are still adding the final cosmetic touches to the building. Inside the building there are three levels with ramps, corridors and walkways connecting the various sections. Firstly, you are introduced to the formation and relationship of the planets of our solar system. You are next introduced to how the earth was formed then to the geological timelines from the birth of life to the modern day. Quite an interesting section deals in depth with geology specific to Thailand and the type of rocks and minerals that are found in various locations throughout the country with specific reference to the geological time periods. The museum also deals with the disastrous effects geological events can have such as volcanoes, tsunamis, landslides, flooding etc.
There is quite a lot to take in here and an hour spent would not be too much. It really does open one's eyes to some of Thailand's amazing attractions which we tend to take are granted. Furthermore, this is a free resource open to all. Not too far away is another location worthy of my attention.
Surat Thani Railway Station.......Still in Phunphin, I locate the railway station. I must admit I have paid little attention to this section of the railway in the past and I'm quite surprised to find the railway station here in Phunphin is the main Surat Thani railway station. This puts it some distance from the actual centre of the city. A quick look at the map gives an indication of why this is the case since the city of Surat Thani does not lie in a direct line of the railway as it passes south from Bangkok to Thailand's deep south and the Malaysian border. At the station there is just enough activity to keep me interested for a good half hour but from here we had directly into the city some 20 minutes away. As afternoon draws to a close, we reach another attraction.
City Pillar Shrine.......City pillar shrines (San Lak Mueang) exist all over Thailand and are believed to be the site where the first stones were laid to establish a new city or town. These sites represent spiritualism, a sense of belonging and the place to pray for good luck. By the standards of other city pillar shrines, the one here is large and particularly attractive. Surat Thani is deemed to be at the centre of the Svirijaya kingdom that ruled from here in ancient times.
Food Festival.......From the City Pillar Shrine, we head on foot along Mamueng road. This road is given over to a food festival with stalls and dining along the edge of the Ta Pi River. Now, just after sunset this is an ideal location to find a seat and some street food from the numerous outlets set up along the riverbank. Today has hardly been a hive of activity as we make our way back to the resort but then again that's not necessarily what we've come for.
As things stand, we're staying in Surat Thani for at least one more night having booked a third night near the city at Hop Inn.
Next Page.
Surat Thani
Rim Nam Lomyen Resort, Bang Bai Mai, Mueang Surat Thani District
Mangrove Forest, Tha Khoei,
Phunphin District
Phunphin Geological Museum,
Phunphin District
Surat Thani Railway Station, Phunphin
Sri Tapee Bridge, Surat Thani
Food Festival, Ban Don Floating Market,
Surat Thani