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Trang Islands Thailand
Trang Beach and Archipelago
South Thailand's Trang Islands
Where is this tropical attraction since most people don't know? The province is about 300 km south of Phuket behind Krabi and has 50 islands and countless beaches for Andaman Sea activities at Hotels & Resorts plus some entertainment in Trang city.
Trang province is not receiving as many tourists as the other destinations in south Thailand but has plenty of great spots to enjoy holidays. In Trang are enough exotic islands in emerald green tropical water of the
Andaman Sea
with attractive hotels and beach resorts and prices are quite moderate.
Trang is 120 km
south of Krabi
with several good city hotels especially close to the railway station.
Pak Meng Beach is to the west plus countless other beaches and islands in the archipelago. All islands are exotic limestone island with a history dating back hundreds of years when the Sultans of today Indonesia still ruled this area in today southern Thailand.
If you are on your own the best travel option is the aircraft. Car or bus from Bangkok and
Phuket
could also be an option or from Singapore & Malaysia via Hat Yai by train and coach. The connections from this ASEAN countries are excellent. It is worth to stay a night in Trang City for orientation maybe in the hotel in the center.
A beach can be found almost everywhere either at the main coast or at the islands. Flights to Trang come in every day from Bangkok and more from nearby
Krabi International Airport
, it’s mainly Thai Airways via Bangkok Airport.
Trang is not an international airport so all that goes via Krabi which this are Tiger Airways and Air Asia from Singapore's Changi and Malaysia's KL Airport which opens up Krabi, Ko Lanta and the other area for the international passengers. Sometimes they even fly in from Moscow and Shanghai by charter.
There is no shortage on hotels in Trang and great resorts in this Andaman Sea archipelago since there are more than 50 islands. Although only four have accommodations which are Koh Mook (Ko Muk) Ngai Kradan and Libong. Many travelers mix up this Thai province with the Tarutao Archipelago and Koh Lipe which are in Satun Province further down southwest Thailand.
There is no shortage on hotels in Trang and great resorts in this Andaman Sea archipelago since there are more than 50 islands. Although only four have accommodations which are Koh Mook (Ko Muk) Ngai Kradan and Libong. Many travelers mix up this Thai province with the Tarutao Archipelago and Koh Lipe which are in Satun Province further down southwest Thailand.
The Trang archipelago adventure.
Photos
These islands are spots in the ocean off the southern west coast of Thailand.
The Trang archipelago is about 300 km north of the Thailand Malaysian border and about 300 km south of
Phuket with the bus
. Here is a perfect blend of wonderful vacations in southern Thailand including Trang nature history and cultural traditions.
One pier is at Pak Meng Beach and a bigger one at Kantang west of the city. All islands of the archipelago can easily be reached by longtail boats, private boats and other bigger boats which are often sightseeing ships moving between the coast and the islands.
One thing should be kept in mind since most people don't know this, the longtail boats have no muffler, everyone knows what kind of awful noise this will produce and the distance on the boat is only about 2 or 3 meters off the engine. Also, don't use a boat without a top cover otherwise the sun and the reflection from the water will produce an awful sunburn.
One pier is at Pak Meng Beach and a bigger one at Kantang west of the city. All islands of the archipelago can easily be reached by longtail boats, private boats and other bigger boats which are often sightseeing ships moving between the coast and the islands.
One thing should be kept in mind since most people don't know this, the longtail boats have no muffler, everyone knows what kind of awful noise this will produce and the distance on the boat is only about 2 or 3 meters off the engine. Also, don't use a boat without a top cover otherwise the sun and the reflection from the water will produce an awful sunburn.
The Trang Islands are a hidden treasure in south Thailand Andaman Sea
Actually, almost no one knows this great archipelago but one is for sure the islands are second to none in terms of beaches, beach resorts, attraction, tropical waters and there is another very important factor all is relatively low priced. Since everything in the modern world of tourism, beaches, fun, nightlife, scuba etc. today is high priced, this southern Thailand province is a real pleasant exception. You still can get accommodation at the beach for about $ 30,- and have a real dinner for $ 10,- you can count the places on planet earth on one hand where this is still possible.
The islands in the archipelago are some of the pearls of the Andaman Sea with not only luxury beach resorts to give an opportunity to the people who’s pocket is not filled to the brim to enjoy a unique island world. There are gushing waterfalls, beach cottages and more for the best beach vacations beyond your imagine.
Actually, almost no one knows this great archipelago but one is for sure the islands are second to none in terms of beaches, beach resorts, attraction, tropical waters and there is another very important factor all is relatively low priced. Since everything in the modern world of tourism, beaches, fun, nightlife, scuba etc. today is high priced, this southern Thailand province is a real pleasant exception. You still can get accommodation at the beach for about $ 30,- and have a real dinner for $ 10,- you can count the places on planet earth on one hand where this is still possible.
The islands in the archipelago are some of the pearls of the Andaman Sea with not only luxury beach resorts to give an opportunity to the people who’s pocket is not filled to the brim to enjoy a unique island world. There are gushing waterfalls, beach cottages and more for the best beach vacations beyond your imagine.
This Trang Island is one of the top destination for a great vacation whether you are an individual traveler or traveling with family in tow, the great beach resorts offer you accommodation and facilities you will like. Just travel to the province by bus, flight or train and let your legs hang down. If you are an individual traveler visit the Trang tourist office just around the corner of the Trang Hotel and get the information you need, you can also book tours at the "Trang Hotel", it works very well with an excellent organization, which is rather not so common in Thailand. This cave is on an island in the archipelago where the top eroded, fell down and opened a small lagoon with a beautiful beach, only accessible via a totally dark channel you have
Koh Mook is probably the most famous in the archipelago
Trang Islands Photos
Koh Mook with Morakot Cave also called "Emerald Cave" is one of the main attraction in the province.
It's not easy to get into the dark cave because first, it needs to swim in through a long channel in total darkness and after you better know the tide time because it could be impossible to get out. There are other outstanding island and beaches.
Trang islands in south Thailand
This spots in the Andaman Sea are full of exotic views, lush vegetation, good hotels and beach resorts and a great underwater environment, just right for snorkeling and scuba diving.
This spots in the Andaman Sea are full of exotic views, lush vegetation, good hotels and beach resorts and a great underwater environment, just right for snorkeling and scuba diving.
The archipelago is a truly enjoyable vacation destination to enjoy your time and maybe your honeymoon, every year they have underwater weddings in this area. The sheer beauty of the archipelago includes some adventure features such as the mysterious limestone caves.
Morakot or Emerald Cave is one of the top spots for Trang day trips in the case here at Koh Muk (Ko Mook).
With more than 50 islands, big and small let everyone find exactly what he or she wants, this is also popular as a honeymoon destination, married or not, they even have "underwater weddings" every year. Seafood is plenty, beaches are marvelous and snorkeling and sightseeing tours available.
Pak Meng beach
about 20 km from the city has the Amari Hotel which is very popular by Thai guys to for a weekend with their second wife or rather girlfriends, but this place is very isolated, there is nothing around. Most hotels and resorts offer day trips to the Morakot or Emerald cave and other. Maybe just a ride between the islands with a longtail boat, the start is always at Pak Meng or Kantang further south. This is an excellent vacation destination.
Pak Meng beach
about 20 km from the city has the Amari Hotel which is very popular by Thai guys to for a weekend with their second wife or rather girlfriends, but this place is very isolated, there is nothing around. Most hotels and resorts offer day trips to the Morakot or Emerald cave and other. Maybe just a ride between the islands with a longtail boat, the start is always at Pak Meng or Kantang further south. This is an excellent vacation destination.
Trang History
Thailand Photos
Trang has a very long traceable history record for more than thousand years.
Until about 300 years (today 2019) ago the area was under the influence of the Sultan of Java and there was brisk trading going through the harbor of Kantang which a bit southwest of the city.
Over time more and more Chinese people moved into this area just like it was in Phuket and Penang Malaysia. This created one of the most powerful and wealthiest families in the Penang- Trang - Phuket region, the
Khaw clan
built up a business empire that extended from Bangkok to Singapore.
They had interests in tin mining.insurance, shipping, rubber plantations, and various revenue farms. Khaw Sim Bee Na Ranong, the youngest son of the empire founder Khaw Soo Cheang Na Ranong, was perhaps the most prominent member of the Khaw family. Emigrating to Penang in the early 19th century, this Fujianese family saw its fortune rising with the ebb and flow of the Penang trade.
Soo Cheang and Sim Bee expanded their business to the rich tin-ore fields of Ranong, Trang, and Phuket in Southern Thailand. They soon found their family fortune. although their Trang businesses were not always successful at that time there was nothing with tourismus island and beaches.
Receiving his early education in China, Sim Bee spoke three languages - Malay, English and Thai - and five Chinese dialects. This came in handy in the business dealings of the Khaw family.
In Penang, Sim Bee founded the Koe Guan Company Ltd, then one of the biggest shipping companies in British Malaya and which pioneered the insurance business in Malaya with his Khan Guan Insurance Company. Sim Bee also had business interests in Tongkah Harbour Tin Dredging Co Ltd and Eastern Shipping Co Ltd.
Receiving his early education in China, Sim Bee spoke three languages - Malay, English and Thai - and five Chinese dialects. This came in handy in the business dealings of the Khaw family.
In Penang, Sim Bee founded the Koe Guan Company Ltd, then one of the biggest shipping companies in British Malaya and which pioneered the insurance business in Malaya with his Khan Guan Insurance Company. Sim Bee also had business interests in Tongkah Harbour Tin Dredging Co Ltd and Eastern Shipping Co Ltd.
Yet, unlike most tycoons of his days, Sim Bee was no ordinary businessman. He was a bureaucratic tycoon and an appointed Thai Governor of Trang. His commercial and business skills in Penang were put to good use in
Southern Thailand
. In the 1890s, King Rama V Chulalongkorn of Thailand named Sim Bee as Thailand's most successful provincial governor.
With close ties to the Thai state Sim Bee set a series of precedents that have at times been seen as healthy for and at times detrimental to growth and prosperity of the Khaw family business,' says Dr Michael John Montesano III of the National University of Singapore. He adds, `Sim Bee maintained a business empire during a potentially risky period when both Thailand and Britain jostled for power in the Northern Malaya Peninsula.' Indeed, the Khaw family business was built on a set of interlocking and interdependent relations with the Chinese immigrants, British and Thais.
In Thailand, Chulalongkorn's successor King Rama VI Vajiravudh counted Sim Bee as a close family friend and conferred him with Thailand's highest honor, the title Phraya Ratsadanupradit Mahisornpakdi or The Grand Cross of the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant.
In Thailand, Chulalongkorn's successor King Rama VI Vajiravudh counted Sim Bee as a close family friend and conferred him with Thailand's highest honor, the title Phraya Ratsadanupradit Mahisornpakdi or The Grand Cross of the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant.
However, Sim Bee's illustrious Thai and Trang political and business career was cut short when he was assassinated in 1913. Known as the Trang Outrage, the tragedy marked the slow decline of the Khaw business empire. In 1922, the Khaws sold their interests in Eastern Shipping Co to the British.
Today, the vestiges of Sim Bee's legacy remain largely in Penang and Southern Thailand.
The busy Jalan Khaw Sim Bee
in Penang
was named in his honor, while in Trang, there is the Phraya Ratsadanupradit Monument - the only public monument in Thailand to be dedicated to a Chinese businessman.
The Trang Archipelago
A hidden gem in the Andaman Sea
The Trang Archipelago is a hidden gem in south Thailand. About hundred kilometers south of Krabi with around 50 \ttractive islands. Actually only a few are accessible because they all limestone islands just popping out from the Andaman Sea without any beach around. But there are a couple of caves which can be visited by low tide through swimming into a long canal.
Notably, the Morakot (Emerald Cave see above) which is what they call in Thailand "a hong" where the ceiling eroded and fell down opening up the Morakot Cave. Every day by around midday the sun comes in spectacular,
The Tarutao Archipelago
In the Andaman Sea at the border to Malaysia
If the idea is to almost vanish into a remote getaway that's the right place. The catch is if you want to get out of this within a day it's also available everything is possible in Thailand. From the main island which is
Ko Tarutao
(Ko stands for the island) the Malaysian Andaman Island of Langkawi is visible, just about 40 km off. From the pier at Pak Bara on the mainland ship connections to Langkawi are available.