First of all, let me introduce myself. My name is Mob, and I'm a student. I won't tell you my age, but let's just say I'm an early adult. 5555 This time, I had the chance to have a break from school, so my only goal was to visit my father in Surat Thani Province. My father is a civil servant, so he has to move around a lot. This time, I had the perfect opportunity to invade Surat Thani! ! ! ! ! !



Let's start with my previous knowledge, which is about 10%. I only know that it's a southern province of Thailand, has a sea, and is on the Gulf of Thailand. There are seafood, Koh Samui, an airport, and a Central department store. Yes, that's all I know. As I said, I only know this much, so I'll only go this far. 55555 I won't review anything more. To be honest, I'm "lazy". I'm not very good at planning trips either. My only goal is to see the sea. I'll ask the locals for the rest. Hahahahahaha



Besides that, I love taking photos, especially selfies. *blushes* So don't forget your tripod, and if you're comfortable with a selfie stick, bring it out! Oh, and the photos I show might have (a lot) of myself in them. For those who love taking selfies, come join me! "We can do it without him!" If you don't like it, just look at the view instead. 555555 As for the review, if I'm not good at it, please forgive me. I'm not good at subjective questions. Hehe.



Okay, one more thing about the photos I took is that I just got a camera, so my skills might be a bit weak. Some of the photos were still taken with my phone, haha. I edit the photos according to my mood, there's no consistency in the tones or anything, haha. It's all just based on feeling.



"Let me leave my ig here for a bit: ig: mobbii You can come and take a look, follow me or not, it's up to you 555 Amen, amen"



[Spoiler] Click to reveal hidden textThis is everything I got.

1. Koh Samui & Ang Thong National Marine Park

2.Trang Province & Beaches & Botanical Garden

3. Nang Kam Beach

4.Koh Tao & Nang Yuan

5.Rachaprapha Dam (Chiew Lan - Thailand's Guilin)



Let's get straight to the point. The first day was a simple one, flying from Don Mueang to Surat Thani Airport. Before the plane landed, if you looked out the window, you could see small huts built at regular intervals along the sea. We were told that these were accommodations for fishermen who raise oysters in the area. We're not sure about that, but it was beautiful.



The Surat Thani International Airport is a small airport with a blue roof. It was clean and tidy. I didn't take any pictures because my father picked me up quickly. Oh, I should mention that I stayed at my father's house, which saved me a lot of money on accommodation. Other than that, I had to stay in hotels or resorts in places like Koh Samui, Trang, Hat Nang Kam, and Khao Sok National Park.



After finishing packing, it was just the right time for dinner. I had the chance to go for a walk and find something to eat, strolling along the Tapi River. The river here feels different from the Chao Phraya or Ping rivers, or maybe it's just my personal feeling. It looks green and clear, not brown like other rivers in Thailand. The atmosphere was very good, and I saw the sunset too.



There are a lot of big clouds.



Around 7 pm, there will be a long-tailed boat for hire. It will take you around Koh Lamphu Island to see the fireflies!! My father said that there are a lot of fireflies, but I didn't have the chance to see them that day. I was too busy eating seafood. If anyone has the chance to go, please let me know if it's really crowded. I heard that the whole boat costs around 300 baht. If you go with a lot of people, it will be more worthwhile. If you go with your girlfriend, it will be very romantic. I'm so jealous. By the way, I haven't seen many reviews about this place. I searched on Google and there were only a few. I really want to go. T T



The real deal starts now! The next day, I started my solo trip to Koh Samui. But how do I get to Koh Samui? This is the downside of not reviewing. So I asked the locals. Let me summarize the ways to get to Koh Samui for you.



1. The most convenient way is to take a Bangkok Airways flight to Samui Airport. This is the most relaxing option, but the airfare will be more expensive than other airlines, as is usually the case. And there are no other airlines that fly here (please correct me if I'm wrong).

2. The next most convenient option is to buy a combined bus and boat ticket on the plane. I saw that AirAsia sells them on board, and they cost 350 baht.

3. For those who did not purchase tickets on the plane, there are several companies selling tickets, including Seatran Ferry, Raja Ferry, and Phantip Company. The price is said to be the same as on the plane, which is 350 baht. As for the speedboat Lomprayah, it is a speedboat that is faster. Normally, taking a ferry across the river takes 1.5 hours, but the speedboat takes 45 minutes. I did not inquire about the price.

4. You can buy tickets at the company or at the pier. We bought them at the Panthip Company on Talat Mai Road. The price includes a van to Donsak Pier + Seatran ferry tickets for 250 baht!! That's a hundred baht cheaper. But for those who have a car, you can buy ferry tickets at the pier. There are both Seatran and Raja companies. The price will only be the ferry fare, which is around 120-130 baht. It's like Panthip Company is in cahoots with Seatran or something.





View from the boat.





Regarding the ferry schedule, I can only provide information for Seatran as I haven't personally used Raja Ferry. However, I'm not biased towards either company and wouldn't dare to say which is better as I've only experienced one. This is a disadvantage of not reviewing beforehand. There might be information available in other threads (freshly searched), such as http://pantip.com/topic/32262504. Seatran ferries depart every hour from "Donsak Pier (Surat Thani side)" starting from 6:00 AM to 7:00 PM and from "Nathon Pier (Koh Samui side)" starting from 5:00 AM to 6:00 PM. The journey takes approximately 1.30 hours. The ferry has multiple decks, likely 3-4. The first deck is for vehicles crossing the channel, the second deck is for passengers, and the third deck is for VIP passengers. You can choose your preferred seating, whether in the air-conditioned room or enjoying the open air. Additionally, there are services for selling drinks, snacks, and massages during the journey.



This is not a Sea Tran. I just want to put the picture here. This is a boat to Ang Thong Islands.



Oh, I forgot to mention that the Sea Tran and Raja Ferry piers are located in different places. It depends on which beach you want to get off at. As for us, we don't know. 5555 We'll just wing it. Once you get off the boat, you have to take another vehicle. There are many options to choose from, including motorcycles, vans, and tuk-tuks. The price depends on the distance. We paid 150 baht for a tuk-tuk.



As for accommodation, we didn't book anything in advance. We just walked around and looked for a place to stay. We knew that Chaweng Beach was beautiful, so we took a tuk-tuk there and started looking for a hotel. We found the Nantra Chaweng Beach Hotel, which isn't right on the beach, but it's less than a 5-minute walk away. We got a room for 800 baht per night, which was fine for us. We're not too picky, as long as we have a place to sleep.





The weather was really good that day, the sky was clear.



What I can't forget is what I'm going to do tomorrow. Where am I going? So I went to find a shop to arrange a trip. There are many prices. The main places that people like to go are Ang Thong National Marine Park and Koh Tao & Nang Yuan. For Ang Thong National Marine Park, it is a national park with a total of 42 islands. The trip will be a hiking trip to see the highest point where you can see all 42 islands and there is also a small snorkling. See shallow water fish. The normal price is 1600 baht, but as a Thai person, it is reduced to 750 baht (sitting on a large wooden boat). And Koh Tao & Nang Yuan, the trip will focus on snorkling-diving. There is a small view, but it focuses on diving a lot. The normal price is 2100 baht (sitting on a Lomprayah speedboat).



Ang Thong National Marine Park

We chose the Ang Thong Islands because if I went diving alone, I wouldn't be able to take any pictures. I don't have a GoPro or anything. As for the rough itinerary, it's like this:



--> A van will pick you up at the hotel at 7:30 AM and take you to the boat.

--> Embark with a light breakfast (let me tell you, it's REALLY light, like tea, coffee, and a little croissant. If you're someone who eats a lot for breakfast, like me, I recommend eating something beforehand).

--> Arrive at Ang Thong Islands around 10:00 - 10:30 AM.

--> Then there will be options. Hmm, I forgot to mention that the price of 750 baht does not include kayaking around the island. If you want to kayak, it will cost an additional 200 baht. We chose not to kayak because we had just kayaked in Vang Vieng and didn't feel like paddling that day. The options are: those who want to kayak can go kayaking, and those who don't want to kayak can walk to see the blue lagoon. There is about 1 hour for those who kayak. If you finish kayaking early, you can run to see the blue lagoon. It's beautiful, the water is blue, but the weather that day was very, very, very hot.

--> Then we went back to the boat for a buffet lunch. The food was good, like fried chicken. I was full. I could have more. There were fruits. Then we took the boat to the second island.

--> After finishing the boat ride, we boarded another boat for this island. There were two activities available: climbing a mountain to a viewpoint and snorkeling. We decided to climb the mountain first as it seemed like it would take longer.





At first, I thought it was a small mountain climbing trip, so it would be chill. In reality, I should have prepared sneakers. It was a very serious climb. We climbed for 500 meters with only our hands, feet, and a rope to hold on to. I don't know if it was because of the hot weather that day, but we felt very tired. The dangerous part was near the top because the rocks were quite sharp and very hot from the sun. You have to be careful. I got a wound from there too because I slipped (I wore sandals).



Isn't it beautiful?





I'll continue later, I'm out of characters. Anyway, thank you. Let's continue.

I almost fell off the mountain, luckily I grabbed the rope just in time T T But it was worth the effort. The view from the top is amazing and beautiful. I want everyone to see it. Hurry up and go before you get too old to climb.





I forgot to mention that when I came to Samui, almost no one spoke Thai to me.

Situation: I lost my hat, so I went into a store to buy a new one...and then I started looking around.

Salesperson: Hello

We: Silence...

Salesperson: This one's 350 baht

We: Can you lower the price a bit, please?

Salesperson: Wow, where are you from? Your Thai is so clear!

Us: Two hundred, brother.

Seller: Two-fifty, okay?

Us: ....... Hmmmmm... Two hundred okay? I love you Thank you teacher May I enter

The room I used to study in as a child. That's all I remember.

Salesperson: OK OK thank you

#NowSpeakingThai

#WhyForceToBeChinese 55555555555



--> After finishing the climb, the time was up, so I didn't get to snorkel. But I wasn't too disappointed because it was monsoon season, the water wasn't very clear and it was quite shallow. So I went back to the boat, changed my clothes, jumped into the sea from the boat, and waited for the people who hadn't finished climbing. The feeling at that moment was amazing! After being hot, I had a can of Coke, took a shower, and then got ready to go back. It was really refreshing!



It's getting late, I'm going to leave now. The boat in the picture looks like a seatran boat.



After finishing the trip to Ang Thong National Marine Park, I stayed in Koh Samui for another night. The next day, I traveled back to Surat Thani by asking the hotel to call a van for me. The price was around 100-150 baht to go to the pier in front of Ton. I bought a boat ticket + bus ticket to Surat Thani city, which ended at the Phantip company for 220 baht, which was cheaper than the way there. When I got off, there were tuk-tuks waiting, so I could continue on. Or if you want to go to other places like the airport, Phuket province, Phang Nga, you can also buy tickets at the Phantip company.



Trang

After arriving home, we had to repack our bags again because we had to travel to Trang province in the evening. My father had to attend a meeting there. It might be a bit off-topic from Surat Thani, but I'd like to share a bit about it. We arrived around 9 pm because we left in the late evening. We stayed at the Thammarinthara Hotel. Then we asked the staff if they had any one-day trips, like going to different islands. Actually, there was a trip to visit 4 islands, but!!! It was the monsoon season, so the National Park prohibited boats from going to the islands....... So we couldn't go. Oh well, we wanted to see the Andaman coast, but it was a bummer.



Since I was already there, I thought, "What the heck, I might as well go to the beach." The next day, I headed to Chao Mai Beach and Pak Meng Beach. And I found that Khao Chao Mai National Park was closed for renovation. Oh well, but I asked the officer to open it a little bit for me to take a look. As a result, I was the only one on the beach. Hmm, the atmosphere was very good. There were a lot of big crabs. Then I drove to Pak Meng Beach for a bit to take some pictures.



Then head on to the Southern Botanical Garden (Thung Khai). I asked the hotel staff and they said that if you can't go to the sea, try visiting the treetop bridge here. It's a red bridge, like walking on the treetops. It's a different kind of atmosphere.



Please don't walk so hard. The sound is very startling.



After that, I went to relax at an artsy coffee shop in town called Coffeebee, near the municipal stadium.

In the evening, I rushed back to Surat Thani. At first, I was going to stay longer, but I couldn't go to the island, so I decided to go back. It's better to go to Surat Thani. When I arrived in Surat Thani, I had a day to relax and watch a movie. Suddenly, my father took me to sleep at Nang Kam Beach.



Nang Kam Beach

It's a small, quiet beach near Don Sak Pier. There are bungalows lined up, mostly run by local people. The bungalows by the beach are small rooms. The seafood is very delicious. If you come with your loved one, it will be amazing. It's quiet and private. The seawater may not be very clear because it's a bit muddy, but it's not dirty. But watching the sunset here is very beautiful.



And at Nang Kam Beach, there are also boat trips to see dolphins, mangrove forests, and worship the Phra That. It takes about an hour and a half to go early in the morning. The boat fare is about 900 baht, which is for the whole boat. If you go with a lot of people, it will be cheaper. The guide told me not to go because it's not worth it to go alone. Oh, why are you so honest? 555 We didn't go, okay? Just telling you. 5555 Because we chose to escape to Koh Tao instead.



That night, I arranged with the owner of the bungalow to take me to the Donsak Pier. The first ferry was at 6 am. He was very kind and refused to take any money. I insisted, but he wouldn't accept it, saying that it was no trouble at all.



I'll be back later, hehe. Then we took the seatran as usual. As soon as we got off, we looked for a tour agency nearby. We got a price of 1800 baht, down from 2100 baht, and took a motorbike to Bang Rak Pier to board the Lomprayah Speed Boat ...... And it turned out that..... the boat was full! The staff said we had to wait and see if anyone would give up their seat ...... And then our prayers were answered, someone actually gave up their seat, so we were able to go!


Taking the Lomprayah speedboat will be a small boat with no air conditioning. It drives fast and urgently. It takes about 1.30 hours to get to Koh Nangyuan. You can't walk. You have to sit still. When you turn, you feel a little creepy down your spine. I fell asleep on the way.



Old Turtle & Nang Yuan

We will first arrive at Koh Nang Yuan to see the viewpoint and snorkel. The hike to the viewpoint is not as strenuous as the one on Koh Ang Thong, as it involves climbing stairs. There is also a wooden walkway around the island. The view will be of the three islands connected by a sandbar. The guide told us that the sand here is formed from the erosion or disintegration of staghorn coral. The sand is not very fine and there are quite a lot of corals, so walking barefoot can be painful. There are actually beach shoes for sale, but they cost around 700 baht, so I decided to go barefoot.



After enjoying the scenery, it was time for lunch, which was also a buffet. There were salads, fried fish cakes, green curry, and much more. It was well-presented and the food was decent. After lunch, we headed straight for snorkeling. They also offer diving lessons here, starting at 2,500 baht I think. But if you want the full experience, it'll cost you around ten thousand baht.



The sky wasn't pretty on the day I went, it was kind of gloomy, so I decided to go with a lonely vibe.



At first, snorkeling at Koh Nang Yuan wasn't very interesting. It was shallow, and you could see everything from standing up. But once you passed the steep slope, it got deep really fast. At 15 meters, it was absolutely beautiful. The coral reefs were still very healthy, and there were tons of fish. Just be careful not to damage the coral or the sea anemones, so others can enjoy them too. And watch out for the coral, so you don't cut your feet.



Suddenly, the guide took off the mouthpiece he was using to breathe. Then he dived down to the sandy bottom and picked up something. A sea cucumber! 555 The women were all excited. It was about as long as a ruler.



It's a pity that I didn't take any pictures of everything I just told you about.





After admiring the coral reefs at Nang Yuan, we took a boat to Koh Tao. As soon as the boat stopped, the guide said, "Jump!" Okay, we jumped. The water at Koh Tao is deeper than Nang Yuan, and the fish are bigger and more bizarre-looking. However, the coral and sea anemones are not as colorful as at Nang Yuan. They are darker, duller, and harder, and there are not many soft, flowing creatures.



I also saw a sea cat.





I only took this one picture. The rest are the same as before, I didn't take any pictures. This picture makes my eyes look really small, haha.



After everything was done, I took a freshwater shower on the boat. But that day, I forgot to bring a towel, so I just changed my clothes. My underwear was wet all the way home. Luckily, there was no mold. 555 I took the seatran back as usual. I went back to rest at home for a day and then continued my journey.



This is an example of a seatran boat.....going first, Koh Tao. Next is the last trip. This trip is no longer alone because my friend helped me arrange the trip. My friend even flew from Bangkok to join this trip. The trip is called "Hidden Love", oh no, it's called "Ratchaprapha Dam (Cheow Lan)" trip. The total duration is 3 days 2 nights, 3600 baht per person, including everything, food, accommodation, boat, kayaking, daily trip fees, except for the travel expenses to the dam. We slept at Phu Tawan raft. There is a poster of Nadech Kugimiya hanging there.



The staff said that they originally planned to film a drama here, but there were too many mosquitoes at that time, so they could only come here to eat and row a boat.



A trip not alone, to Cheow Lan Dam.

On the first day, we picked up our friends at the airport and took a van to the dam, which cost 200 baht per person. At first, we thought about driving ourselves, but we were afraid we wouldn't make it in time for the boat to leave, so we decided to take the van instead. The journey took about an hour and a half. When we arrived at the dam, we were amazed by the water. It was so green, clean, and clear, just like seawater. We even took a sip to see if it was fresh water. It felt like a blue lagoon spread over 185 square kilometers. Then we took a boat to the Phu Tawan floating house. We checked in, took some photos, and then jumped into the water. The depth around the floating house is about 20-30 meters, so it's a good idea to wear a life jacket. In general, the depth is 70-80 meters.



The room is a capsule-style room that can accommodate 3-4 people. It is a clean wooden cabin with no air conditioning or private bathroom. Electricity is available from 6:30 PM to 5:30 AM. There are bathrooms on land, but it is said that people usually bathe in the dam in front of the house because the water is the same. However, we did not want to damage the environment, even if it was a small part, so we decided to walk to the bathroom instead. During the day, the sun is scorching, but it is not hot because the wind is very strong. We opened both doors and the wind was blowing very hard. We were in the last room, which was right in front of the ventilation shaft and had the best view. Room number 30.



Please do not use a hairdryer, as it will cause a power outage for the entire raft. Please make sure everyone reads the rules before going, as someone used a hairdryer during our trip and it caused inconvenience to others. There are many rules, including a ban on bringing



The food was brought to the accommodation, but some people took it to eat on plates. Ants were on it, you know. Not that it matters, but I felt sorry for the staff. They are local people, very kind and friendly. I would like you to be considerate of them.





Don't worry, there's no service there. There's one spot where DTAC works, but if you really want internet, you'll have to kayak out to where the mountains don't block the signal. We did it, it was a fight! 5555 Oh, but the raft will have wifi starting at 6:30, but it's pretty slow.



After jumping into the water, I went to have lunch. They served a lot of food.

And then we dragged the kayak to paddle and jumped into the water again. You can paddle the kayak anywhere, ten kilometers, twenty kilometers, or even a hundred kilometers. Just be careful not to get lost. Because I got lost and almost cried a lot. And then we returned the boat at six o'clock in the evening. Don't take it home, okay? So others can play too. As usual, Thai people took it home. Oh, I have a headache. Around five o'clock in the evening, when the sun was setting and the wind was calm, we went out to look for animals. But all we saw that day were monkeys. We saw them moving in the distance. But the guide said that he had seen elephants, gaurs, hornbills, monkeys, and black panthers before. I asked if there were any near our raft. He said that they were often seen, but the animals usually ran away and didn't do anything dangerous. As for the water, there are giant catfish, catfish, pufferfish, stingrays, etc. There are mainly fish. Oh, I thought I would meet Loch Ness 5555.



I'm so sleepy, I accidentally fell asleep. 55555



In the evening, I came back to eat, took a shower, and watched TV + played wifi. I slept very soundly at night, probably because I jumped in the water all day.



Dinner



In the middle of the night, around 4 am, I woke up to pee. But then I looked up at the sky and felt compelled to grab my camera and take a picture. Let me tell you, I don't know how to take pictures. I just adjusted everything randomly and this is what I got.

The next day, I woke up early and took a boat to see the Thai Guilin. Then I went for a 3 km hike, which was not too difficult.


Hi Kuy Lin! The lighting wasn't great and I could only take a few photos.



Then we took a raft to see the coral cave. This cave is 250 million years old and looks very much like a coral reef.


Abundant charcoal, good green water





The stalactites and stalagmites look very much like coral.



And then we came back to have lunch, and then we jumped into the water again, and then we went kayaking to… upload photos, oops, to enjoy nature. 555 Life is really good.


My friend doesn't want to show their face hahahahaha so I put a sticker on it.



On the last day, there wasn't much to do. I woke up early to watch the sunrise and enjoy the morning view.

Let's watch the sunrise.



Before leaving, I saw a pair of hornbills flying over my head. It means that I will definitely find a love like a hornbill. Oh, why am I daydreaming? And finally, the party had to end... The trip to Surat Thani is over. Hello, everyone.



How do you know it's a hornbill from this distance? 5555 Let's just say it's a hornbill. I see they're a good pair.



For this solo trip,



During the 12 days, the tripod was used less than 10 times. Don't forget that there were fellow travelers who were happy to help us take pictures. Not only that, but they also became friends. We have been in touch with each other for other trips. To be honest, I made a lot of friends. One of the people I met on the boat said, "If we come with friends, we will only talk to our group of friends. We won't have the chance to get to know other people." It's true what he said.



I was impressed by the locals' meticulousness in checking plastic water bottles before boarding the boat to Koh Nang Yuan. Tourists were also very cooperative, and the checks were even more thorough than those at the MRT. This gives me confidence that Koh Nang Yuan will remain beautiful for a long time to come.





The downside of not planning your trip is that you have to be prepared for mistakes, such as full boats or accommodations. This can also waste some time. On the plus side, it gives you the opportunity to talk to locals, who may have more detailed information than what you can find on the internet. And most importantly, when you visit beautiful places that you haven't seen pictures of before, it makes the experience extra special.



I would like to ask all tourists to please read the rules and regulations and follow them strictly when staying at various accommodations. This will help prevent problems from occurring.

And lastly, I want to tell all the tour guides, villagers, and all the people in the south that everyone is so lovely, kind-hearted, friendly, and speaks honestly and adorably... I love the people in the south so much!



Thank you for reading until the end.



Just a little sneak peek at my ig again, okay? ig: Mobbii



Thank you very much. If I have the chance, I will try to write about Vang Vieng-Vientiane or Chiang Mai. But now that the semester has started, haha, I guess it will take some time. Hehe.

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