Ko Pha-ngan, Surat Thani

Ko Pha-ngan is one of the most famous islands in the world. It is well known for the Full Moon Party held every full moon at the beach of Hat Rin. A large number of tourists from all over the world visit the island, especially in the summer. Apart from beautiful beaches and amazing blue water, you can explore the natural beauty of numerous natural attractions such as waterfalls and mountains and discover the local lifestyle of coconut farmers and fishermen in the village of Ban Chalok Lam. As the island offers visitors all types of tourist attractions, it is a must-visit destination for both Thai and foreign tourists. Ko Pha-ngan is located approximately 100 kilometres from Surat Thani City. It has a total area of 168 square kilometres. The island, together with the island of Ko Tao, is part of Ko Pha-ngan District, which is the smallest district of Surat Thani Province. The island is dominated by mountainous terrain and has beaches, sand dunes and coral reefs. In the middle of the island are mountains running north-south. Plains cover only one-fourth of the total area and are mostly found on the west side of the island. On the east side of the island lie coastal mountains. Besides, the island has several bays where boats can dock in some seasons. Furthermore, the monsoon season of the island begins in October and lasts till January. Tourists are not recommended to pay a visit to the island during this time. Ko Pha-ngan has been inhabited by human for a long time. It is assumed that the first settlers on the island are the Malays from Nakhon Si Thammarat or from Pattani who immigrated to the island and were mostly fishermen. The evidence of this assumption is the names of some places on the island. For example, according to a former Ko Samii District Chief Officer, Ko Pha-ngan was formerly known as “Ko Raham”, literally meaning the shadowy island. In addition, the names of some other nearby islands such as Ko Wua Ta Lap and Ko Lao Yu are originally from the Malay la