Table of contents & how to use the Thai Island & Coastal Directory

Read this and off you go -- into the T.I.C.D.

Welcome to the working Table of Contents for the Thai Island & Coastal Directory, a book-in-progress covering 1,000+ islands and hundreds of mainland coastal areas. Also on this page is a primer on how to use the T.I.C.D.

For access to the entire T.I.C.D. as it’s being published and much more from Thai Island Quest, welcome aboard for $5 USD per month.

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Table of contents

The contents below are updated with a link to each section shortly after publication. Links to all previously released sections can also be found on the welcome page, or click T.I.C.D. from the homepage menu.

Note: The order in which the chapters are listed below does not correspond to the order in which they are being released. The first chapter to be released, the Eastern Gulf, is actually found down at the bottom of the Table of Contents. I’ll keep you guessing about which chapter is next up for release.

This Table of Contents is subject to change:

Intro to the Thai Island & Coastal Directory

Chapter 1: Overview of Thailand's islands and shorelines

• Making sense of ALL the Thai islands

• The many shapes and sizes of Thailand’s islands

• Charting Thailand’s mainland coasts

• Geographical terms and trivia

Chapter 2: The Northern Thai Andaman Sea

• Intro to the Northern Andaman

• Mu Ko Ranong & Mu Ko Kham

• Ranong coast & offshore islands

• Mu Ko Surin & Mu Ko Similan

• Upper Phang Nga coast & offshore islands (Part I: Mu Ko Phra Thong & Khuraburi)

• Upper Phang Nga coast & offshore islands (Part II: Khao Lak, Takua Pa & Khao Sok)

Chapter 3: The Central Thai Andaman Sea

• Intro to the Central Andaman

• Ao Phang Nga (Part I: Coast & estuary islands)

• Ao Phang Nga (Part II: Ko Tapu, Ko Phanak, Ko Chong Lat & other upper islands)

• Ao Phang Nga (Part III: Mu Ko Yao & Mu Ko Hong)

• Mu Ko Phuket (Part I: Main island)

• Mu Ko Phuket (Part II: Ko Racha & other outlying islands)

• Mu Ko Phi Phi & Mu Ko Poda

• Mu Ko Lanta & Ko Haa

• Krabi coast & offshore islands (Part I: Mueang Krabi, Railay, Ao Nang & Khlong Mueang)

• Krabi coast & offshore islands (Part II: Mu Ko Si Boya, Nuea Khlong & Khlong Thom)

Chapter 4: The Southern Thai Andaman Sea

• Intro to the Southern Andaman

• Mu Ko Libong & Ko Rok

• Trang coast & offshore islands

• Ko Sukorn & Mu Ko Phetra

• Mu Ko Bulon & Mu Ko Khao Yai

• Mu Ko Adang & Ko Khai

• Ko Tarutao & Mu Ko Sarai

• Satun coast & offshore islands

Chapter 5: The Deep Southern Gulf of Thailand

• Intro to the Deep Southern Gulf

• Songkhla Lake region (Part I: Lake islands)

• Songkhla Lake region (Part II: Mueang Songkhla & Sathing Phra Isthmus)

• Songkhla Lake region (Part III: Phatthalung)

• Lower Songkhla coast & islands

• Pattani coast & islands

• Narathiwat coast & islands

Chapter 6: The Mid Southern Gulf of Thailand

• Intro to the Mid Southern Gulf

• Mu Ko Samui (Part I: Ko Samui & Ko Taen)

• Mu Ko Samui (Part II: Ko Phangan & Ko Tao)

• Mu Ko Ang Thong

• Surat Thani coast & offshore islands

• Nakhon Si Thammarat coast & islands (Part I: Khanom & Sichon)

• Nakhon Si Thammarat coast & islands (Part II: Ko Kra, Mueang Nakhon, Tha Sala, Pak Phanang & Khao Luang)

• Mu Ko Chumphon

• Chumphon coast & offshore islands (Part I: Mu Ko Wiang & Pathio)

• Chumphon coast & offshore islands (Part II: Mueang Chumphon, Sawi, Lang Suan & Ko Phitak)

Chapter 7: The Upper Gulf of Thailand (Bay of Bangkok)

• Intro to the Upper Gulf

• Mu Ko Samae San, Ko Khram & Ao Sattahip group

• Ko Si Chang, Ko Larn & Mu Ko Phai

• Chonburi coast & offshore islands (Part I: Mueang Chonburi, Si Racha & Pattaya)

• Chonburi coast & offshore islands (Part II: Sattahip)

• Samut coasts (Part I: Samut Songkhram & Samut Sakhon)

• Samut coasts (Part II: Bang Khun Thian, Samut Prakan & Chachoengsao)

• Phetchaburi coast

• Prachuap Khiri Khan coast & islands (Part I: Hua Hin, Pranburi, Sam Roi Yot & Kuiburi)

• Prachuap Khiri Khan coast & islands (Part II: Mueang Prachuap & Thap Sakae)

• Prachuap Khiri Khan coast & islands (Part III: Bang Saphan & Ko Thalu)

Chapter 8: The Eastern Gulf of Thailand

• Intro to the Eastern Gulf

• Mu Ko Chang

• Trat coast & offshore islands

• Chanthaburi coast & islands

• Mu Ko Samet & Ko Mun

• Rayong coast & offshore islands

Appendix I: So how many islands are in Thailand?

Appendix II: All Thai islands & coastal areas from A-Z

How to use this guide

My hope with the T.I.C.D. is that you’ll be able to glance at the entry for a given island or mainland area and almost effortlessly surmise, based on your own interests and preferences, whether it might be worth a look — or if it can be given a pass.

How is that achieved? Via the careful deployment of hundreds of descriptive “tag” words or phrases, each conveying vital info ranging from the factual (“Provincial bus stop” for ex.) to the subjective (“Alternative”). Others include “Primarily day visits,” “Campground,” “Mass tourism” and “Coffee by the river.”

Think of each tag as strokes of a brush creating a basic picture of what each island / area is like without burying you in paragraph after paragraph.

Joining the tags are often parentheses containing more specifics about an island or area. So beside the tag “Waterfalls,” you might see the names of all the waterfalls (Namtok Khlong Yai for ex.) found on a given island. Or, for “Loud beach parties,” you’ll learn which beaches might host them, in case thumping techno at 2:00 a.m. is just what you’re after — or exactly what you want to avoid.

As promised, the Thai Island & Coastal Directory includes every Thai island that I know of. The names of all islands that contain at least some facilities (toilets and perhaps a homestay and/or national park station at minimum) are in bold font. Mid- to high-level popularity islands / areas, for their part, are in a larger font.

Islands with no facilities are listed in plain, unbolded font. Don’t ignore all of them, though, especially if you’re into diving, snorkeling or kayaking.

Twin and triplet islands are often presented in a single entry via the use of slash marks (/), a format used often for islands that have the words nai (‘inner’), klang (‘middle’) and/or nok (‘outer’); as well as yai (large), noi / lek (small); or nuea (north) and tai (south). (Examples: Ko Rok Nai / Nok, or Ko Lidi Yai / Lek.) If you see a plus sign (+), it indicates an islet or speck that accompanies an island.

A few abbreviations are also used, namely A for amphoe (district), NP for national park, WLS for wildlife sanctuary, FP for forest park, and N, S, E, W, SW, NW, SE, NW for location info.

As you browse the entries, you’ll pick up vital info about a whole bunch of islands and coastal areas quickly. Over time, as more chapters are released, you’ll grasp the big picture of coastal Thailand as 1,000+ islands come into view in a single guide. Particularly if you’re into seeing what coastal Thailand has in store beyond the major tourism areas, I reckon the T.I.C.D. will come in mighty handy.

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Thank you for reading the Thai Island & Coastal Directory from Thai Island Quest, an independent e-newsletter sharing the beauty, challenges and distinctive identities of Thailand’s islands and shorelines. Yes, all of them.

Copyright, David Luekens: All rights reserved.