T.I.C.D.: Phang Nga coast & offshore islands (Part I: Khuraburi & Takua Pa + Khao Sok)
The less-touristy northern shores of Phang Nga province and Southern Thailand's most popular mainland national park, condensed.
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Resuming Phang Nga province…
Phang Nga provincial coast, offshore islands & inland reaches
The 140-km W coast of Phang Nga stretches from Phuket in the S to Ranong up N, and in between its shores are split up almost equally between golden beaches and mangrove forests that taper into hidden estuaries and khlongs. The province also boasts a huge collection of islands reaching all the way from Ko Yao Yai in lower Ao Phang Nga to Ko Surin Nuea just shy of Myanmar.
Bits of two other provinces (Krabi and Surat Thani) fall into more than one of Thailand’s 7 coastal zones for the purposes of this project, but none contribute so heavily to two different zones as Phang Nga. The majority of Ao Phang Nga, including Mu Ko Yao and many of the other islands that dot this majestic bay, are classified as part of the Central Andaman with Krabi and Phuket. Then, Phang Nga’s inland reaches and its entire W coast — as well as Mu Ko Similan, Mu Ko Surin and Mu Ko Phra Thong — fall under the Northern Andaman alongside Ranong.
(Note: These are largely imaginary distinctions that I impose to help you make sense of coastal Thailand and so that I can efficiently structure this project. With that said, Phang Nga’s N reaches are in many ways more closely related to Ranong than to the far S parts of Phang Nga province including Ao Phang Nga.)
Khao Lak and Thai Mueang are closer to Phuket’s touristic pull and this partly explains why Khao Lak turned into such a major tourism destination, albeit with several quieter spots to choose from along its miles of beaches. Things get a lot sleepier N of Takua Pa as Ko Phra Thong, Ko Ra and Ko Kho Khao join at no less than 55 estuary islands that replace the beaches found further down the coast.
The provincial capital of this 4,171 sq. km province, Mueang Phang Nga, lies just N of Ao Phang Nga and thus falls under my Central Andaman coverage. Supporting trade and travel going back over a millennium, Takua Pa acts almost like a secondary capital for the northerly parts of Phang Nga province and is useful as a jumping off point for both Ko Kho Khao to the W and the Khao Sok NP region in the E.
Joining the marine NPs of Ao Phang Nga, Mu Ko Similan, and Mu Ko Surin, a minor WS was formed more recently to conserve the savannah interior of Ko Phra Thong along with Ko Ra’s jungle and nearby mangroves. On the mainland, Khao Lampi - Hat Thai Mueang and Khao Lak - Lam Ru NP both blend largely undeveloped beaches with mountains stacked near the coast. Then you have Si Phang Nga NP overseeing W parts of the contiguous jungle that also includes Khao Sok NP and Khlong Saeng WS, among other natural areas further E and N in Surat Thani province. Lastly, two wildlife sanctuaries — Namtok Song Phraek and Ton Pariwat — each proffer a hinterland waterfall near the borders of Surat Thani and Krabi.
Islands and coastal areas below are arranged roughly from N to S.