Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [526]
Air-con buses and minibuses to Khao Sok (two hours) can be booked through travel agencies and should cost no more than 100B. You can also catch certain Phuket-bound buses from the two bus terminals in town and ask to be let off at Khao Sok – a better option since some pushy minivan drivers double as touts for Khao Sok hotels.
TRAIN
When arriving by train you’ll actually pull into Phun Phin, a cruddy town approximately 14km west of Surat. From Phun Phin, there are buses to Phuket, Phang-Nga and Krabi – some via Takua Pa, a junction city further west. Transport from Surat moves with greater frequency, but it’s worth checking the schedule in Phun Phin first – you might luck out and save yourself a slow ride between towns. Buses in Phun Phin line up along a white wall with a Pepsi symbol just south of the station. Local orange buses chug between Phun Phin and Surat (a 25-minute ride) every 10 minutes, and cost 15B.
From Bangkok, fan/air-con fares cost 297/397B in 3rd class, 438/578B in 2nd-class seat, 498/758B for an upper 2nd-class sleeper and 548/848B for a lower 2nd-class sleeper. First-class sleepers cost 1279B. If you take an early evening train from Bangkok, you’ll arrive in the morning.
The train station has a 24-hour left-luggage room that charges 20B a day. The advance ticket office is open every day from 6am to 6pm (with a nebulous one-hour lunch break somewhere between 11am and 1.30pm).
Getting Around
Air-con vans to or from the Surat Thani airport cost around 70B per person and they’ll drop you off at your hotel. Buy tickets at travel agencies or the Thai Airways office (0 7727 2610; 3/27-28 Th Karunarat). All boat services to Samui depart from Don Sak (except the night ferry) and ticket prices include the price of the bus transfer.
To travel around town, srng·ta·ou cost 10B to 30B, while shm·lór (three-wheeled vehicles) charge between 30B and 40B.
Orange buses run from Phun Phin train station to Surat Thani every 10 minutes (15B, 25 minutes). For this ride, taxis charge 150B. Other taxi rates are posted just north of the train station (at the metal pedestrian bridge).
AROUND SURAT THANI
Return to beginning of chapter
Chaiya
pop 12,500
It’s hard to believe that Chaiya, a sleepy town 60km north of Surat Thani, was once an important seat of the Srivijaya Empire. These days, most foreigners who visit are on their way to the outstanding meditation retreats held at the progressive Suan Mokkhaphalaram monastery.
Surrounded by lush forest, Wat Suan Mokkhaphalaram (Wat Suanmokkh; www.suanmokkh.org), whose name means ‘the Garden of Liberation’, charges 1500B for a 10-day program that includes food, lodging and instruction (although technically the ‘teaching’ is free). Englishretreats begin on the first day of every month and registration takes place the night before. Founded by Ajan Buddhadasa Bhikkhu, arguably Thailand’s most famous monk, the temple’s philosophical teachings are ecumenical in nature, comprising Zen, Taoist and Christian elements, as well as the traditional Theravada schemata.
To reach the temple, located 7km outside of Chaiya, you can catch a 3rd-class local train from Phun Phin (10B to 20B, one hour), or catch a srng·ta·ou (40B to 50B, 45 minutes) from Surat’s Talat Kaset 2 bus terminal. If you’re heading to Surat Thani by train from Bangkok, you can get off before Surat Thani at the small Chaiya train station. Take a motorcycle taxi from the station for an additional 40B.
NAKHON SI THAMMARAT PROVINCE
While Surat Thani steals the show offering tourists the ultimate vacation paradises, Nakhon Si Thammarat tends to be a bigger hit for Thai travellers who relax along the fa·ràng-free shores and visit important wát in the provincial capital. The province also boasts Khao Luang National Park, a silence preserve known for its beautiful mountain and forest trails.
Return to beginning of chapter
AO KHANOM
Little Khanom, halfway between Surat Thani and Nakhon Si Thammarat,