Provinces

Yala (ยะลา) is a landlocked province in the Deep South of Thailand along the Malaysian border. It has many sparsely populated areas with high mountains, waterfalls, caves, dense jungle, and beautiful foggy mornings. An insurgency in the majority-Muslim province has led most foreign governments to advise their citizens against travel to Yala.

Trang (ตรัง) is a Southern Province with 200km of coastline along the Andaman Sea. There are a number of great beaches, islands, and a marine park all worth visiting. Trang sees less tourists than many other coastal provinces but is no less beautiful.

Surat Thani (สุราษฎร์ธานี) is a rural province in southern Thailand but within this province are some of the most beautiful islands, beaches and national parks in the country. There’s a lot to love about Surat Thani.

Songkhla (สงขลา) is a Southern Thai Province along the Gulf of Thailand and the Malaysian border. The boom town of Hat Yai is the largest city but not the provincial capital. Songkhla has some nice but quiet beaches and a few islands.

Satun (สตูล) is a Southern Thai Province along the Andaman Sea and bordering Malaysia. It is best known for the island of Koh Lipe, and contains two marine parks and a coastal national park with a large freshwater swamp.

Ranong (ระนอง) is one of the provinces along the Andaman Sea in Southern Thailand. It shares a northern border with Myanmar. Compared to the other provinces further south, Ranong gets few tourists, but it does have some quiet yet stunning islands, as well as a very nice marine park that can be visited in an island hopping day trip.

The largest island in Thailand, and contains 32 other islands within its waters. Phuket (ภูเก็ต) is one of the most popular destinations in Thailand for both expats and holiday makers.

Phatthalung (พัทลุง) is a Southern Thai Province without any coastline, though it does sit along the large Songkhla Lake. The province has a number of forested areas, wetlands, mountains, waterfalls, caves, and unique Southern Thai culture.

Phang Nga (พังงา) Province has coastline along the Andaman Sea to the west and Phang Nga Bay to the south. Many of the islands in the Bay are part of Phang Nga Province, as are the Similan and Surin Islands which boast the best scuba diving in Thailand. A national park along the coastline and mangrove forests of the Bay is a stunning place to visit and a boat trip or kayak expedition here should be on any bucket list.

Pattani (ปัตตานี) is a far Southern Province along the Gulf of Thailand. It has long stretches of beaches and a mountain range in the south with a national park and some nice waterfalls. The population is nearly 90% ethnic Malay Muslim with their own language and culture. Pattani is one of three Southern Provinces where an insurgency has caused most foreign embassies to recommend against non-essential travel.

Narathiwat (นราธิวาส) is a Southern Province along the Gulf of Thailand and the Malaysian border. There is very little tourism due to a long-running insurgency, and most nations warn their citizens against travel here. Narathiwat does have an interesting culture distinct from most of Thailand – the province is 80% Muslim and 80% speak Patani Malay as a first language.

Nakhon Si Thammarat (นครศรีธรรมราช) is a province rich in history and culture. Along with its luscious beaches, beautiful nature, picturesque waterfalls and fun activities, this is an ideal place to get an authentic taste of Thailand which is still very much untouched by tourists.

Krabi (กระบี่) boasts more than 100 different islands, including the famous Koh Phi Phi, but there’s more to Krabi than just beaches, it also hosts some of the most famous rock-climbing in the world and a city of approximately half a million people.

Chumphon (ชุมพร) is home to a marine park with a pretty stunning group of islands. There is also some good local-type tourism away from the coast, especially around river rafting. Chumphon is often passed through by travelers going by road from Bangkok to the Southern islands, but it’s definitely worth checking out.

Prachuap Khiri Khan (ประจวบคีรีขันธ์) is a long, narrow province along the the Southern Peninsula of Thailand. It is sandwiched between the Gulf of Thailand to the east, and Myanmar to the west. The coast features a number of long, sandy beaches, the best known of which is the resort town of Hua Hin. Prachuap also features mountainous national parks, caves, waterfalls, and good trekking opportunities.