The Gulf of Thailand, historically known as the Gulf of Siam, is a shallow inlet in the southwestern South China Sea, bounded between the southwestern shores of the Indochinese Peninsula and the northern half of the Malay Peninsula. It is around 800 km (500 mi) in length and up to 560 km (350 mi) in width, and has a surface area of 320,000 km2 (120,000 sq mi). The gulf is surrounded on the north, west and southwest by the coastlines of Thailand, on the northeast by Cambodia and the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam, and opens to the South China Sea in the southeast.
Phuket ; Thai: ภูเก็ต,, Malay: Bukit or Tongkah is one of the southern provinces (changwat) of Thailand. It consists of the island of Phuket, the country's largest island, and another 32 smaller islands off its coast. Phuket lies off the west coast of mainland Thailand in the Andaman Sea. Phuket Island is connected by the Sarasin Bridge to Phang Nga province to the north. The next nearest province is Krabi, to the east across Phang Nga Bay.
Chonburi is a province of Thailand (changwat) located in eastern Thailand. Its capital is also named Chonburi. Neighbouring provinces are Chachoengsao, Chanthaburi, and Rayong, while the Bay of Bangkok is to the west. Pattaya, a major tourism destination in Thailand, is located in Chonburi, along with Laem Chabang, the country's primary seaport. The population of the province has grown rapidly and now totals 1.7 million residents, although a large portion of the population is floating or unregistered. The registered population as of 31 December 2018 was 1.535 million.
Ko Samui, often locally shortened to Samui, is an island off the east coast of Thailand. Geographically in the Chumphon Archipelago, it is part of Surat Thani Province, though as of 2012, Ko Samui was granted municipal status and thus is now locally self-governing. Ko Samui, with an area of 228.7 square kilometres (88.3 sq mi), is Thailand's second largest island after Phuket. In 2018, it was visited by 2.7 million tourists.
Ko Pha-ngan is an island in the Gulf of Thailand in Surat Thani Province of southern Thailand. Ko Pha-ngan has two sister islands: the larger Ko Samui to the south and the smaller Ko Tao to the north.
Ko Tao is an island in Thailand and is part of the Chumphon Archipelago on the western shore of the Gulf of Thailand. It covers an area of about 21 km2. Administratively it is a subdistrict (tambon) of Ko Pha-ngan District (amphoe) of Surat Thani Province. As of 2006, its official population was 1,382. The main settlement is Ban Mae Haad.
Samui International Airport, also known as Ko Samui Airport or Koh Samui Airport, is a privately owned international airport on the island of Ko Samui in Thailand. It is located in the island’s Bo Phut subdistrict. The airport is roughly 2 km north of the main city and largest resort centre on the island, Chaweng. It was built by Bangkok Airways. Construction began in 1982 and the airport was officially opened in April 1989.
Great Buddha, Big Buddha, or Giant Buddha may refer to:
Ko Lan is one of the eastern seaboard islands of Thailand. Ko Lan lies 7.5 km from the nearest shore, Pattaya. "Ko Lan" is the name of the island in the Royal Thai General System of Transcription. It is also known as "Koh Larn" and "Ko Laan".
Wat Saen Suk or Wang Saen Suk Monastery Garden is a buddhist temple located in Bang Saen city, Chonburi province, Thailand. A popular tourist attraction, it is meant to describe and depict Naraka.
Ko Phaluai is the biggest island in the Mu Ko Ang Thong island group. It is inhabited by sea-gypsies who still earn a living from fishing.
Wat Khunaram is a Buddhist temple on the island of Ko Samui in Surat Thani Province, Thailand. It is most notable for being the shrine of "the Mummy Monk", Luang Pho Daeng, who died in 1973 and directed that his body be put on display as a reminder of the transience of human existence. It is located in the area between Na Muang and Hua Thanon on Thai route 4169, the main route around the island. It is 13 km southeast of Nathon, the island's "capital city" and main port, and 6 km west of the resort town of Lamai Beach.
Secret Buddha Garden, also known as Magic Garden and Heaven's Garden and Tarnim Magic Garden is a private sculpture park atop Pom Mountain, one of the highest peaks on the resort island of Ko Samui in Surat Thani Province, Thailand.
Wat Lamai is a Buddhist temple in the old part of Ban Lamai on the resort island of Ko Samui, Thailand. Located adjacent to a main bend in Thai Route 4161, the island's ring road, it has a museum of Buddhist artifacts and the history of Ko Samui and also has a cultural hall for public cultural events and other gatherings such as weddings and funerals.
Wat Plai Laem is a wat on the resort island of Ko Samui, Thailand. Like the nearby Wat Phra Yai or "Big Buddha Temple", it is a modern Buddhist temple. The temple's design incorporates elements of Chinese and Thai traditions and was in part designed by distinguished Thai artist Jarit Phumdonming. Its main statue, which is in Chinese style, is not of Gautama Buddha. It is a form of the bodhisattva of compassion and mercy, Avalokiteśvara, called Cundi. This form of the deity is known in Chinese as "Guanyin with eighteen arms".
Chak Phra is a Buddhist festival that is celebrated annually in Southern Thailand and Northern Malaysia. The name "Chak Phra" could be translated as “Pulling the Buddha”, “pulling of the Buddhist monks”, or “pulling of ceremonial Buddha image carriages”.
Wat Champa is an ancient Thai Buddhist temple in Bang Ramat Sub-District, Taling Chan District, Bangkok's Thonburi side.
Wat Bang Phli Yai Nai is a Thai Buddhist temple in the area of Bang Phli Yai Subdistrict, Bang Phli District, Samut Prakan Province, outskirts Bangkok.
The Koh Tao murders involved the deaths of two British tourists in Thailand in 2014. On 15 September, the bodies of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were found on Sairee Beach on the island of Koh Tao, between 4 and 5 am, a few hours after their deaths. Both victims had been hit several times on the head; Witheridge had been raped, and Miller had been drowned.
