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58-532: Surat Thani ( Thai : สุราษฎร์ธานี , pronounced [sù.râːt tʰāː.nīː] ), often shortened to Surat , is the largest of the southern provinces ( changwat ) of Thailand . It lies on the western shore of the Gulf of Thailand . Surat Thani means 'city of good people', a title given to the city by King Vajiravudh (Rama VI); Surat Thani is therefore the sole province in Southern Thailand for which

116-411: A dialect continuum . Thai language is spoken by over 69 million people (2020). Moreover, most Thais in the northern (Lanna) and the northeastern (Isan) parts of the country today are bilingual speakers of Central Thai and their respective regional dialects because Central Thai is the language of television, education, news reporting, and all forms of media. A recent research found that the speakers of

174-565: A second language among the country's minority ethnic groups from the mid-late Ayutthaya period onward. Ethnic minorities today are predominantly bilingual, speaking Thai alongside their native language or dialect. Standard Thai is classified as one of the Chiang Saen languages—others being Northern Thai , Southern Thai and numerous smaller languages, which together with the Northwestern Tai and Lao-Phutai languages, form

232-735: A conundrum for the British East India Company in Malaya, which incorrectly assumed the European model of exclusive sovereignty (or suzerainty) over territories. With the Thesaphiban reform of Prince Damrong Rajanubhab at the end of the 19th century the kingdom was finally fully absorbed into Siam. A new administrative entity named monthon (circle) was created, each supervising several provinces. Monthon Nakhon Si Thammarat , established in 1896, covered those areas on

290-533: A four-way distinction among stops and affricates . The maximal four-way occurred in labials ( /p pʰ b ʔb/ ) and denti-alveolars ( /t tʰ d ʔd/ ); the three-way distinction among velars ( /k kʰ ɡ/ ) and palatals ( /tɕ tɕʰ dʑ/ ), with the glottalized member of each set apparently missing. The major change between old and modern Thai was due to voicing distinction losses and the concomitant tone split . This may have happened between about 1300 and 1600 CE, possibly occurring at different times in different parts of

348-533: A long history of human habitation, dating back to prehistoric times. It was initially inhabited by indigenous Semang and Malayan tribes. In the 3rd century, the area came under the influence of the Srivijaya kingdom, a powerful entity that controlled much of the Malay Peninsula until the 13th century. The city of Chaiya , located in modern-day Surat Thani, is home to several archaeological ruins from

406-692: A mix of grassland, rubber trees, palm oil trees, and coconut plantations. To the west lie the limestone mountains of the Phuket range , largely enveloped in forest, home to the renowned Khao Sok National Park . The eastern part of the province sees the commencement of the Nakhon Si Thammarat (or Bantat) mountain range, a portion of which is preserved within Tai Rom Yen National Park . The total forest area in Surat Thani

464-532: A particular animal. M.C. Chand Chirayu Rajani identified 11 of the 12 cities and their associated zodiac emblems with the following locations on the Malay Peninsula: Narathiwat ( Rat ), Pattani ( Ox ), Kelantan ( Tiger ), Kedah ( Dragon ), Phattalung ( Snake ), Trang ( Horse ), Chumphon ( Goat ), Krabi ( Monkey ), Tha Chana ( Rooster ), Phuket ( Dog ), Kraburi ( Pig ). The exact location of Mueang Pahang , identified with

522-441: A pivotal role in the economy of Surat Thani. In 2018, the province generated a significant revenue of 64 billion baht from tourism activities. This figure represented 63 percent of the total tourism income for Surat Thani, with a substantial portion attributable to its island destinations. These include popular tourist spots such as Ko Samui , Ko Pha Ngan , Ko Tao , and Mu Ko Ang Thong National Park , which are major contributors to

580-530: A syllable that formerly began with a voiceless consonant (including glottalized stops). An additional complication is that formerly voiceless unaspirated stops/affricates (original /p t k tɕ ʔb ʔd/ ) also caused original tone 1 to lower, but had no such effect on original tones 2 or 3. The above consonant mergers and tone splits account for the complex relationship between spelling and sound in modern Thai. Modern "low"-class consonants were voiced in Old Thai, and

638-576: Is a Tai language of the Kra–Dai language family spoken by the Central Thai , Mon , Lao Wiang , Phuan people in Central Thailand and the vast majority of Thai Chinese enclaves throughout the country. It is the sole official language of Thailand . Thai is the most spoken of over 60 languages of Thailand by both number of native and overall speakers. Over half of its vocabulary

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696-497: Is a list of rulers of Nakhon Si Thammarat. The english terms "governor" and "province" are translations used by Stuart Munro-Hay in his book. However, there is strong evidence that both the rulers themselves and European powers regarded these rulers as kings in their own right. The Siamese term for Nakhon Si Thammarat changes over time. In the Palatine Law of 1458, it is a prathetsarat (often translated as tributary state) and

754-645: Is approximately 3,764 km (1,453 sq mi), accounting for 28.8 percent of the province's area. Several islands in the Gulf of Thailand are part of Surat Thani, including popular tourist destinations such as Ko Samui , Ko Pha Ngan and Ko Tao , as well as the Ko Ang Thong Marine National Park. The province is also defined by its main waterways, the Tapi River and the Phum Duang River , which converge near

812-523: Is derived from or borrowed from Pali , Sanskrit , Mon and Old Khmer . It is a tonal and analytic language . Thai has a complex orthography and system of relational markers . Spoken Thai, depending on standard sociolinguistic factors such as age, gender, class, spatial proximity, and the urban/rural divide, is partly mutually intelligible with Lao , Isan , and some fellow Thai topolects . These languages are written with slightly different scripts, but are linguistically similar and effectively form

870-667: Is divided into 19 districts ( amphoes ), which are further divided into 131 subdistricts ( tambons ) and 1,028 villages ( mubans ). As of 26 November 2019 there are: one Surat Thani Provincial Administration Organisation ( ongkan borihan suan changwat ) and 40 municipal ( thesaban ) areas in the province. Surat Thani and Ko Samui have city ( thesaban nakhon ) status. Tha Kham, Na San and Don Sak have town ( thesaban mueang ) status. Further 35 subdistrict municipalities ( thesaban tambon ). The non-municipal areas are administered by 97 Subdistrict Administrative Organisations - SAO ( ongkan borihan suan tambon ). For national elections,

928-489: Is renowned for its unique local products, notably the hand-woven silk cloth originating from the coastal village of Phum Riang in the Chaiya District . This district is also celebrated for producing red eggs, a regional delicacy. For this specialty, ducks are fed a diet of crabs and fish, and their eggs are subsequently preserved in a mixture of soil and salt, lending them a distinctive flavor and color. Tourism plays

986-592: The Monthon Chumphon was relocated the city from Chaiya to Bandon . During a visit by King Vajiravudh (Rama VI) on 29 July 1915, Bandon was renamed Surat Thani , a change possibly inspired by the major port city of Surat in Gujarat , India . Concurrently, the Monthon was also renamed Surat. In 1926, this Monthon was abolished and integrated into Monthon Nakhon Si Thammarat. Following the dissolution of

1044-466: The Northern Thai language (also known as Phasa Mueang or Kham Mueang) have become so few, as most people in northern Thailand now invariably speak Standard Thai, so that they are now using mostly Central Thai words and only seasoning their speech with the "Kham Mueang" accent. Standard Thai is based on the register of the educated classes by Central Thai and ethnic minorities in the area along

1102-638: The Rabbit , is unknown. However, there is no historic evidence that Nakhon Si Thammarat actually controlled these cities. Other reports from that period rarely describe Ligor as having any special role on the Malay Peninsula. The account in the chronicles seems to reflect the Siamese (Thai) claims to suzerainty over the Malay regions of the south during the mid- Ayutthaya period . The following table

1160-521: The Southwestern branch of Tai languages . The Tai languages are a branch of the Kra–Dai language family , which encompasses a large number of indigenous languages spoken in an arc from Hainan and Guangxi south through Laos and Northern Vietnam to the Cambodian border. Standard Thai is the principal language of education and government and spoken throughout Thailand. The standard is based on

1218-560: The Tambralinga kingdom (existing c. 10th to 13th century) as a precursor of Nakhon Si Thammarat. During the late 1st and early 2nd millennium CE, Tai peoples expanded in mainland Southeast Asia. By the 13th century, they made Nakhon Si Thammarat one of their mueang (city-states). The exact circumstances of the Tai taking over the earlier Buddhist and Indianised kingdom at this location remain unclear, but it must have taken place before

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1276-584: The Tapi River in Surat , located in the southern region of Gujarat, India. During the Japanese invasion of Thailand on 8 December 1941, the administrative building in Surat Thani was destroyed amidst the conflict that engulfed the city. The building was eventually reconstructed in 1954. However, on 19 March 1982, the building was targeted in a bombing by communist insurgents, resulting in its destruction and

1334-491: The fall of Ayutthaya in 1767, Nakhon Si Thammarat again enjoyed a short period of independence, including its subordinate provinces on the Malay Peninsula, but was subdued by Taksin in 1769 on his mission to reunite Siam . Under Rama I , the rank of the Lord of Nakhon Si Thammarat was demoted from a vassal ruler to a mere governor of a first-class province and his control over the northern Malay sultanates (including Patani )

1392-437: The pagoda of Wat Phra Borommathat Chaiya , a historic structure believed to have been constructed approximately 1,200 years ago. The design of the provincial flag incorporates the image of this pagoda, set against a background divided horizontally with orange on the top half and yellow on the bottom. Surat Thani's provincial flower is the bua phut ( Rafflesia kerrii ), noted for being a parasitic plant that produces some of

1450-537: The Ayutthaya kingdom. Nevertheless, it maintained its own dynasty and had vassal states of its own, which it mediated to Ayutthaya (again a typical feature of the Mandala model with its tiered levels of power). Under king Naresuan (r. 1590–1605) it became instead a "first class province" ( mueang ek ). However, the post of provincial governor was still quasi-hereditary and usually handed down from father to son within

1508-527: The GPP per capita was 125,651 baht (US$ 3,695.62). These figures indicate a GPP growth rate of 8.37 percent and a per capita growth rate of 6.98 percent. Agriculture plays a significant role in Surat Thani's economy. The province is noted for its production of coconuts and rambutan. In the case of coconuts, they are often harvested by specially trained monkeys, predominantly pig-tailed macaques ( Macaca nemestrina ). The most renowned training center for these monkeys

1566-555: The Khmer system first before the Thai borrowed. Old Thai had a three-way tone distinction on "live syllables" (those not ending in a stop), with no possible distinction on "dead syllables" (those ending in a stop, i.e. either /p/, /t/, /k/ or the glottal stop that automatically closes syllables otherwise ending in a short vowel). There was a two-way voiced vs. voiceless distinction among all fricative and sonorant consonants, and up to

1624-480: The Srivijaya period, indicating its historical significance. There is a belief among some Thai historians that Chaiya may have served as a regional, or possibly even the primary capital of the Srivijaya kingdom, although this assertion remains a subject of scholarly debate. Another notable settlement from this era was Wiang Sa , which also played a significant role during the time of Srivijaya's dominance. Following

1682-491: The Thai-speaking area. All voiced–voiceless pairs of consonants lost the voicing distinction: However, in the process of these mergers, the former distinction of voice was transferred into a new set of tonal distinctions. In essence, every tone in Old Thai split into two new tones, with a lower-pitched tone corresponding to a syllable that formerly began with a voiced consonant, and a higher-pitched tone corresponding to

1740-469: The center of Buddhism". This slogan reflects several unique aspects of the province: its numerous islands, the local specialty of tasty rambutan fruits, the abundance of large shellfish, notably oysters , and the cultural significance of salted duck eggs known locally as "red eggs". The reference to the "center of Buddhism" highlights important religious sites within the province, including Wat Phra Borommathat Chaiya and Suan Mokkhaphalaram . The province

1798-471: The cities acted as an outer shield , surrounding the capital Nakhon Si Thammarat (Ligor), and were connected by land so that help could be sent from one city to another in the event of surprise attacks. The Thai term naksat (from Sanskrit nakshatra ) refers to the lunar calendar system with a duodenary cycle of years ( Pi Naksat ) , based on the Chinese zodiac , with each year being associated with

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1856-553: The decline of the Srivijaya kingdom, the region was partitioned into the cities ( mueang ) of Chaiya, Thatong (present-day Kanchanadit ), and Khirirat Nikhom. Chaiya was governed directly from the Thai capital, whereas Thatong and Khirirat Nikhom came under the jurisdiction of the Nakhon Si Thammarat Kingdom . In 1899, these cities were amalgamated to form a single province named Chaiya. In 1915, significant administrative changes occurred. The capital city of

1914-545: The dialect of the central Thai people, and it is written in the Thai script . Hlai languages Kam-Sui languages Kra languages Be language Northern Tai languages Central Tai languages Khamti language Tai Lue language Shan language others Northern Thai language Thai language Southern Thai language Tai Yo language Phuthai language Lao language (PDR Lao, Isan language ) Thai has undergone various historical sound changes. Some of

1972-583: The east coast of the peninsula, i.e. the provinces Songkhla , Nakhon Si Thammarat and Phatthalung . According to the 16th-century Southern Thai Chronicles of Nakhon Si Thammarat and the Chronicles of Phra That Nakhon , Nakhon Si Thammarat was surrounded by a chain of 12 inter-linked cities, or Mueang , on the Malay Peninsula , called the Naksat cities ( Thai : เมือง ๑๒ นักษัตร RTGS :  Mueang Sip-Song Naksat ). According to these accounts,

2030-756: The largest flowers among all plant species. The provincial tree is identified as the ton kiam ( Cotylelobium melanoxylon ). The Rafflesia flower, can be found in Khao Sok National Park in Surat Thani. Asian green arowana ( Scleropages formosus ) is the provincial aqualtic life because the Cheow Lan Lake in the Rajjaprabha Dam , part of Khao Sok National Park, is the last natural habitat in Thailand for this endangerous living fossil freshwater fish. In addition, this species of fish

2088-528: The local patois as pronounced in Guangdong Ayutthaya , the old capital of Thailand from 1351 - 1767 A.D., was from the beginning a bilingual society, speaking Thai and Khmer . Bilingualism must have been strengthened and maintained for some time by the great number of Khmer-speaking captives the Thais took from Angkor Thom after their victories in 1369, 1388 and 1431. Gradually toward the end of

2146-477: The mid-13th century. The Ramkhamhaeng stele of 1283 (or 1292) lists Nakhon Si Thammarat as the southernmost tributary kingdom of Sukhothai, probably ruled by Sri Thammasokaraj , a relative of King Ram Khamhaeng . Nakhon Si Thammarat's Buddhist Theravada tradition was a model for the whole Sukhothai kingdom. Exemplary for the Southeast Asian Mandala model , the dependency towards Sukhothai

2204-556: The monthon system in 1933, Surat Thani was established as a first-level administrative division, gaining the status of a province. The administrative headquarters of Surat Thani Province were originally housed in a building located in Tha Kham, within the Phunphin District . Before World War II , the administrative center was relocated to the city of Surat Thani, situated along the Tapi River. This river shares its name with

2262-551: The most significant changes occurred during the evolution from Old Thai to modern Thai. The Thai writing system has an eight-century history and many of these changes, especially in consonants and tones, are evidenced in the modern orthography . According to a Chinese source, during the Ming dynasty , Yingya Shenglan (1405–1433), Ma Huan reported on the language of the Xiānluó (暹羅) or Ayutthaya Kingdom, saying that it somewhat resembled

2320-431: The native name is in the Central Thai language . Surat Thani Province, located in Thailand, is bordered by the provinces of Chumphon to the north, Nakhon Si Thammarat to the east, Krabi to the south, Phang Nga to the southwest, and Ranong to the northwest. The geographic landscape of Surat Thani is diverse. The central region of the province is dominated by the coastal plain of the Tapi River , characterized by

2378-479: The new king Prasat Thong . The usurper sent the influential Japanese adventurer Yamada Nagamasa with his mercenary force to quell the rebellion and made him governor and lord of Nakhon Si Thammarat for a short time. Another insurrection of Nakhon Si Thammarat against the capital took place after the Siamese revolution of 1688 when the local ruler refused to accept the accession of usurper king Phetracha . After

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2436-509: The old Nakhon Si Thammarat dynasty. It was the most important among Ayutthaya's southern provinces and enjoyed a primacy vis-à-vis the other provinces on the Malay Peninsula. Its role in overseas trade (involving Dutch and Portuguese merchants) resulted in the province's substantial wealth and contributed to a high level of confidence and claim of autonomy. During the Ayutthayan succession conflict of 1629, Nakhon Si Thammarat rebelled against

2494-415: The period, a language shift took place. Khmer fell out of use. Both Thai and Khmer descendants whose great-grand parents or earlier ancestors were bilingual came to use only Thai. In the process of language shift, an abundance of Khmer elements were transferred into Thai and permeated all aspects of the language. Consequently, the Thai of the late Ayutthaya Period which later became Ratanakosin or Bangkok Thai,

2552-444: The province is divided into two constituencies, each eligible to elect three members of parliament. According to the 2008 census, Surat Thani Province recorded a Gross Provincial Product (GPP) of 132,637.3 million baht (approximately US$ 4,019.31 million). The GPP per capita was reported to be 134,427 baht (around US$ 4,073.54). This marked an increase from the 2007 census, where the GPP was 122,398 million baht (US$ 3,599.94 million) and

2610-631: The province's tourism sector. Since 2003, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Thailand has tracked progress on human development at sub-national level using the Human achievement index (HAI), a composite index covering all the eight key areas of human development. National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) has taken over this task since 2017. 9°8′0″N 99°19′54″E  /  9.13333°N 99.33167°E  / 9.13333; 99.33167 Thai language Thai , or Central Thai (historically Siamese ; Thai: ภาษาไทย ),

2668-519: The ring surrounding the Metropolis . In addition to Central Thai, Thailand is home to other related Tai languages . Although most linguists classify these dialects as related but distinct languages, native speakers often identify them as regional variants or dialects of the "same" Thai language, or as "different kinds of Thai". As a dominant language in all aspects of society in Thailand, Thai initially saw gradual and later widespread adoption as

2726-492: The royal vocabulary according to their immediate environment. Thai and Pali, the latter from Theravada Buddhism, were added to the vocabulary. An investigation of the Ayutthaya Rajasap reveals that three languages, Thai, Khmer and Khmero-Indic were at work closely both in formulaic expressions and in normal discourse. In fact, Khmero-Indic may be classified in the same category as Khmer because Indic had been adapted to

2784-406: The ruler entitled a chao phraya (one of the highest non-royal titles ). During the reign of Naresuan, the title prathetsarat was abandoned and Nakhon became a first-class "city". Again, the translation "city" is misleading and comes from the Thai mueang , which is also used for the capital of Siam, Ayutthaya. Official titles for cities and rulers in pre-modern Siam is complex. We know Nakhon

2842-535: The terminology "low" reflects the lower tone variants that resulted. Modern "mid"-class consonants were voiceless unaspirated stops or affricates in Old Thai—precisely the class that triggered lowering in original tone 1 but not tones 2 or 3. Modern "high"-class consonants were the remaining voiceless consonants in Old Thai (voiceless fricatives, voiceless sonorants, voiceless aspirated stops). The three most common tone "marks" (the lack of any tone mark, as well as

2900-430: The three tones of Old Thai were split have since merged into five in standard Thai, with the lower variant of former tone 2 merging with the higher variant of former tone 3, becoming the modern "falling" tone. หม ม หน น, ณ หญ ญ หง ง ป ผ พ, ภ บ ฏ, ต ฐ, ถ ท, ธ ฎ, ด จ ฉ ช Nakhon Si Thammarat Kingdom Most historians identify

2958-693: The town of Tha Kham before emptying into Bandon Bay . The delta formed by these rivers, known locally as Nai Bang (ในบาง), is situated directly north of Surat Thani city. This delta features a network of channels interspersed with small islands, predominantly covered by mangroves and orchards. There are a total of eight national parks, six of which are in region 4 (Surat Thani) and Hat Khanom–Mu Ko Thale Tai and Namtok Si Khit are in region 5 (Nakhon Si Thammarat) of Thailand's protected areas. There are two wildlife sanctuaries, along with five other wildlife sanctuaries, make up region 4 (Surat Thani) of Thailand's protected areas. The region of Surat Thani has

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3016-455: The tragic loss of five lives. Following this incident, a new provincial administration building was constructed at a different location, south of the city center. The site of the former provincial hall has since been repurposed and now hosts the city pillar shrine ( Lak Mueang ). This third and current administrative building continues to serve as the provincial government's headquarters. The provincial seal of Surat Thani prominently features

3074-423: The two marks termed mai ek and mai tho ) represent the three tones of Old Thai, and the complex relationship between tone mark and actual tone is due to the various tonal changes since then. Since the tone split, the tones have changed in actual representation to the point that the former relationship between lower and higher tonal variants has been completely obscured. Furthermore, the six tones that resulted after

3132-453: Was a thorough mixture of Thai and Khmer. There were more Khmer words in use than Tai cognates. Khmer grammatical rules were used actively to coin new disyllabic and polysyllabic words and phrases. Khmer expressions, sayings, and proverbs were expressed in Thai through transference. Thais borrowed both the Royal vocabulary and rules to enlarge the vocabulary from Khmer. The Thais later developed

3190-553: Was established by the late Somporn Saekhow . Rambutan cultivation in Surat Thani traces its roots back to 1926, initiated by Chinese Malay Mr. K. Vong in the Ban Na San District . The province celebrates its rambutan production with an annual fair held in early August, featuring a parade of elaborately decorated floats on the Tapi River. Additionally, rubber tree plantations are widespread throughout Surat Thani, contributing to its agricultural output. Surat Thani Province

3248-482: Was first bred in Thailand in 1988 by the Department of Fisheries . The hatchlings were from parents collected from the wild from nearby Khlong Saeng and Khlong Yan Wildlife Sanctuaries . The slogan of the province is "เมืองร้อยเกาะ เงาะอร่อย หอยใหญ่ ไข่แดง แหล่งธรรมะ" ( Mueang roi ko, ngo aroi, hoi yai, khai daeng, laeng thamma ), which translates to "city of 100 islands, delicious rambutan, big shells, red eggs,

3306-599: Was only personal, not institutional. Therefore, after Ram Khaemhaeng's death, Nakhon Si Thammarat regained its independence and became the dominant Thai mueang on the Malay Peninsula. In the Old Javanese Desawarnana document of 1365, the Majapahit kingdom recognised Nakhon Si Thammarat as belonging to Siam . The Palatine law of King Trailok dated 1468, listed Nakhon Si Thammarat as one of eight "great cities" ( phraya maha nakhon ) belonging to

3364-546: Was taken away, instead awarding them to the governor of Songkhla . Nakhon Si Thammarat was supervised by the Kalahom (Minister of the Southern provinces). In 1821 and 1831 however, kings Rama II and Rama III again tasked the governor of Nakhon Si Thammarat to quell rebellions in the Malay sultanate of Kedah . The tiered relationships between Bangkok, Nakhon Si Thammarat and the Malay sultanates of Kedah and Perak posed

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