Phang Nga

城市概覽

Phang Nga is a coastal province on the Andaman Sea with scenic forests and islands. The province offers superb natural beauty both onshore and underwater. Phang Nga is also the name of the city that serves as the provincial capital.

History Phang Nga was originally inhabited by small communities and named Kraphu-nga. During the reign of King Rama II, nearby areas (including Thalung, now known as Phuket) were occupied by the Burmese and so many people fled to Kraphu-nga. In 1824, Siamese troops defeated the Burmese and the invaders were expelled. King Rama III renamed the area Phang Nga and in 1933 the town was expanded to be a province.

People Phang Nga is a mix of Buddhists, Thai-Chinese, Muslims and even sea gypsies. The majority of the rural population is Muslim. Phang Nga, however, is free of religious tension and the populace live in peace and harmony. Outside of the provincial town, the rural folk speak with a thick Southern dialect which is difficult for even other Thais to understand. Given its ethnic mix, Phang Nga is always celebrating something, be it part of Thai Buddhist, Thai-Chinese or Thai-Islamic tradition. On the small island of Ko Surin is a community of Moken sea gypsies who still live their traditional lives as seafaring people. These sea gypsies speak Yawi dialect and are welcoming to tourists. However, just as is the case of the long-necked Karen in Mae Hong Son, some Moken complain that their village has come to resemble a human zoo with hoards of tourists walking around gawking at the villagers. Nevertheless, there are organised tours from Phang Nga which go there.

如何抵達

By car First route: From Bangkok, take Hwy 4, passing the provinces of Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chumphon, and Ranong, then drive straight to Phang Nga town. It is 788 km from Bangkok. The trip takes around 12 hours. Second route: From Bangkok, take Hwy 4 to Chumphon, from there, take Hwy 41 to Amphoe Tha Chang, then go straight to an intersection where a right turn is made to Hwy 401, keep driving to Amphoe Ban Ta Khun for about 50 km, and then take Hwy 415 for 30 km, take a right turn to Phang Nga town. Visitors travelling from Phuket should use Hwy 402, passing the Sarasin Bridge to Ban Khok Kloi, take a right turn to Amphoe Takua Thung. It is 87 km from Phuket. The journey takes around 1 hour and 30 minutes.

By plane There is no airport here. The closest are in Phuket, Krabi, or Surat Thani. From Krabi airport you do not have to go to the Krabi bus station to get a bus to Phang Nga, as the buses coming from the South pass by the airport on the highway. To catch a bus walk out to the highway (100m), cross over and go about 50m to the right where you will see a yellow shelter on the left side of the road. In May 2015 a bus (big and air conditioned) to the Phang Nga bus station cost 100 baht and passed by at 9:30am after waiting for less than half an hour. Make sure you hail down the bus. Frequency and times unfortunately unknown, so if this sounds too uncertain for you, make your way to the Krabi bus station and get a bus from there (price to Krabi bus station displayed inside the airport was 80 baht). Thai Airways operates Bangkok-Phuket flights daily. From Phuket, take a bus or rent a car to Phang Nga, about 58 km. For more information, call Thai Airways tel: 1566 or +66 2 2800060, +66 2 6282000 or Phuket office at tel. +66 76 360444. Bangkok Airways has daily flights connecting Phuket Airport with Pattaya and Ko Samui. For more information, contact their Bangkok office at Tel. +66 2 2655678. Reservations can be made at Tel. +66 2 2655555 or Phuket office T

當地交通

The most popular form of transport in Phang Nga is the songthaew. To get to and from other districts, there is a public, non-air-conditioned bus service or even cars for rent. For a day out on the islands, there are long-tailed boats for hire. You can use the songthaews for travel in the city. You can also rent a motorbike at M.T. Tour (Muang Thong Hotel: from the bus station, go to the exit, turn right at the main road, walk 100 m and it's on your left). If you have your own car or motorbike already, you still can go to MT Tour (+66 89 289 2566) to get a free detailed map of the area. In general, everything (tours, accommodation, food) in Phang Nga is cheaper than Phuket. It's not possible to rent a car in Phang Nga, but you can in Khao Lak, Krabi and Phuket.

必看景點

Heaven and Hell Cave (ถ้ำ้้ตาปาน) (Within the town itself, about 1 km back towards Krabi from the bus station. On Tapan Rd, some 200 m along, is a temple and a cave within easy walking distance). It is patterned after the Hindu tradition which is, to a point, prominent in Thai Buddhism. You will see statues of various gods including Ganesha, as well as virtues like the Three Wise Monkeys. The most prominent feature is the statues of souls suffering in hell. These are very graphic and quite similar in some ways to the medieval Christian images of the same. They cover an area of about an acre. On the way to the cave itself, you will pass to the right of the path, images of a judge and his two scribes who are judging. To the left of the path are two really scared souls with what looks like a potential executioner on either side of them. Some people may consider this rather over the top, but, it is their tradition and religion, so please respect. The cave itself is nothing much. You can climb up the structure on the right (steep steps) and get a really good view of Phang Nga Bay, and the surrounding mountains. Well worth a look. It is suggested that you leave 100 baht at the temple on the way out as an offering in respect of what you have seen. (updated Dec 2018) Wat Suwannakhuha (วัดสุวรรณคูหา) It is of historical and archaeological importance. Within the boundary of the temple is a mountain with numerous caves out of which one is also used as a temple and houses various manners of Buddha images. There are also royal monogram inscriptions on the walls of the cave. Ko Yao (เกาะยาว) covers an area of 137 square kilometres (34,000 acres). The majority of the population are Muslim. The island is made up of two large islands, Ko Yao Noi and Ko Yao Yai. Hat Khao Lak (ชายทะเลเขาหลัก), 32 km (20 mi) from Takua Pa, is a long beach along the Andaman Sea set beneath Khao Lak-Lam Ru National Park, parallel to the coast. Wat Rat Uppatham or Wat Bang Riang (วัดราษฎร์อุปถัมภ์ หรือ วั

體驗活動

Phang Nga has a beautiful landscape with many waterfalls, mountains, islands, rivers and hot springs. You can get a good map at M.T. Tour. Phang Nga has also special temples, each one with different characteristics. Attractions near the city are: The elephant mountain (temple), Sanong Manora waterfall, Somdet Phra Srinagarindra Park. Further away are: Namtok Lamru a 5-tiered waterfall, Khao Lak (beaches), Ko Similan National Park (diving & snorkelling), Ko Surin National Park (diving & snorkelling). There are also jungle tours with rafting and temple tours. Another great thing to do is community-based