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Southern Thailand
Southern Thailand (formerly Southern Siam and Tambralinga) is the southernmost cultural region of Thailand, separated from Central Thailand by the Kra Isthmus.
Southern Thailand is on the Malay Peninsula, with an area of around 70,714 km2 (27,303 sq mi), bounded to the north by Kra Isthmus, the narrowest part of the peninsula. The western part has highly steep coasts, while on the east side river plains dominate. The largest river in the south is the Tapi, in Surat Thani, which, together with the Phum Duang in Surat Thani, drains more than 8,000 km2 (3,100 sq mi), more than 10 percent of the total area of southern Thailand. Smaller rivers include the Pattani, Saiburi, Krabi, and the Trang. The largest lake in the south is Songkhla Lake (1,040 km2 (400 sq mi) altogether). The largest artificial lake is the Chiao Lan (Ratchaprapha Dam), occupying 165 km2 (64 sq mi) of Khao Sok National Park in Surat Thani. The total forest area is 17,964 km2 (6,936 sq mi) or 24.3 percent of provincial area.
Running through the middle of the peninsula are several mountain chains, with the highest elevation at Khao Luang, 1,835 m (6,020 ft), in Nakhon Si Thammarat province. Ranging from the Kra Isthmus to Phuket Island is the Phuket chain, which connects to the Tanao Si Mountain Range further north. Almost parallel to the Phuket chain but 100 km (60 mi) to the east is the Nakhon Si Thammarat, or Banthat, chain, which begins with Samui Island, Ko Pha-ngan, and Ko Tao in Surat Thani Province and ends at the Malaysian border at the Ko Ta Ru Tao archipelago. The border with Malaysia is formed by the Sankalakhiri range, sometimes sub-divided into the Pattani, Taluban, and Songkhla chain. At the Malaysian border, the Titiwangsa chain rises.
The limestone of the west coast has been eroded into many steep singular hills. The parts submerged by the rising sea after the Last Ice Age now form many islands, like the well-known Phi Phi Islands.[citation needed] Also well known is the so-called James Bond Island in Phang Nga Bay, featured in the movie The Man with the Golden Gun.
The population of the growing region is projected to be 9,156,000 in 2015, up from 8,871,003 in 2010 (census count and adjusted). Although those figures are adjusted for citizens who have left for Bangkok or who moved to the region from elsewhere, as well as registered permanent residents (residency was problematic in the prior 2000 census), the figure is still misleading.[citation needed] There are still a huge number of migrant or informal workers, temporary workers and even stateless people and a large expatriate population, which are not included.
Most of southern Thailand is in Tenasserim–South Thailand semi-evergreen rain forests ecoregion. The Peninsular Malaysian rain forests and Peninsular Malaysian montane rain forests ecoregions extend into southernmost Thailand along the border with Malaysia.
The Malay Peninsula has been settled since prehistoric times. Archeological remains were found in several caves, some used for dwellings, others as burial sites. The oldest remains were found in Lang Rongrien Cave, dating 38,000 to 27,000 years before present, and in the contemporary Moh Khiew cave.
In the first millennium, Chinese chronicles mention several coastal cities or city-states. No exact geographical locations were recorded and so the identification of these cities with later settlements is difficult. The most important of those states were Langkasuka, usually considered a precursor of the Patani Kingdom; Tambralinga, probably the precursor of the Nakhon Si Thammarat Kingdom, or P'an-p'an in Phunphin district, Surat Thani, probably located at the Bandon Bay Tapi River. The cities were highly influenced by Indian culture, and have adopted Brahman or Buddhist religion. When Srivijaya in Chaiya extended its sphere of influence, those cities became tributary states of Srivijaya. The city Chaiya in Surat Thani Province contains several ruins from Srivijaya times, and was probably a regional capital of the kingdom. Some Thai historians even claim that it was the capital of the kingdom itself for some time, but this is disputed.
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Southern Thailand
Southern Thailand (formerly Southern Siam and Tambralinga) is the southernmost cultural region of Thailand, separated from Central Thailand by the Kra Isthmus.
Southern Thailand is on the Malay Peninsula, with an area of around 70,714 km2 (27,303 sq mi), bounded to the north by Kra Isthmus, the narrowest part of the peninsula. The western part has highly steep coasts, while on the east side river plains dominate. The largest river in the south is the Tapi, in Surat Thani, which, together with the Phum Duang in Surat Thani, drains more than 8,000 km2 (3,100 sq mi), more than 10 percent of the total area of southern Thailand. Smaller rivers include the Pattani, Saiburi, Krabi, and the Trang. The largest lake in the south is Songkhla Lake (1,040 km2 (400 sq mi) altogether). The largest artificial lake is the Chiao Lan (Ratchaprapha Dam), occupying 165 km2 (64 sq mi) of Khao Sok National Park in Surat Thani. The total forest area is 17,964 km2 (6,936 sq mi) or 24.3 percent of provincial area.
Running through the middle of the peninsula are several mountain chains, with the highest elevation at Khao Luang, 1,835 m (6,020 ft), in Nakhon Si Thammarat province. Ranging from the Kra Isthmus to Phuket Island is the Phuket chain, which connects to the Tanao Si Mountain Range further north. Almost parallel to the Phuket chain but 100 km (60 mi) to the east is the Nakhon Si Thammarat, or Banthat, chain, which begins with Samui Island, Ko Pha-ngan, and Ko Tao in Surat Thani Province and ends at the Malaysian border at the Ko Ta Ru Tao archipelago. The border with Malaysia is formed by the Sankalakhiri range, sometimes sub-divided into the Pattani, Taluban, and Songkhla chain. At the Malaysian border, the Titiwangsa chain rises.
The limestone of the west coast has been eroded into many steep singular hills. The parts submerged by the rising sea after the Last Ice Age now form many islands, like the well-known Phi Phi Islands.[citation needed] Also well known is the so-called James Bond Island in Phang Nga Bay, featured in the movie The Man with the Golden Gun.
The population of the growing region is projected to be 9,156,000 in 2015, up from 8,871,003 in 2010 (census count and adjusted). Although those figures are adjusted for citizens who have left for Bangkok or who moved to the region from elsewhere, as well as registered permanent residents (residency was problematic in the prior 2000 census), the figure is still misleading.[citation needed] There are still a huge number of migrant or informal workers, temporary workers and even stateless people and a large expatriate population, which are not included.
Most of southern Thailand is in Tenasserim–South Thailand semi-evergreen rain forests ecoregion. The Peninsular Malaysian rain forests and Peninsular Malaysian montane rain forests ecoregions extend into southernmost Thailand along the border with Malaysia.
The Malay Peninsula has been settled since prehistoric times. Archeological remains were found in several caves, some used for dwellings, others as burial sites. The oldest remains were found in Lang Rongrien Cave, dating 38,000 to 27,000 years before present, and in the contemporary Moh Khiew cave.
In the first millennium, Chinese chronicles mention several coastal cities or city-states. No exact geographical locations were recorded and so the identification of these cities with later settlements is difficult. The most important of those states were Langkasuka, usually considered a precursor of the Patani Kingdom; Tambralinga, probably the precursor of the Nakhon Si Thammarat Kingdom, or P'an-p'an in Phunphin district, Surat Thani, probably located at the Bandon Bay Tapi River. The cities were highly influenced by Indian culture, and have adopted Brahman or Buddhist religion. When Srivijaya in Chaiya extended its sphere of influence, those cities became tributary states of Srivijaya. The city Chaiya in Surat Thani Province contains several ruins from Srivijaya times, and was probably a regional capital of the kingdom. Some Thai historians even claim that it was the capital of the kingdom itself for some time, but this is disputed.