Information by: TAT Trat Tourist Information Division (Tel. 0 2250 5500 ext. 2141-5) Designed & Printed by: Tourist Information Division, Marketing Services Department. The contents of this publication are subject to change without notice. 2012 Copyright. No commercial reprinting of this material allowed. August 2012 Trat Ko Kut 08.00-20.00 hrs. Everyday Tourist information by fax available 24 hrs. Website: www.tourismthailand.org E-mail: [email protected] Cover-Trat (Eng) im3.indd 1 11/9/12 10:42 PM TOURIST INFORMATION CENTRES TOURISM AUTHORITY OF THAILAND HEAD OFFICE 1600 Phetchaburi Road, Makkasan Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400 Tel : 0 2250 5500 (120 lines) Fax : 0 2250 5511 E-mail : [email protected] Website : www.tourismthailand.org MINISTRY OF TOURISM AND SPORTS 4 Ratchadamnoen Nok Avenue, Bangkok 10100 8.30 a.m. - 4.30 p.m. everyday TOURISM AUTHORITY OF THAILAND, TRAT OFFICE 100 Mu 1 Trat-Laem Ngop, Tambon Laem Ngop, Amphoe Laem Ngop, Trat 23120 Tel : 0 3959 7259-60 Fax : 0 3959 7255 Email : [email protected] Areas of Responsibility : Trat and its Islands Updated August 2012 Ko Chang Kayak at Ko Kut Cover-Trat (Eng) im3.indd 2 11/9/12 10:42 PM CONTENTS HOW TO GET THERE 7 ATTRACTIONS 10 Amphoe Mueang Trat 10 Amphoe Khlong Yai 18 Amphoe Khao Saming 20 Amphoe Bo Rai 21 Amphoe Laem Ngop 22 Amphoe Ko Chang 23 Amphoe Ko Kut 32 GETTING TO KO CHANGE AND NEARBY ISLAND 38 EVENTS AND FESTIVALS 40 LOCAL PRODUCTS AND SOUVENIRS 43 Souvenir Shops 44 INTERESTING ACTIVITIES 44 Agrotourism Attractions 44 Ecotourism Attractions 48 Spas 52 EXAMPLES OF TOUR PROGRAMMES 54 TRAVEL TIPS 55 FACILITIES IN TRAT 51 Accommodation 58 Restaurants 87 Travel Agent 90 USEFUL CALLS 90 03-90 im3.indd 3 11/16/12 7:55 PM 4 Ban Salak Khok, Ko Chang TRAT 03-90 im3.indd 4 11/16/12 7:55 PM 5 Thai Term Glossary Amphoe : District Ao : Bay Ban : Village Hat : Beach Khao : Mountain Ko : Island Laem : Cape Maenam : River Mueang : Town or City Muko : Group of Islands (Archipelago) Namtok : Waterfall Phu : Mountain Pha : Cliff Tambon : Sub-district Tham : Cave Ubosot or Bot : Ordination hall in a temple Wihan : Image hall in a temple Wat : Temple Note : English spelling here given tries to approximate Thai pronunciation. Posted signs may be spelled differently. When seeking help from a Thai for direction, point to the Thai spellings given after each place name. Trat A small province at the eastern-most frontier bordering on Cambodia with the Khao Banthat mountain range forming a natural demarcation, Trat is a resort town with over fi fty large and small off -shore islands, long white sandy beaches and unspoiled coral ranges. It is also a major fruit-growing and fi shing area. About 315 kilometres from Bangkok and covering an area of 2,819 square kilometres, the province is administratively divided into the districts of Mueang Trat, Khao Saming, Laem Ngop, Khlong Yai and Bo Rai, and the sub-districts of Ko Chang and Ko Kut. History Trat is a seaport mostly suitable for mooring ships, loading goods, trade exchange, refi lling food and freshwater for ships. It is therefore a community site of Chinese merchants who travelled to trade. 03-90 im3.indd 5 11/16/12 7:55 PM 6 Trat was considered among the trade centre cities of Southeast Asia in the late Ayutthaya period. A lot of goods that were sent to sell overseas, especially forest things; such as, deer’s horns, animal hides, scented wood, and spices, were brought from the forest and mountainous zone of the eastern coast including Rayong, Chanthaburi, and Trat. Such goods were carried by river and along the Khao Saming Mountain to reach the mouth of the Gulf of Trat. In the independence war, King Taksin the Great chose Trat as a bumper outpost to provide food for the troops before he moved the naval army from Chanthaburi. In the reign of King Rama I the Great, Trat was still an important seaport, as it used to be in the Ayutthaya period. During the reign of King Rama III, Thailand fought in a war with Chao Anuwong, the ruler of Vientiane, who later took sides with Vietnam. Thailand and Vietnam were in confl ict and a war broke out in 1828. Trat was a site of gathering soldiers and food, and a military fortress and camp was established at Ban Laem Hin in the Gulf of Trat. In the reign of King Rama V the Great, France sent its naval troops to seize Chanthaburi in 1893 (Ro So 112), and returned it to Thailand in 1904 in exchange for Trat, covering from Laem Sing to Ko Kut, and Patchantakhirikhet (Ko Kong). Later, the Thai government came to realise that Trat was of strategic importance, and that most of the people there were Thai. However, with the intelligence of King Rama V the Great, France agreed to make a contract to return Trat and Dan Sai on the right bank of the Mekong River (when facing the mouth of the river) to Thailand in exchange for Battambong, Siem Reap, and Sri Sophon, on 23 March, 1906. The handover ceremony was performed by Phraya Maha Ammattayathipbodi, then Phraya Si Thep who held the position of Palat Thunchalong or Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, as the head of the delegation of the Thai government, and Monsieur Rousseau Residant as the head of the delegation of the French government at the Trat Provincial Hall, and the French troops were withdrawn on 6 July, 1907. During the Indochina War (1940-1941), France attempted to seize Trat again on 17 January, 1941, but the Thai navy fought 03-90 im3.indd 6 11/16/12 7:55 PM 7 back courageously to successfully save this strategic city of abundance. In 1978, there was a war in Cambodia, and a hundred thousand Khmers fl ed for their lives into Thailand through the Banthat Mountain Range, an eastern border. Highway 318 running parallel with the Banthat Mountain Range and the coastal line towards Amphoe Khlong Yai became a main strategic route. The war continued until 1986. After that, the path was transformed into a border trade route between Cambodia and Thailand, with the Hat Lek Border Market ending the boundary of Thailand and marking the starting point of travel to Ko Kong. The discovery of “red gems” or “Siamese rubies” in the area of Amphoe Bo Rai in 1971 caused a gems fever and people from all walks of life fl ocked here to try their luck. Prosperity in all aspects happened in Bo Rai and made it a big city being developed alongside with the town of Trat. Its former dense forest area became pitted, and when all precious stones were gone in 1991, Bo Rai was left a deserted city with only shops and buildings as a reminder of its fl ourishing economy in the past. BOUNDARIES North Chanthaburi and the Kingdom of Cambodia South The Gulf of Thailand East The Kingdom of Cambodia, bordered by the Banthat Mountains West Chanthaburi, bordered by the Welu River HOW TO GET THERE By Car : From Bangkok, take one of these three routes: 1. Motorway : Start at Km 0 at the Sri Nagarind-Ramkhamhaeng Intersection and drive onto the route Ban Bueng-Klaeng- Chanthaburi-Trat, a total distance of approximately 315 Kilometres 2. Bang Na-Chon Buri-Klaeng-Chanthaburi-Trat (Highway 344), a distance of approximately 318 Kilometres 3. Bang Na-Trat (Highway 3) passing Chon Buri-Rayong- Chanthaburi-Trat, a total distance of approximately 385 Kilometres 03-90 im3.indd 7 11/16/12 7:55 PM 8 By Bus : Bangkok (Ekkamai) Bus Terminal on Sukhumvit Road An air-conditioned bus, First Class (Po. 1), takes about 5 hours. The privately-owned bus operators include : Cherdchai Tour Company Limited, Bangkok Offi ce Tel. 0 2391 2237, 0 2391 2804, Trat Offi ce Tel. 0 3951 1062. Transport 99 Company Limited, Bangkok Offi ce Tel. 0 2537 0291 or Hotline Tel. 1409, Trat Offi ce Tel. 0 3951 1986. For a non air-conditioned bus service : contact the Public Relations Offi ce of the Bangkok (Ekkamai) Bus Terminal on Sukhumvit Road at Tel. 0 2391 2504, 0 2391 4164. Bangkok (Chatuchak) Bus Terminal on Kamphaeng Phet 2 Road An air-conditioned bus, First Class (Po. 1), takes about 5 hours. The privately-owned bus operators include : Cherdchai Tour Company Limited, Bangkok Offi ce Tel. 0 2391 2237, 0 2391 2804, Trat Offi ce Tel. 0 3951 1062. Transport 99 Company Limited, Bangkok Offi ce Tel. 0 2537 0291 or Hotline Tel. 1409, Trat Offi ce Tel. 0 3951 1986. Thana Kawi Transport Company Limited, Bangkok Offi ce Tel. 0 2936 3939, Trat Offi ce Tel. 0 3952 5222. By Commuter Van : There is a daily commuter van service from Victory Monument (Pong Lee Restaurant Side) and the Bangkok (Chatuchak) Bus Terminal on Kamphaeng Phet 2 Road during 05.00 a.m. - 07.00 p.m. It takes around 4 hours. For further details, contact Tel. 08 7835 7056. By Plane : The Bangkok Aviation Public Company Limited off ers daily fl ights between Bangkok and Trat. For further details, contact the Bangkok Office Tel. 0 2270 6699 or Hotline Tel. 1771, Trat Offi ce Tel. 0 3952 5767-8, or visit the website : www.bangkokair.com. In Trat, the airport is located in Amphoe Khao Saming. A shuttle bus service operated by the Bangkok Limousine Company Limited is available for tourists from the airport to the ferry pier to Ko Chang.