About Phang-Nga
 Location
The Phang-Nga province has and area of 4,170 sq. km, and is bordering Ranong province in the north, Suratthani and Krabi to the east and Phuket to the south. Phang Nga has also a very impressive coast line, including its pristine white beaches along the Andaman Sea to the west and south and the spectacular Phang Nga Bay to the south as well with its many incredible islands. Out west in the Andaman Sea there are also several groups of islands belonging to Phang Nga, including the Similan Islands and the Surin Islands. Some of these are home to indigenous people and some of the world’s best spots to go diving.
Agriculture
 Phang Nga is located in the couth of Thailand, just north of Phuket. Most of the province is covered by forest and jungle. Due to this region’s fertile soil, Phang Nga is mostly an agricultural province. The crop is rubber as well as palm oil and large plantations can be seen alone the major roads in the province. Other crops, such as rice, fruits and vegetables are also grown here. Large fish farms (prawns) can also be seen here.
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Tourism and Places of Interest
 Over the last 20 years or so, Phuket, its neighbor in the south, has emerged as a world famous tourism spot, attracting millions of visitors from every corner of the world. With its international airport located in the north of Phuket Island, visiting Phang Nga has become very easy indeed. As it will take only 15 minutes to drive from the airport into Phang Nga, this has also opened the way for this province to attract visitors. Some visitors also arrive by car or bus. Also, you can reach Phang Nga by train to Suratthani and a short trip by road to Phang Nga.
Today, many people are now talking about “Greater Phuket”, which also includes the many scenic spots for visitors in Phang Nga as well as neighboring Krabi. Tourism today is mostly located along most beaches facing west, the Andaman Sea, all the way from Phuket to Ranong, including the famous resort town of Kao Lak. This town was popular in the beginning with backpackers who thought Phuket had become too commercial and expensive. But as the popularity grew, many of the larger hotels also moved here and it became a competitor to many of the resorts in Phuket. Then, in December 2004, Kao Lak was hit by the tragic tsunami but has since been built up again. Today we can see large scale developments all along the coast line from Phuket and some draw comparisons to other world famous coast lines dotted with luxury resorts and multi million dollar mansions.
Some resorts are also located along Phang Nga Bay as well as on the many spectacular islands in the Bay, including:
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• Koh Yao Noi and Koh Yao Yai
Where you can stay on great resorts in a very relaxed atmosphere, but still enjoy an impressive infrastructure of roads, restaurants, a great selection of tours offered etc. Ever since these two islands got electricity a few years back, the government has invested large sums in roads, schools and hospitals etc.
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• Koh Kai
A group of small islands further south in the bay, close to Phuket. Here you can enjoy white sand beaches and clear waters with lots of corals and fish life. Due to its protective location near Phuket, you can enjoy swimming and snorkeling here year-round.
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• Koh Panyee
Every day thousands of visitors arrive here to enjoy lunch and also witness how the local people here live. The entire village here is built on stilts and is a spectacular sight!
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• James Bond Island
This spectacular island was made world famous in the movie “The Man with the Golden Gun” scale developments all along the coast line from Phuket and some draw comparisons to other world famous coast lines dotted with luxury resorts and multi million dollar mansions.In the Andaman Sea, especially the Similan Islands are popular with visitors who are looking for world class scuba diving. Also the Surin Islands are incredible as they are located far away from the coast line and there are no scheduled boat services to take you there.There are a lot of other places to visit throughout the province, simply too many to list here.
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• Surin Island
Situated in Tambon Ko Phra Thong and covering an area of 84,375 rais (33,750 acres), Mu Ko Surin is an archipelago of 5 islands: Ko Surin Nuea, Ko Surin Tai, Ko Ri, Ko Khai, and Ko Klang. It was declared a national park on July 9, 1981. The archipelago is located in the Andaman Sea, near the Thai-Burmese sea border, to the west coast of Thailand. There are beautiful and unspoilt coral reefs; the area is suitable for snorkelling. The best time to visit is from November to April.
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