The best waterfront delights in Surat Thani

Visitors seeking Thailand’s pristine southern beaches tend to skip the Surat Thani mainland in favor of the province’s blockbuster islands Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao. But they’re missing out. While the most beloved islands are popular for a reason, the unique pull of Surat Thani is unseen, ravishing beauty; less mainstream tourism; and the chance to interact more organically with locals.

Both a city and a province in the south of Thailand, Surat Thani is far enough from the well-trodden path that you can dive into off-the-grid life and experience culture shock in the best way possible. And don’t worry, this under-the-radar spot offers plenty of beaches and waterfront delights – from amazonite headwaters and saline hot springs to authentic riverside markets.

Here are some of Surat Thani’s most picturesque mainland attractions – and some unique places to stay when you are there.

1. Laemsai Camping Beach, Chaiya District

Hidden some 50 kilometers north of Surat Thani’s city center, Laemsai Camping Beach is a secret known only to locals. Visit, and you’ll instantly feel its laid-back vibe – think salty sea breeze, rippling dry grass, and waves washing onto a deserted shore, with the peace interrupted only by bleating goats and sheep that roam amidst bell tents. The owner Sompob Chuampai runs this campsite which is teeming with vigilant geese, dashing hens and docile cows, plus a handful of happy employees. Sweeping the tent floors, 57-year-old kitchen supervisor Auntie Uan says, “It’s quiet here; nothing to worry about. Feel relaxed.” In short, Laemsai is the perfect place to gather your thoughts and enjoy bonfires and barbecues, with fresh grilled scallops, shrimps and crabs every day.

2. Baan Nam Rad Headwater, Khiri Rat Nikhom District

Popular with families and honeymooning couples, the headwater of Baan Nam Rad boasts clear, turquoise mineral water from the nearby mountains. Eighty kilometers from the ocean, this freshwater basin is surrounded by lush green tropical vegetation in the middle of nowhere. Get past the food vendors selling spicy Thai dishes and local snacks, and you might spot queen crabs as the unmistakable boop-boop calls of crow pheasants grow louder. Busiest on sunny weekends when local kids splash and giggle in the cool, 0.5-meter-deep water, Baan Nam Rad is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm. Like canoeing? Paddle down the bubbling, four-kilometer-long headstream meandering through thick jungle and listen to the songs of grey-winged blackbirds.

3. Vibhavadi Waterfall, Vibhavadi District

Flowing into a tributary of Surat Thani’s Tapi River, Namtok Vibhavadi runs through Kaeng Krung National Park, with wild rapids perfect for whitewater rafting among the tropical rainforest. The nine-tier waterfall originates in the Dan Mountain Range, with level two being the most spectacular. Gushing down 20-meter-tall rocks, the fall is an intriguing place to snap pictures. Remember that the steep climb is only for sure-footed travelers, as the slippery, moss-covered logs won’t help you make it to tier two. Vibhavadi Waterfall splashes between stones at level one, feeding a milky-green pool where locals cool off in 20⁰C-cold water. If you bring a trash bag, you’re also welcome to picnic along the banks of the falls.

4. Saline Hot Springs, Tha Chang District

Looking to feel rejuvenated? Set amid pines and tropical almond trees, make a day trip from Surat Thani City to the saline hot springs, which are open around the clock, 365 days a year. Rich in minerals like salt and sulfur, these millennia-old, fissure-born springs are great stress- and pain-relievers and beneficial for the skin. Two shallow pools at the entrance feel like 40⁰C, and the third one – covered in a swirl of mist – is good to boil eggs in. Further down past the traces of lava is a natural pool the length of a football pitch. If its marshy soil doesn’t float your boat, starfish floating might. Listen to the calls of a greater coucal and leave the daily grind behind. Entry is free. 

5. Ton Toey Floating Bungalows, Ratchaprapha Dam, Baan Ta Khun District

Situated in a national park that began as a massive sandstone deposit 280 million years ago, Cheow Lan Lake’s floating bungalows belong on anyone’s wish list. Picture yourself in a bamboo bungalow that  gently shakes when people walk past, sitting in silence beneath a starlit sky, and enjoying rhythmic cricket sounds that lull you to sleep. Let the hours slip by tanning on logs, swimming in Khlong Pae Bay’s warm, 30-meter-deep emerald water and canoeing alone at dawn when happy gibbons test the music scale. Or dive into a cave adventure, gaping at bat colonies and marveling at stalactites that glisten as though covered by frost. Whatever appeals to you, the camel-shaped limestone giants – sculpted by the same tectonic shifts that birthed the Himalayas – will make you forget the day of the week.

6. Khao Teppitak Suspension Bridge, Baan Ta Khun District

A stone’s throw from Rajaprapha Dam sits the 1.45-meter-wide and some 40-meter-high suspension bridge of Khao Teppitak, spanning 120 meters. Framed by exotic fruit trees like longan, rambutan, or jackfruit that villagers own, the rope bridge straddles the Phrasaeng canal, whose water depth depends on the dam’s floodgates. Stepping on this rusty iron bridge that shakes when durian-filled sidecars cross it, will lead you to the nearby jungle. Think chirps of tailorbirds; fresh oxygen-rich air; the chirping of the cicadas growing louder; and the jaw-dropping view of the jungle-draped Heart Mountain, a name that derives from its shape. Enjoy being one with nature, smack in the middle of bubbling water and rainforest older than the Amazon. 

7. Pra Cha Rat Floating Market, Mueang Surat Thani District

Laid out in a maze of paths dotted with bamboo huts roofed with nipa palm leaves, Pra Cha Rat is planted in a steaming jungle 3.5-kilometer from the city center, open every Sunday. While only a few villagers pull up along the riverbank, the smiling residents of Bang Bai Mai sell southern desserts in over 220 stalls. Treat your sweet tooth the Thai way with kanom koh, sticky rice-flour dumplings covered in shredded coconut, or devour pleasantly smelling silver barb cakes, served lovingly in a tiny coconut leaf basket. Plus, the local boatman, Kai, drives community tourism, calmly navigating his row boat down a 450-meter-long, nipa palm-lined tunnel. He’s happy to tell stories that’ll help you understand life off the grid.

Ready for an adventure in Surat Thani? Fly directly to Surat Thani with Thai Airways and Thai Smile Airways.