Ko Pha Ngan (or Koh Phangan, Thai: เกาะพะงัน) is an island in the Gulf of Thailand in South East Thailand. Mopeds are a class of low-powered (typically under 50 cc displacement) motorized vehicle generally two or three wheeled Thai (th ภาษาไทย, transcription: phasa thai, transliteration:; pʰāːsǎːtʰāj is the national and An island (ˈaɪlənd or isle (/ˈaɪl/ is any piece of land that is completely surrounded by water in two dimensions above high tide and isolated from other significant The Gulf of Thailand (or Gulf of Siam) is a gulf that borders but is not part of the South China Sea ( Pacific Ocean) The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj It is famous for its full moon party at Haad Rin Beach and as a backpackers destination. The Full Moon Party is an all-night Beach Party that takes place in Haad Rin on the island of Ko Pha Ngan, Thailand on the night Haad Rin is a Peninsular Beach area and town on the southern tip of Ko Pha Ngan, an Island in the Gulf of Thailand. Ko Pha Ngan has two sister islands: the larger Ko Samui to the south and the smaller Ko Tao to the north. Ko Samui island of Surat Thani Province (or Koh Samui, เกาะสมุย is an Island off the east coast of the Kra Isthmus in Thailand Ko Tao (also often Koh Tao, เกาะเต่า lit "Turtle Island" is an Island in Thailand located near the eastern shore of the
- Area: about 168 km²
- Estimated perimeter: 50 km EST. (10hrs average walking time)
- Province: Surat Thani
- From mainland: about 55 km
- From Ko Samui: about 15 km
- From Ko Tao: about 35 km
- Population: 11,846 (2004)
- Main town: Thong Sala
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History
The Bronze Drum of Dongson Culture (500BC - 100BC) that was found on Ko Samui in 1977 is evidence that there were settlements of people on Ko Samui, Ko Pha Ngan, and their islets from more than two thousand years ago. Surat Thani (often in short Surat, สุราษฎร์ธานี is the largest of the southern provinces ( changwat) of Thailand, on Thong Sala ("Tong saLaah" is the principal town and administrative centre of Ko Pha Ngan, an island in the Gulf of Thailand. Ko Samui island of Surat Thani Province (or Koh Samui, เกาะสมุย is an Island off the east coast of the Kra Isthmus in Thailand Also 1977 (album by Ash. Year 1977 ( MCMLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays Some historians and archaeologists believe that the first group who migrated to Ko Pha Ngan were the Muslim sea Gypsies (Pygmy, Semung, and Proto-Malay) who travelled by boat from the Malay Peninsula. For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. Pygmies (singular Pygmy) refers to a member of any human group whose adult males grow to less than 150 cm (4 feet 11 inches in average height or less than 155 cm Proto Malay, also known as Melayu Asli or Melayu Purba in the Malay language, is an ethnic group in Malaysia. The Malay Peninsula or Thai-Malay Peninsula (Semenanjung Tanah Melayu (คาบสมุทรมลายู is a major Peninsula located in Southeast However, nowadays there are few Muslims who live on the island. The name of Ko Pha Ngan comes from the word 'Ngan', the southern dialect meaning 'sand bar', for there are many sand bars offshore around the island.
Administration
Ko Pha Ngan together with Ko Tao forms the district (amphoe) Ko Pha Ngan. An amphoe (sometimes also amphur, อำเภอ am-pʰəː is the second level administrative subdivision of Thailand. The district is subdivided into three subdistricts (tambon):
| Nr. Tambon (ตำบล is a local government unit in Thailand. Below District ( Amphoe) and Province ( Changwat | Name | Thai name | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Ko Pha-ngan | เกาะพะงัน | |
| 2. | Ban Tai | บ้านใต้ | |
| 3. | Ko Tao | เกาะเต่า |
Originally the island was administrated from Ko Samui district. Ko Samui island of Surat Thani Province (or Koh Samui, เกาะสมุย is an Island off the east coast of the Kra Isthmus in Thailand The minor district (King Amphoe) Ko Pha Ngan was established on October 1 1970, then consisting of the two tambon Ko Pha Ngan and Ban Tai. An amphoe (sometimes also amphur, อำเภอ am-pʰəː is the second level administrative subdivision of Thailand. [1]. It was upgraded to a full district on April 12 1977. [2]
Parts of the tambon Ko Pha Ngan and Ban Tai form the township (thesaban tambon) Ko Pha Ngan. Thesaban (เทศบาล are the municipalities in Thailand. There are further three Tambon administrative organizations (TAO).
Attractions
As a natural paradise island in the Southern Gulf of Thailand, Ko Pha Ngan serves as the perfect getaway retreat, where one may go relaxing on quiet deserted beaches, snorkeling and learning to dive at the distinctive island of Ko Ma, trekking in the footsteps of Thai Royalty at Than Sadet National Park steeped in history and culture, or seeking adventure in the nearby Ang Thong archipelago composed of over 40 islands endowed with pristine beaches, natural caves and the tranquil Tha Laem Nai. The Gulf of Thailand (or Gulf of Siam) is a gulf that borders but is not part of the South China Sea ( Pacific Ocean) Than Sadet-Ko Pha-Ngan (ธารเสด็จ-เกาะพะงัน is a national park in southern Thailand, protecting 65 Mu Ko Ang Thong is a marine national park in the Gulf of Thailand, at the shore of the Surat Thani Province. Ko Pha Ngan has over 250 resorts to choose from, ranging from the budget 80 baht a night beach hut without private toilet to luxury air-conditioned accommodation with private swimming pool.
It's the simple beach life which continues to attract visitors each year along with the island's reputation for full moon parties and a hedonistic approach to life. The backpackers, budget tourists and aging hippies are beginning to give way to families and more mainstream tourists but the beaches are still beautiful and undeveloped. Backpacking (in US tramping, trekking, or bushwalking in other countries combines Hiking and camping in a single Tourism is Travel for Recreational or Leisure purposes The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel The Hippie Subculture was originally a Youth movement that began in the United States during the early 1960s and spread around the world The full moon party scene still runs with a cast of thousands in high season - all on the beach. The Full Moon Party is an all-night Beach Party that takes place in Haad Rin on the island of Ko Pha Ngan, Thailand on the night Hedonists everywhere still flock to the world's biggest beach party every month. Hedonism is the Philosophy that Pleasure is of ultimate importance, the most important pursuit The music from the multiple sound systems is mostly ear-splittingly loud trance and house, and a predominantly youthful crowd dance 'til dawn on party nights. Trance is a style of Electronic dance music that developed in the 1990s House generally refers to a Shelter or Building that is a Dwelling or place for Habitation by Human beings. This may not be to everyone's taste, certainly, but it's definitely a unique cultural experience. Other events such as the Half Moon Party and Black Moon Party also attract large crowds. The Half Moon Party is an outdoor Dance music ( Rave) event on the island of Ko Pha Ngan, Thailand held at the intervals between Full However, it is still possible to visit the island and avoid the full moon party altogether, with dozens of quiet, secluded resorts and beach huts dotted all over the island for a variety of prices. A resort is a place used for Relaxation or Recreation, attracting visitors for Holidays or Vacations Resorts are places towns or sometimes Many of the more costly resorts offer such facilities as daily yoga, yoga teachers' training, meditation, a variety of healing, healthy & natural therapies, spa massage & pampering services and herbal steam rooms. Yoga ( Sanskrit: योग, IAST: yóga, joːgə refers to traditional physical and mental disciplines originating in India, to the Meditation is a mental discipline by which one attempts to get beyond the conditioned "thinking" mind into a deeper state of relaxation or awareness Healing, assessed physically is the process by which the cells in the Body regenerate and repair to reduce the size of a damaged or necrotic area
Other activities available on the island include scuba diving with a number of companies offering very reasonably priced training courses and excursions, snorkelling, especially off the Mae Haad sandbar in the north west, wakeboarding, archery, fishing, walks in the national park or simply relaxing in the company of other farangs or the friendly locals. Scuba diving is swimming underwater, or taking part in another activity while using a Scuba set. Snorkeling ( British spelling: snorkelling) is the practice of Swimming at the surface of a body of water while equipped with a Diving mask, a Wakeboarding is a surface Water sport which involves riding a wakeboard over the surface of a body of water behind a boat Archery is the practice of using a bow or Crossbow to shoot Arrows Archery has historically been used in Hunting and Combat and has For the computer security term see Phishing. Fishing is the activity of catching Fish. Farang (in Thai: ฝรั่ง sometimes pronounced falang, is the generic Thai word for a foreigner of European ancestry
Reference in Popular Culture
Ko Pha Ngan featured promiently in Alex Garland's 1997 novel The Beach, and is also mentioned in the song Magick by the new rave band Klaxons' (but probably more as a reference to the 1997 novel The Beach than the island itself). Alex Garland (born 1970 is a British Novelist and screenwriter The Beach (1996 is a Novel by Alex Garland about backpackers in Thailand. "Magick" is a song released by London new rave band Klaxons on October 30, 2006. New Rave (sometimes labelled Nu Rave or Neu Rave) is a term applied to several types of music that go from fusing elements of electronic, rock Klaxons are a English Indie rock / Dance punk band based in London The Beach (1996 is a Novel by Alex Garland about backpackers in Thailand. The island was also the spot where the Real World Denver cast spent their vacation at the end of the season.
See also
References
- ^ "ประกาศกระทรวงมหาดไทย เรื่อง แบ่งท้องที่ตั้งเป็นกิ่งอำเภอ" (in Thai) (September 24 1970). This is a list of Islands of Thailand. Thailand has hundreds of islands ( Phang Nga bay has 67 the Mu Ko Chang Marine National Park has Royal Gazette 87 (90 ง): 2790.
- ^ "พระราชกฤษฎีกาตั้งอำเภอปลายพระยา อำเภอห้วยเม็ก อำเภอละแม อำเภอแม่จริม อำเภอหนองกี่ อำเภอโคกปีบ อำเภอเกาะพะงัน อำเภอสนม อำเภอโซ่พิสัย อำเภอโนนสะอาด และอำเภอนาจะหลวย พ.ศ. ๒๕๒๐" (in Thai) (April 12 1977). Royal Gazette 94 (31 ก): 326-330.
External links
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