Phuket
Phuket (Thai: ภูเก็ต, pronounced [pʰūː.kèt]), formerly known as Thalang (ถลาง Tha-Laang) and, in Western sources and navigation charts, Jung Ceylon (a corruption of the Malay Tanjung Salang, i.e. “Cape Salang”), is one of the southern provinces (changwat) of Thailand. Neighbouring provinces are (from north clockwise) Phang Nga and Krabi, but as Phuket is an island it has no land boundaries.
Phuket, which is somewhat smaller than the size of Singapore, is Thailand’s largest island. The island is connected to mainland Thailand by two bridges. It is situated off the west coast of Thailand in the Andaman Sea. Phuket formerly derived its wealth from tin and rubber, and enjoys a rich and colorful history. The island was on one of the major trading routes between India and China, and was frequently mentioned in foreign ship logs of Portuguese, French, Dutch and English traders. The region now derives much of its income from tourism.
Hua Hin
Hua Hin (Thai: หัวหิน, IPA: [hǔə hǐn]) is a beach resort town in Thailand, in the northern part of the Malay Peninsula, some 200 km south of Bangkok. It has a population of 84,883 in an area of 911 km², and is one of eight districts (amphoe) of Prachuap Khiri Khan Province. Hua Hin is closely associated with the Thai royalty. Merely 25 kilometres apart, Hua Hin in Prachuap Khiri Khan Province enjoys a wealth of satellite attractions; prominent among them are national parks and historical cities.
Koh Samui
Ko Samui (or Koh Samui, Thai: เกาะสมุย, Thai pronunciation: [kɔ̀ʔ samǔj]), or often simply Samui as it is referred to by locals, is an island off the east coast of the Kra Isthmus in Thailand. It is located close to the mainland town of Surat Thani in Surat Thani Province. Ko Samui is Thailand’s second-largest island after Phuket, with an area of 228.7 km2, a population of over 63,000 and an annual tourist population of 1.5 million. Abundant natural resources, white sandy beaches, coral reefs and coconut trees are present on the island, and it is part of Mu Ko Samui.
Bangkok
Bangkok (English pronunciation: /ˈbæŋkɒk/) is the capital and the most populous city of Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (กรุงเทพมหานคร, pronounced [krūŋ tʰêːp mahǎː nákʰɔ̄ːn] or simply Krung Thep. The city occupies 1,568.7 square kilometres (605.7 sq mi) in the Chao Phraya River delta in Central Thailand, and has a population of over eight million, or 12.6 percent of the country’s population. Over fourteen million people (22.2 percent) live within the surrounding Bangkok Metropolitan Region, making Bangkok an extreme primate city, dwarfing Thailand’s other urban centres in terms of importance.
