Ao Phang-nga National Park

The area around Phangnga bay has a long history and is famed for its nature and beauty, especially Ko Tabu, Ko Panyi, Tham Lot and Khao Phing Kan. The rock art in this area has always been an important attraction

Ao Phangnga was created in 1981. The park created covers an area of 400 sq.km, protects the largest area of this original primary mangrove forest remaining in Thailand. The park stretches from Muang Phangnga District to the coast at Takua Tung District. Over 80 % of the park is covered by the Andaman sea, with over 42 large and small islands, including such as Phra At Tao Island, Maprow Island, Boi Noi Island, Boi Yai Island, Rayaring Island, Phanak Island, Hong Island, Panyi Island, Phing Kan Island etc.

The topography of the park is strongly influenced by several faults, particulary the north-east trending of the Klong Marui fault. This offsets the eastern terrain from the central mountain ranges by a right lateral movement. This fault movement resulted in the formation of a large graben parallel to the fault. This graben is marked by the present bay.

The high ground is produced by massive limestone blocks displaying classic karst scenery. These blocks extend southward into Phangnga bay where they form islands with vertical cliffs, mainly orientated in a north-south direction.

Phangnga bay slopes seaward and is filled with tidal sediments. The bay itself is composed of large and small tidal channels which originally connected with the fluvial system of the mainland.

The main tidal channels for instance Klong Ko Panyi, Khlong Phangnga, Klong Bang Toi and Klong Bo Saen all run in a north-south direction. They consist of several tidal creeks or tidal channel distributaries. Most of the tidal channels are meandering with well developed point bars. Mangrove forests grow around the whole area of the Phangnga bay, they differ in species depending on elavation and relative tidal range.

The landward boundary of Phangnga bay is marked by a gentle erosion slope, limestone cliffs and transition forest between mangrove and upland forest which extends beyond the bay margin.

Panyee Island Panyee Island, acutually, is the fisherman village, built on the area which can be flooded by the sea, so their houses were leveraged to the most high level over the highest level of the sea. This village is located outside the national park. Panyee people are the original fishermen, living with the shallow fishery by using floating bag-net, cockle farming, fish farming in cage, At present, Koh Panyee is the community for serving tourist and some of buildings had been modified to be restaurants and souvenir shops.

Khien Mountain Lies on the way to Panyee Island. Khien Mountain have a cave painting of there pre-historic people about 3,000 years.There are ancient depiction of animals and boats.

Panak Island Panak Island is the bigger than Hong Island, between the boat route from Phuket to Phangnga, have a many cave, such as , Khang Kao Cave, Kong Kang Cave, Icecream Cave, and Peen Cave. To access this cave, has to use the sea canoe. Its depth is about 50-150 meters.

Hong Island Hong Island is actually the limestone mountain, inside have many cave and beautiful ,which seperate into many rooms arranged in the same line and has stalactite there. To visit them, you must park your boat in front of island and then use the canoe to take you look around and access to inner sea.

Talu Nok Island Talu Nok Island is another one of limestone mountain. It has the hollow cave, semilar the big through cave but smaller one. A boat can sail through it as well. There is a once famous site in Ao Phang-Nga National Park for sea canoe.

Tapu Island and Phing Kan Island Tapu Island and Phing Kan Island is the main tourist attraction which all tourist boat must stop for visiting and take a photograp . The front side of Tapu Island is very well-known by foreigners because it's one scene of the "James Bond " movie.

Lod Cave Lod Cave is a big cave and length about 50 metres, lies in Takua Thung District. There are beautiful stalactites and stalagmites inside the grotto. During way, you can see a perfect mangrove forest in Thailand.

Mah Ju Mountain Lies on the way to Panyee Island. Mah Ju Mountain is a small limestone island. The rock face looks remarkably like a poodle dog.

Lawa Yai Island In two hours you will reach this very small island with a white sandy beach or you can go by boat on the way at Ban Klong khein pier about 30 minute, where you can relax to your picnic after some sun and fun , Also remember to bring your own mask and snorkel if you can to look and coral.