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Next to Chumphon,
but located on the opposite side of Thailand's
southern peninsula and bordering first Myanmar
and then the Andaman Sea, is Ranong which is
separated from Myanmar only by Pak Chan, the
estuary of Mae Nam Chan (Chan River). The
province is distinguished largely by its natural
attributes with hot spring spas, dense tropical
greenery, picturesque waterfalls and coastal
waters dotted with islands. All of this makes
for an intriguing area to explore, somewhere off
the beaten track and quieter than other holiday
destinations with the hot springs at Wat
Tapotaram temple as its major attraction while other
places of interest include the Laem Son National
Park, a wildlife and nature reserve, and
beautiful beaches at nearby Ko Chang.
Ranong also has the
unique bonus of allowing a day excursion into
Myanmar (Burma). A short boat ride across the
Chan River estuary brings you to Kawthoung,
which in the days of British Burma was known as
Victoria Point. It is truly a memorable
excursions that adds a different dimension to a
journey south. Because it is located so near to
Myanmar, Ranong has become a base for dive trips
to the Burma Banks which is within the Mergui
Archipelago and it is also a gateway to
Kawthoung and Thahtay Island.
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