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Southern Thailand consists of 14 provinces: Chumphon, Ranong, Surat Thani, Phangnga, Phuket, Krabi, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Trang, Phatthalung, Songkhla, Satun, Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat. The region, located on the peninsula, extends from Chumphon to the Thai-Malaysian border and is bordered in the east by the Gulf of Thailand, to the west by the Indian Ocean. Lush tropical islands, palm-fringed beaches, coral reefs teeming with colorful marine life, picturesque fishing villages, remote national parks, forested mountains, cascading waterfalls, ubiquitous rubber estates, and the juxtaposition of temples and mosques clearly define the region's visual appeal. CLIMATE: Generally, one can rely on consistently fine weather and calm seas on the western side of the Thai peninsula from November to March and on the eastern side from May to September. The southwest monsoon season, which lasts for 6 months from May to October, brings rain and squalls to the coastal areas of the Andaman Sea. There is another rainy period caused by the northeast monsoon, which brings heavy rain to the coastal areas along the Gulf of Thailand from November to September. However, there are frequent periods of fine weather during the monsoon seasons. Tourists who wish to take a boat to any remote island during the monsoon seasons are advised to check the weather before beginning the trip.
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