Surin Archipelago

The Surin Archipelago or Surin Islands belonging to the Kingdom of Thailand is located in the Andaman Sea 30 miles west of the mainland and 45 miles north of Simlan Island. The Surin Archipelago consists of five islands - two large North Surin and South Surin separated by a narrow shallow (about 2 m at high tide) strait, three smaller ones - Ko Chi, Ko Pachumba, Ko Tarinla and several rocks.

To the north of the islands archipelago in close proximity to them there is a border with Burma.

The islands of the archipelago compose the Surin National Park which applies the same rules as the Semilan. The headquarters of the National Park is located on North Surinu.

Several settlements of Sea Gypsies are also located here. For yachtsmen, Surin Islands are more tranquil than the Similans, as there are significantly fewer diving boats and more opportunities for anchoring yachts. The islands have clear water and many corals although there are fewer fish than in Similan.

Yacht skippers should be aware that to the south of South Surin between the two cliffs there is a tidal anomaly that can create a dangerous standing wave on the shoals when the wind blows from the northeast.