Ratchaprapa Dam: A Hidden Heaven in Surat Thani

It was a beautiful morning when we got to Surat Thani bus station in the Surat Thani province about 650 kilometers south of Bangkok. Above us hanged a sign “to Ratchaprapa Dam and Khao Sok National Park” - the destination of our natural escape holiday.

The bus trip took us due west on highway Route 401, or the Surat Thani-Takua Pa road. The bus then veered right at about kilometer stone 57 onto Route 109. Then about 12 kilometers after leaving Highway 401, it was already time to get off of the bus.

Our experienced bus driver took less than one and a half hours to travel from Surat Thani to the edge of Ratchaprapa Dam, a beautiful and surreal place that is often likened to the incredible “Guilin” landscapes in southern China.

As soon as we had a chance to load our belongings onto a rented long-tailed boat we were able to enjoy the astonishing elegance of the dam itself and crystal clear waters of the reservoir.

Ratchaprapa Dam or Chiao Lan reservoir was built in 1982 under the supervision of Khao Sok National Park and Provincial Electricity Authority to provide hydro-electricity to Surat Thani city and other nearby towns....

This article is written by by Sukanya Na Nan

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