Ranong

Ranong is famous for its hot springs, the Kra Isthmus viewpoint (at the peninsula's narrowest point of 44 km), and for an easy boat ride to a casino in Myanmar.

Ranong’s hot springs used to be difficult to reach and/or too hot, i.e., you could use them to boil eggs, but not as a spa.  For example, the access road to the Chon Rau hot spring used to be too rocky for a sedan to use due the such vehicles' insufficient ground clearance.

Around 5-6 years ago, roads started to be built and most hot springs are now easily accessible. The Raksawarin springs are now a major draw on weekends. However, I still prefer the hot springs in Kanchanaburi and Krabi.

Visitors to Ranong should go to Laem Son National Park. The beach and pine tree areas are “average”, but the attraction is that on the way to the beach, you’ll pass markers indicating how far inland and how high the sea water reached when the Boxing Day tsunami hit that coast in 2004. If you stop in one of the village shops or restaurants, you might get people to talk about their experiences.

Further south in the province is Phraphat Beach, Which is an awesome place for a family picnic. The beach is long, wide, clean and with very few visitors. If you really want to be alone on a beach, take track that leads to Had Ao Jak on the other side of a hill - the picture shows Had Phraphat seen from that hill.

The drive along the Ranong coast line is scenic and really worthwhile. Moreover, if you enjoy driving on serpentine mountain roads, the drive over the ridge running in the middle of the peninsula will be fun. Either cross into Ranong in the north from Chumpon city or in the south of the province coming from Lang Suan.