Chumphon - Monuments, Beaches, and Coffee

Just south of the mouth of Chumphon River, there is a big hill with a monument as well as great views of the coast line - the picture below is the view towards north across the mouth of the river. 

Chumphon Province has long stretches of quiet sandy beaches as well as two Prince of Chumphon shrines.  

Near Sai Ri Beach is the biggest shrine and the monument of Admiral Phra Borommawong Thoe Kromluang Chumphon Khet Udomsak. A large torpedo-ship named the Royal Chumphon is also here. There is a museum with exhibits about the admiral’s biography, things which he used plus some things he certainly didn’t use. For example is an (yet unwrapped) plastic toy replica of the Black Pearl from Disney’s Pirates of the Carribean (Captain Jack Sparrow etc).

Further down the coast – at Arunotahi Beach – is another shrine-memorial to Prince Chumphon erected.

In my view, Sai Ri Beach doesn’t impress, but there are some excellent seafood restaurants there and it’s a convenient location for a night’s sleep before catching the morning ferry connection to Koh Tao or (even better) Koh Nangyuan.

Drive along the coast line stretching south from Sai Ri Beach and you’ll pass many excellent spots to chill out. When it comes to spending time on pristine, empty beaches, Chumphon has a lot to offer.

What I didn’t know until a few years back is that a lot of coffee is grown in Chumphon’s hilly interior. When a friend asked me if I’d care to join a trip to take a look at her friend’s coffee plantation, it was a good opportunity for me to learn about that aspect of Chumphon’s economy as well as about how the business of running a coffee plantation works. .