Trat Information guide
Trad is Thailand's eastern-most province, located about 315 kilometers from Bangkok.
This small province borders on Cambodia with the Khao Banthat mountain range forming
a natural demarcation. With 52 large and small offshore islands, long white sandy
beaches and unspoiled coral reefs, Trad offers delightful scenery and a tranquil
hideout for nature-lovers. The province also serves as a major fruit-growing and
fishing area.
The city of Trad is a starting point for Ko Chang island group or forays into
outlying gem and Cambodian markets. Those enthralled by shopping will be delighted
as Trad has more markets for its size than almost any other town in Thailand
due to Cambodian coastal trade.
Like Chanthaburi, Trad is a very important ruby-mining province, with the most
famous gem market located in Bo Rai District, some 50 kilometers north of the
Cambodian border.
With an area of 2,819 square kilometers, the province is administratively divided
into the districts of Muang, Khao Saming, Laem Ngop, Khlong Yai and Bo Rai,
and the sub-districts of Ko Chang and Ko Kut.
The weather in and around Trad is very comfortable with warm temperatures throughout
the year. The region is influenced by the northeastern and southwestern winds,
which sometimes limit sea transport to a group of islands particularly from
May to October when the southwest monsoon blows. During this period the western
coast can be wet and stormy and occasionally unsafe for ferries and smaller
boats to lift anchor. However, visitors can still visit the islands via the
normally more popular routes, most of which are to the northeast of Ko Chang,
anyway.
The Past
The history of Trad can be traced back to the reign of King Prasat Thong of
the Kingdom of Ayutthaya. Formerly known as Muang Thung Yai, Trad has played
an important role in the development of country's stability and economy due
to its strategic location. The town of Trad has later become a community of
Chinese Merchants.
Trad served as a checkpoint and buffer city in 1767 and was responsible for
providing provisions to King Taksin the Great before he moved his navy from
Chanthaburi to Ayutthaya, where he expelled the Burmese and liberated the Kingdom
from Burmese rule.
In the Ratanakosin period, during the reign of King Rama V, Trad played an
important role again in stabilizing the country's sovereignty. King Rama V made
an agreement with the French government (who had also taken Chanthaburi under
its supervision) to get Trad back. In doing this, Phra Tabong, Siamrat and Sri
Sophon were traded off.
During the Indochina War, the French Navy tried to seize Trad again. The French
Thai Battle broke out on 17 January 1941 at Ko Chang. The Thai Navy successfully
drove out the French Navy.
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