Ko Lanta ( th, เกาะลันตา, ) is a district (''
amphoe
An amphoe (sometimes also ''amphur'', th, อำเภอ, )—usually translated as "district"—is the second level administrative subdivision of Thailand. Groups of ''amphoe'' or districts make up the provinces, and are analogous to countie ...
'') in
Krabi province,
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
.
History
The district was established in December 1901. It consists of four island groups:
Mu Ko Lanta (170 km
2), Mu
Ko Klang (162 km
2),
Mu Ko Rok (3.5 km
2), and
Mu Ko Ngai (3.6 km
2). Other island groups are smaller, like
Mu Ko Haa.
The origin of the name is unclear, but it may originate from the
Javanese word ''lantas'', meaning a type of grill for fish. The name of the island was officially changed to ''Lanta'' in 1917.
It is believed that the area was one of the oldest communities in Thailand, dating back to the prehistoric period. It is believed that this province may have taken its name after the meaning of ''Krabi'', which means 'sword'. This may have stemmed from a legend that an ancient sword was unearthed prior to the city's founding.
Geography
![KOH LANTA BRIDGE](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9b/KOH_LANTA_BRIDGE.jpg)
The district, approximately 70 km from Krabi town, consists of three major islands. The first,
Ko Klang, is separated from the mainland by a small river (klong) and road bridge, and is often mistakenly thought of as part of mainland
Krabi province. Of the two remaining larger islands, the larger, more populated
Ko Lanta Yai
Ko Lanta Yai ( th, เกาะลันตาใหญ่) is an island in the Strait of Malacca off the west coast of Thailand, between the Phi Phi Islands and the mainland. It is administratively part of Krabi Province, most of which is on th ...
(commonly known as simply "Ko Lanta") and the smaller
Ko Lanta Noi, together with 50 other smaller islands make up the 52 island
Mu Ko Lanta National Park. The largest island (Ko Lanta Yai) has nine beaches running down the entire west coast, forests, and tropical jungle. The geography of the island is typically mangroves, coral rimmed beaches, and tree-covered hills. A popular tourist destination, the islands are known for their long, sandy beaches and scuba diving. Ko Lanta Yai and Ko Lanta Noi are connected by the Siri Lanta Bridge opened in 2016.
Neighboring districts are
Nuea Khlong to the northwest and
Khlong Thom to the northeast and east.
Mu Ko Lanta National Park, established in 1990 as the 62nd national park of Thailand, occupies 134 km
2 of the district.
Climate
Administration
The district is divided into five subdistricts (''
tambon
''Tambon'' ( th, ตำบล, ) is a local governmental unit in Thailand. Below district (''amphoe'') and province (''changwat''), they form the third administrative subdivision level. there were 7,255 tambons, not including the 180 ''khwaeng'' ...
s''), which are further subdivided into 37 villages (''
muban
Muban ( th, หมู่บ้าน; , ) is the lowest administrative sub-division of Thailand. Usually translated as 'village' and sometimes as 'hamlet', they are a subdivision of a tambon (subdistrict). , there were 74,944 administrative mu ...
s''). Ko Lanta Yai has township (''
thesaban tambon
Thesaban ( th, เทศบาล, , ) are the municipalities of Thailand. There are three levels of municipalities: city, town, and sub-district. Bangkok and Pattaya are special municipal entities not included in the ''thesaban'' system.
The mu ...
'') status and includes part of ''tambon'' Ko Lanta Yai.
Islands
Transport
The nearest airports are at
Krabi
Krabi ( th, กระบี่, ) is the main town in the province of Krabi (''thesaban mueang'') on the west coast of southern Thailand at the mouth of the Krabi River where it empties in Phang Nga Bay. As of 2020, the town had a population of 3 ...
,
Trang, and
Phuket
Phuket (; th, ภูเก็ต, , ms, Bukit or ''Tongkah''; Hokkien:普吉; ) is one of the southern provinces (''changwat'') of Thailand. It consists of the island of Phuket, the country's largest island, and another 32 smaller islands of ...
. Krabi Airport, the most popular one for travel to Ko Lanta, is approximately 10 km from the provincial town and operates international flights to several foreign destinations.
The nearest train station is in Trang Province just south of Krabi. From there, there are trains to and from Bangkok.
There are regular, daily ferry boats operating between Ko Lanta and Krabi, Phuket, and Ko Phi Phi. A ferry run by Phetpaily departs daily from Klongdao Pier on Ko Lanta to Ko Ngai and Ko Mook.
There are only two main roads on Ko Lanta, one in the northeast and another in the southwest, which runs parallel to the beach. On Ko Lanta Noi there is just one main road in the east and a smaller one that links to the ferry pier. On the mainland, Highway 4206 connects with Khlong Thom District, passing Khlong Yang and Koh Klang sub-districts to a public car ferry at Baan Hua Hin. To get from the mainland of Thailand to Ko Lanta Yai, two public car ferries must be taken. A bridge connecting Ko Lanta to the mainland is currently under construction.
Culture
Krabi and Ko Lanta incorporate a mix of Buddhists, Thai-Chinese, Muslims, and sea gypsies. The majority of the population in rural areas is Muslim. The area, however, has no apparent religious tension. Most of them speak with a thick Southern dialect that is difficult for even other Thais to understand. Given this multiculturalism, Krabi is always celebrating something, be it Thai Buddhist, Thai-Chinese, or Thai-Islamic tradition. Chao-le (sea gypsies) inhabit Ko Lanta and follow a lifestyle that has been relatively unaffected by the islands' tourism.
The French TV show
Koh-Lanta
''Koh-Lanta'' is a French reality game show based on the popular international '' Survivor'' format. The series premiered on August 4, 2001. The show is broadcast on TF1 and there have been 22 regular seasons and 7 special seasons. The show ha ...
took place on Ko Lanta and took its name from there.
Gallery
Image:Thailand koh lanta beach.jpg, Ko Lanta Beach
Image:koh lanta.jpg, Ko Lanta
File:Ko Lanta Thailand-6.jpg, Ko Lanta
File:Ko Lanta Thailand-7.jpg, Ko Lanta
File:Ko Lanta Thailand-17.jpg, Ko Lanta
File:Beach house Ko Lanta (22212524722).jpg, Beach house, Ko Lanta
Notes
References
External links
*
{{Amphoe of Krabi
Ko Lanta
Ko Lanta ( th, เกาะลันตา, ) is a district (''Districts of Thailand, amphoe'') in Krabi province, Thailand.
History
The district was established in December 1901. It consists of four island groups: Mu Ko Lanta National Park, M ...