The largest province of the South, Surat Thani was once a provincial capital of the 10th century Indonesian Srivijaya Empire, and now covers an area of approximately 13,000 square kilometers of both low basins and high plateaus with forested mountains, as well as some of Thailand’s most famous islands including Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Koh Tao, and the Mu Koh Ang Thong Marine National Park. The name of Surat Thani may mean "City of the Good People" but Surat Thani is also known as “the province of a thousand islands” -- many of which lay off the coast in the Gulf of Thailand, including the archipelago that contains Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Koh Tao, and the Mu Koh Ang Thong Marine National Park. Once the refuge of backpackers, the islands of Surat Thani are now some of the most visited places in Thailand; however, there are a number of historical, cultural, and natural attractions on the Thai mainland to make a stop in Surat Thani province worthwhile on the way to or from the islands.