Surin Islands
archipelago in Andaman Sea, Thailand
The Surin Islands (Thai: หมู่เกาะสุริน, romanized: muu gaw soo rin, Thai pronunciation: [mùː kɔ̀ʔ sùrin]) is a continental archipelago of five islands in the Andaman Sea, 55 kilometres (34 mi) from the Thai mainland. Administratively, the islands are part of Tambon Ko Phra Thong, Khura Buri district, in Phang Nga province, Thailand.
Geography
Location
The Surin Islands consist primarily of two larger islands, Ko Surin Nuea and Ko Surin Tai, which are separated by a channel approximately 200 m (660 ft) wide that becomes dry at low tide. In addition to these, the archipelago includes three smaller islands: Ko Khai (also known as Ko Torinla), Ko Glang (or Ko Pachumba), and Ko Chi (also referred to as Ko Satok). There are also two small rocky islets within the group, named Hin Kong and Hin Rap. Additionally, the limestone pinnacle known as Richelieu Rock (Hin Plo Naam), located about 18 km (11 mi) east of Ko Khai and 45 kilometres (28 mi) from the mainland, is named in honor of admiral Andreas Richelieu, who was the first and only foreign commander-in-chief of the Thai Navy.
Geographically, the Thai-Burmese oceanic border lies a few kilometers north of Ko Chi. Christie Island, which marks Myanmar's southernmost point, is situated 18 km (11 mi) north of Ko Surin Nuea. To the south, approximately 100 km (62 mi) away, lies the Mu Ko Similan National Park.
Formation
Geological theories suggest that a subduction event during the Mesozoic era, involving the Burma and Sunda Plates, led to the formation of the numerous granite islands and undersea pinnacles along the west coast of Thailand.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Surin Islands” as archipelago in Andaman Sea, Thailand. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the places & architecture register because the source frames it as archipelago in Andaman Sea, Thailand. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Maps, plans, fabric surveys and administrative records can establish how the site’s name, extent and function changed over time. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 15, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q25046183. The Library of Congress control number is sh2004004457. Authority coordinates are 9.417, 97.867. 2 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
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Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
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Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
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This entry incorporates text from “Surin Islands” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.