Thailand Guide
Southern Thailand: the Andaman coast
Khuraburi
Most travellers use the town of Khuraburi as a staging post en route to the magnificent national park island chain of Ko Surin. The main pier for boats to the islands is just 7.5km away, and Khuraburi's tour agents sell boat tickets and offer transport to the pier, plus there is accommodation in town. Though lacking in famous attractions, the local area is nonetheless scenic: with an afternoon or more to spare, you could either rent a motorbike, mountain bike or kayak to explore it independently, or charter a motorbike taxi or longtail boat. There is also a community-based tourism initiative in the area, Andaman Discoveries ( 
www.andamandiscoveries.com ), which runs a homestay programme.