| Most of Thailand faces south onto the Gulf of Thailand, an arm of the South China Sea. The country also includes the long and narrow Isthmus of Kra, which faces both east on the Gulf of Thailand and west on the Andaman Sea, an arm of the Indian Ocean.This page includes lighthouses of the Gulf of Thailand coast; lighthouses of the Andaman Sea coast are on the Thailand: Southwest Coast page. Thailand is unique among southeast Asian nations in having maintained its independence throughout the colonial period. As a result, the country's lighthouse history is also independent from all of the European traditions. Most of the country's historic lighthouses were built during or shortly after the reign of King Chulalongkorn (1868-1910), who was successful in modernizing the country while avoiding European penetration. More information on these lighthouses is needed. A number of attractive new lighthouses have been built recently in tourist areas. As far as I know, these are faux lighthouses or unofficial lights. Coastal lighthouses in Thailand are operated and maintained by the Hydrographic Department of the Royal Thai Navy; lighthouses in the Bangkok area are operated and maintained by the Port Authority of Thailand. In the Thai language, the word for a lighthouse is praphakhan (ประภาคาร), ko or koh is an island, hin is a rock or reef, and laem is a cape. ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. Admiralty numbers are from volume F of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 112.
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Eastern and Central Thailand Lighthouses
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Ko Phai Light; Thai Navy photo |
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Malay Peninsula East Coast Lighthouses
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![]() Ko Mattaphon Light; Thai Navy photo |
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Information available on lost lighthouses:
Notable faux lighthouses:
Adjoining pages: East: Cambodia | South: Malaya East Coast | Southwest: Thailand Southwest Coast | West: Myanmar (Burma)
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Posted February 28, 2006. Checked and revised November 6, 2011. Lighthouses: 46. Site copyright 2011 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.