Ranong Province

[Braveheart]

Ranong (Thai ระนอง) is one of the southern provinces (changwat) of Thailand, at the shore to the Andaman Sea. It is the province with the fewest citizens. To the west, it also borders to Kawthaung Province, Union of Myanmar.

 

Ranong is located on the Kra Isthmus, the narrow strip that connects mainland Thailand with the Malay Peninsula, on the west side of the Phuket mountain range. It has a long coast on the Andaman Sea. The province is known for having the most rainfall of all Thailand, the rainy season lasting for about 8 months. In 1955 the annual rainfall reached 6699.5 mm, compared to about 1200 in central Thailand. This led to the pun that the name Ranong is in fact taken from the English rain on - even though the name is actually pronounced ra-nawng.

 

The province is the least populated province of Thailand, 80% of the area are covered by forests, and 67% are mountainous terrain. Historically the major industry was tin mining, but most mines are exploited already now. White clay mining for the production of porcelain and fishing are the main industries today, together with the rubber and cashew nut farming.

 

The Ranong Biosphere Reserve in the north of Amphoe Kapoe covering 303.09 km