Established as a national park in 1982, Similan Islands are an archipelago of 11 islands in Phang Nga Province 70km off the coast at Andaman Sea, covering an area of 70sqkm. With a rich marine life consisting of magical hard/soft coral reefs, crystal clear waters and white beaches it is concidered to be one of the best diving sites in the world.
While "mu ko" means "group of islands" in Thai, "Similan" is a Yawi (a Malayan dialect) word, means nine. The park had originally nine islands numbered 1 to 9. Although each island has a name they can be referred with numbers. The park expanded to include two more remote islands back in 1998. The islands are (1) Ko Huyong, (2) Ko Payang, (3) Ko Payan, (4) Ko Miang, (5) Ko Ha, (6) Ko Hok, (7) Ko Hin Pousar, (8) Ko Similan, (9) Ko Bangu, Ko Tachai and Ko Bon.
