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 Trad
is Thailand's eastern-most province, located about 315 kilometers
from Bangkok. This small province borders on Cambodia with the Khao
Banthat mountain range forming a natural demarcation. With 52 large
and small offshore islands, long white sandy beaches and unspoiled
coral reefs, Trad offers delightful scenery and a tranquil hideout
for nature-lovers. The province also serves as a major fruit-growing
and fishing area.
The city of Trad is a starting point for Ko Chang island group or
forays into outlying gem and Cambodian markets. Those enthralled
by shopping will be delighted as Trad has more markets for its size
than almost any other town in Thailand due to Cambodian coastal
trade.
Like Chanthaburi, Trad is a very important ruby-mining province,
with the most famous gem market located in Bo Rai District, some
50 kilometers north of the Cambodian border.
With an area of 2,819 square kilometers, the province is adminisTradively
divided into the districts of Muang, Khao Saming, Laem Ngop, Khlong
Yai and Bo Rai, and the sub-districts of Ko Chang and Ko Kut.
The weather in and around Trad is very comfortable with warm temperatures
throughout the year. The region is influenced by the northeastern
and southwestern winds, which sometimes limit sea transport to a
group of islands particularly from May to October when the southwest
monsoon blows. During this period the western coast can be wet and
stormy and occasionally unsafe for ferries and smaller boats to
lift anchor. However, visitors can still visit the islands via the
normally more popular routes, most of which are to the northeast
of Ko Chang, anyway.
 The
Past
The history of Trad can be traced back to the reign of King
Prasat Thong of the Kingdom of Ayutthaya. Formerly known as Muang
Thung Yai, Trad has played an important role in the development
of country's stability and economy due to its sTradegic location.
The town of Trad has later become a community of Chinese Merchants.
Trad served as a checkpoint and buffer city in 1767 and was responsible
for providing provisions to King Taksin the Great before he moved
his navy from Chanthaburi to Ayutthaya, where he expelled the Burmese
and liberated the Kingdom from Burmese rule.
In the Ratanakosin period, during the reign of King Rama V, Trad
played an important role again in stabilizing the country's sovereignty.
King Rama V made an agreement with the French government (who had
also taken Chanthaburi under its supervision) to get Trad back.
In doing this, Phra Tabong, Siamrat and Sri Sophon were traded off.
During the Indochina War, the French Navy tried to seize Trad again.
The French Thai Battle broke out on 17 January 1941 at Ko Chang.
The Thai Navy successfully drove out the French Navy.
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