Suratthani possesses an island that is most marvelous for both skin diving and scuba diving, that island is Koh Tao. The tiny Thai island of Koh Tao provides great diving in all of south East Asia and is most popular. Koh Tao has the shape of kidney bean, for there is a large bay curved into the land in western side, which is comprise by two islands i.e. Koh Tao and Koh Nang Yuan. Koh Tao means turtle Island because in the past the waters teemed with sea turtles. Nowadays they have moved on to new breeding grounds since travelers and tourists enjoy Koh Tao’s beaches instead.

It covers an area of about 21 km, Koh Tao is located about 70 km east of the coastline between Suratthani and Chumphon, in the Gulf of Thailand. Koh Tao translates as Turtle Island.

In the beginning, the island was uninhabited, and only the occasional fisherman from the neighbouring islands came by to seek shelter from a storm. On June 18, 1899, His Majesty the King Chulalongkorn (Rama V , 1868-1910) visited Koh Tao and left as evidence his monogram on a huge boulder at Jor Por Ror Bay next to Sairee Beach. This place is still worshipped today and should be treated with respect. From 1933 on the island was used as a political prison because of it’s far distance from the mainland. In 1947, Khun A -Paiwong, Prime Minister at that time, pleaded and received a royal pardon for all prisoners on the island. Everybody was taken back to the mainland and the “Turtle” was abandoned once again.