Most of the Kingdom of Thailand faces south onto the Gulf of Thailand, an arm of the South China Sea. The country also includes much of the long and narrow Malay Peninsula, which separates the Gulf of Thailand from the Andaman Sea, an arm of the Indian Ocean. 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. Thailand is divided into 76 provinces (changwat). This page includes lighthouses of the eight provinces on the Malay Peninsula's east coast; these provinces face east on the Gulf of Thailand. In the Thai language the word for a lighthouse is prap̣hākhār (ประภาคาร), ko is an island, hin is a rock or reef, laem is a cape, ao is a bay, and maenam is a river. Coastal lighthouses in Thailand are operated and maintained by the Hydrographic Department of the Royal Thai Navy. 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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![]() Ko Sattakut Light, Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, November 2014 photo copyright Andreas Köhler; used by permission |
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![]() Ko Prap Light, Surat Thani Thai Navy photo |
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Information available on lost lighthouses:
Notable faux lighthouses:
Adjoining pages: Northeast: Central Thailand | Southeast: Northeast West Malayasia | West: Southern Thailand: West Coast
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Posted February 28, 2006. Checked and revised April 20, 2024. Lighthouses: 41. Site copyright 2024 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.