'Ko Lamphu' is a small island in the Tapi River

Tapi River, Thailand

The Tapi river is the longest river in southern Thailand. The river originates at the Khao Luang, and has a wide estuary into the Gulf of Thailand at Bandon Bay near the town of Surat Thani. It has a length of 230 km....

, Thailand

Thailand

Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...

. This island is located about 9 km from the river mouth, near the town center of Surat Thani

Surat Thani

Surat Thani is a city in Amphoe Mueang Surat Thani, Surat Thani Province, southern Thailand. It is the capital of the province Surat Thani. The city has a population of 128,179 , and an area of 68.97 square kilometers. The city's population density is 1,858.47 inhabitants per km².Suran Thani is...

. It is connected by bridge to the city at the Pillar Shrine.

Ko Lamphu is 0.75 km in length and it is flat. This island is car-free, which contributes to the peaceful atmosphere and makes it a popular place for picnic as well as for sports. Ko Lamphu has a promenade by the riverfront with food stalls that is particularly pleasant in the evening.

The Chak Phra and the Thot Phapa Buddhist ceremonies are celebrated on the same day at Ko Lamphu. At the Thot Phapa event Buddha images on elaborately decorated carriages are pulled by local people during land and water-borne processions. This ceremony takes place at dawn. Chak Phra, celebrated later on, consists in the offering of saffron robes to monks and donations to temples at the end of the Buddhist Rains Retreat.

Ko Lamphu should not be confused with Ko Lamphu Rai, another riverine island located in Trat Province

Trat Province

Trat is a province of Thailand. It is located in the east of Thailand, and has borders with Chanthaburi Province to the northwest, Cambodia to the east, and the Gulf of Thailand to the south.Trat is most famous for gemstone mining and trading....

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