Trang

History

According to cultural records Trang used to be one of 12 satellite towns that came into exsistence 900 years ago, but it was only during the era of King Rama II that the place was recognized and the province got its first governor. The first Westerner to arrive in Trang was Captain James Low in 1838 to negotiate commercial benefits. In 1915, King Rama VI visited the then provincial town and advised, due to strategical matters in regards to possible enemy attack, that it be moved to its now current location at Thap Thiang. The original meaning of the name ‘Trang’ is unsure but many historians believe that it derives from the Malay word Trangkae which means ‘dawn’.

Climate

As Trang is located next to the Indian Ocean, the province gets monsoons all year round, resulting of course in a lot of rainfall.

Trang, along with rest of the south of Thailand, has just the two seasons per year:

Rainy season: May – January

Hot Season: February – April

Culture

Manora or Nora

มโนราห์หรือโนรา is an art form native to southern Thailand. The performance has graceful and beautiful dance postures. The singer will sing the lyrics ad-lib. Therefore, he or she would have to be a quick thinker to find words that rhyme and that are meaningful in lyrics, dance and costume. Accompanying musical instruments include drums, cymbals, gongs, Java pipes, and castanets. Nowadays Nora has developed into incorporating modern instruments.

Shadow Play

หนังตะลุง is a popular art of southern Thailand. Dried animal hide is carved into drama figures like a hermit, a lord, a lead actor, a lead actress, a giant, and a clown. The figures are held up behind a lighted screen to create shadows on it. Nai Nang or the puppeteer will sing verses or narrate the performance. He must have exceptional reflexes and be able to narrate the whole story by himself. Musical instruments used are the same as for Nora, with perhaps So U and So Duang stringed instruments added in.

Li-kae Pa

ลิเกป่า is also called Li-ke Bok or Li-ke Rammana. This type of performance is different from the usual Li-ke as the performers wear other kinds of costumes. Li-ke Pa is popular among Thai Muslims. Only 3 performers play in a single set the whole show. However, the set will have a location name change to correspond to the story being played. Musical instruments used include 2-3 tambourines, cymbals, gongs, and pipes.

Geography

Trang is a coastal province on the Indian Ocean with a long western coastline of about 119 kilometres. The province consists of an archipelago in the Andaman Sea with over 46 islands. Of these, 12 are in Amphoe Kantang, 13 in Amphoe Palian and 21 in Amphoe Sikao. The best time for sea travel is during October to May. Situated along the Andaman coast, Trang province is home to innumerable beautiful islands, while the mountainous eastern region is home to dramatic waterfalls, caves and pristine jungle. Between the mountains and the coast are extensive plantations of rubber.

Understand

Lying humbly on the Andaman Coast, Trang is a land of unspoilt beauty, kind and friendly people, delicious food, amazing islands and paradise white sand beaches.

Located on the same line of historical settlements as Krabi, Phang Nga, Phuket and Ranong, Trang shares the same traditions and heritage. In the early Ratanakosin period, Kantang, which is now one of the six districts of the province, served as the main port of the Penang-Phuket land route. There were two main routes of transportation for these five coastal towns at that time: the land route and the sea route. Kantang used to be one of the main seaports of the south and for this reason Kantang was the capital of the province for many years. Legend has it that ships from other countries always landed at Kantang port at dawn, explaining how Trang got its name. "Trang" is derived from a Malay word meaning "Dawn" or "Bright" Malay: Terang.

Trang used to be a port involved in foreign trade. It was the first city where rubber was planted. Phraya Ratsadanupradit Mahison Phakdi brought rubber from Malaysia and planted it here before anywhere else in southern Thailand in 1899. Rubber is now considered an important commodity of Thailand. The important Trang River flows through the province from its origin in the Khao Luang mountain range and the Palian River from the Banthat mountain range. Trang province has an area of approximately 5,000 square km.