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 faces both east on the Gulf of Thailand and west on the Andaman Sea, an arm of the Indian Ocean. This page includes lighthouses of the greater Bangkok area at the head of the Gulf of Thailand; lighthouses of the southeastern Gulf of Thailand are on the Eastern Thailand page and lighthouses of the Malay Peninsula are on Southern Thailand: East Coast and Southern Thailand:West Coast pages. The Kingdom of 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 (1868-1910) of King Chulalongkorn, who was successful in modernizing the country while avoiding European penetration. Special thanks to Andreas Köhler for permission to show his photos on the pages for 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; lighthouses in the Bangkok area are operated and maintained by the Port Authority of Thailand. 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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Chonburi Province Lighthouses
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Ko Phai Light, Bight of Bangkok Thai Navy photo |
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Bangkok Area Lighthouses
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Beacon F, Bangkok, September 2018 Google Maps street view |
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Mae Nam Tha Chin Light, Mae Nam Tha Chin, December 2017 photo copyright Andreas Köhler; used by permission |
Western Bay of Bangkok Lighthouses
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Laem Phak Bia Light, Phetchaburi Province, October 2014 photo copyright Andreas Köhler; used by permission |
Information available on lost lighthouses:
Notable faux lighthouses:
Adjoining pages: Southeast: Eastern Thailand | South: Southern Thailand: East Coast
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Posted February 28, 2006. Checked and revised April 13, 2024. Lighthouses: 36. Site copyright 2024 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.