Prachuap Khiri Khan, Thailand

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coastline here boasts fine sandy beaches and is bordered in the north by a mountainous promontory and in the south by high rocky cliffs. The green mountains of the Tenasserim chain, which extends along the Malay peninsula, form an impressive backdrop. Thai national territory reaches its narrowest point here at Prachuap Khiri Khan (13 km (8 mi.)). Prachuap Khiri Khan itself offers few sights, although the fishing harbor is of interest in the early morning. It is also worth visiting the typical Thai market in the town center.

By car: from Bangkok Highway 4 (280 km (174 mi.)).

By train: on the Bangkok-Hualampong to Malaysia line (318 km (198 mi.); journey time approximately 5 hours).

By bus: from Bangkok Southern Bus Terminal (journey time approximately 6 hours).

For a few days at the end of 1941 this sleepy, uninteresting fishing village took center stage in the war in Asia. One day after the Japanese attack on the U.S. military base Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, 2000 Japanese soldiers landed here in the early hours of December 8th and took over both the police station and the railway station. Thai troops were initially unable to drive back the invaders; the local civilian population fled into the surrounding mountains. Although the military authorities in Bangkok ordered the laying down of weapons and surrender, Thai soldiers, led by Lieutenant Pravas Xumsai, took up the fight. In the course of a 32-hour battle they managed to defeat the Japanese. There were 442 fatalities, including 400 Japanese. Every year, on December 8th, the Thai tourist board stages a sound and light show to demonstrate the fighting strength of the Thai army.