Kra Isthmus (Segenting Kra) In Thailand
The Kra Isthmus (Malay: Segenting Kra/Segenting Kera) (Thai: Kor- Kod Kra) is the narrowest part of the Malay Peninsula.
The western part of the isthmus belongs to Thailand’s Ranong Province and the eastern part to Chumphon Province, both in Southern Thailand. The isthmus is bordered to the west by the Andaman Sea and to the east by the Gulf of Thailand.
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The Details
The original plan was to construct a major shipping canal from the Indian Ocean to the Gulf of Thailand via Kra Isthmus but it has now changed to dig through Krabi, Trang, Phatthalung, Nakhon Si Thammarat and Songkhla with a distance of 128 kilometres.
The Old Malay Peninsula
The older Malay Peninsula area contains present Peninsular Malaysia, Southern Thailand, and the southernmost tip of Myanmar (Kawthaung), as well as the city-state of Singapore,
In the 18th century and before, Kaw Thaung (Myanmar) Kra Isthmus (Segenting Kra) and Thailand’s southern provinces were ruled by Old Kedah government who also has control over, Satun (Melayu: Setul), Trang (Melayu: Terang), Krabi (Melayu: Ghairabi), Phuket (Melayu: Bukit), Ranong (Melayu: Renong). Old Kedah lost its control over these provinces in the 18th Century to Siam.
Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909
The current Malaysian-Thailand borderline was drawn after the Anglo-Siamese Treaty 1909 agreement between the British and Siam, without consulting the rulers of the Malay states, resulting in the geographic partition that affected majority Malay population particularly in the Southern Thai provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat. Read more here.
Burmese Malays in Kaw Thaung
The southernmost islands of the Mergui Archipelago (also Myeik Archipelago) are home to the Moken people, a nomadic ethnic minority-related to the Malays. Some of the Moken and the Muslims in these southernmost islands speak a dialect of Malay. The Malays are believed to be of Kedahan Malay descent, although the Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa makes no mention whatsoever of the Mergui Archipelago.
The Malay influence is clearly visible in the names of certain settlements near Kawthaung – the words Kampong, Ulu, Telok, Tengah and Pulau (Malay words for village, remote, bay, central and island respectively) appear in a handful of settlement names.
The Malays living in Southern Burma are related to the Kedahan Malay and maintain strong kinship, cultural and economic links to the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia and Southern Thailand till today. They speak Burmese and Kedah-Perlis dialect. Source Wikipedia.
Kra Isthmus (Segenting Kera) Location
- Location: Google Map
- GPS Coordinates: 10.468387,98.809484
Conclusion
What do you think of the ancient history? What would be the outcome of the Kra Canal Project if it takes place?
If you run into any problems whilst being in Thailand and need assistance, you can contact Thailand Tourist Assistance Center.
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