Forty kilometres north of Surat Thani, the small town of Chaiya preserves one of the most significant archaeological sites in Thailand. Wat Phra Boromthat Chaiya is home to a restored chedi — a stupa of remarkable elegance — that dates to the Srivijaya period, probably the 8th or 9th century. The Srivijaya empire was a Buddhist maritime trading power centred in Sumatra whose cultural influence extended across the Gulf of Thailand, and Chaiya was one of its important regional centres. The chedi's distinctive form, with its ringed spires and Mahayana Buddhist imagery, is clearly related to the great temples of Java rather than the Theravada tradition that eventually replaced it in mainland Southeast Asia.
The small National Museum at Chaiya displays bronze sculptures and stone carvings from the Srivijaya period, several of which are of outstanding quality. The museum is modest but the collection is genuinely important. Chaiya is easily reached by local bus or train from Surat Thani and makes a straightforward half-day excursion.