The small provincial capital of Ranong is situated at the northernmost point of Thailand's Andaman Sea coast at the junction with Burma. It has a large ethnic Chinese population and also a significant Burmese Muslim presence and you'll see as many signs in Chinese and Burmese as you will in Thai along Ruangrat Rd, Ranong's main drag. All the action takes place along this one street and unlike other Thai cities it doesn't sprawl, nor is it built on a grid system.

Ruangrat Rd meanders gently north from Phetkasem Rd, where the bus station is located. Two busy food markets lie about the midpoint of Ruangrat Rd, and there's a low-key nightlife district a little further up.

The access road to Ranong's star attraction, the hot springs, is a few hundred metres east of the bus station, while the bustling port district of Saphan Pla (the departure point for visa runs to Burma and the islands of Ko Chang and Ko Phayam) is about 5km west of the main city. Ranong Airport is about 20kms to the south.