On 4/14/2021 at 8:21 PM, PoorSucker said:

First time I went there 20 years ago, the fisherman told me it was named after the orange ants.

Never heard a Thai say Mad instead of mot or mud (Thai for any) about the island.

 

There is no exact transliteration from Thai. In Bangkok the Surawong Road is also written Suriwong or Surawongse ...

 

Another aspect  would be, that Thais tell a stranger everything for not losing face. Have seen countless times some, for tourists, could be Samuian Thai completely helpless with a map and some tourists next to them expecting a perfect answer where they are and how they should drive here and there...

 

...or tourists asking beach vendors, who come mostly from Isaan and many of them first time at a sea, about exact underwater conditions, about exact weather conditions, about the best waterfalls.... This beach vendors mostly know only the beach part they are allowed to sell things and they way to their shanty huts somewhere in the back.   

15 minutes ago, Birdman said:

There is no exact transliteration from Thai.

There however is an official translitteration, which was the reason why Don Muang Airport changed name to Don Mueang Airport some 12 years ago, when Suvarnabhumi opened.