Koh Chang . . . to some it’s the ‘Maldives of Thailand‘ to others ‘The Oriental Eden of the East‘ or even the ‘Last Paradise of Natural ‘ but to anyone who has ever been here, this is all marketing nonsense. What you are searching for and want to know is ‘What is Koh Chang island really like?‘ The good, the bad and the ugly. Fortunately, you’ve come to the right place to find out.
Read the full story »Koh Chang activities. You’ll probably want to leave the confines of your hotel at some point. But what will you do? Where will you go? Who will organise it for you? Read this and discover the numerous ways to fill your days on Koh Chang.
Koh Chang resort and hotel reviews. Room rates and locations of over 70 Koh Chang hotels, resorts, guesthouses and slummy chipboard huts from 300 – 30,000 Baht/night. Book online or through a reputable local tour agent.
Read the Koh Chang Island Guide. Each beach on Koh Chang attracts a different type of visitor. Find out what you need to know about the different areas of the island. There is something for everyone whether it be beer and hookers or peace and quiet.
Pictures of Koh Chang and other islands. Unimaginative, but un-Photoshopped, photos taken around the island which should give you an idea of what to expect when finally reach Koh Chang, if you can’t be bothered to read the ‘Island Guide’ section.
Property on Koh Chang. Everyone will be your best friend once they know you want to buy real estate here. Listings of businesses, homes and land for sale on Koh Chang and Koh Mak. Plus new information on what not to buy and why not to buy it.
For anyone who has never stayed in a hotel catering to mainly Chinese guests, the choice between going for the breakfast buffet or a cold beer instead, isn’t one that requires much deliberation.
A belated update as I was on holiday for a couple of weeks, plus nothing of interest has happened on Koh Chang. I’ve been adding a few things to the insides of this site, including having different content in the sidebar depending on which section you are looking at and will start the slow process of updating stuff for next High Season later this week.
Although the ‘Ko Chang Grand Sale’ promotion did make it into the news(almost). It got a mention in Thailand Travel Report as being a bit of a failure. The Koh Chang Entrepreneur Association, having spent their budget already, have no money left to promote it anywhere. But they have got a Thai language website online at KohChangBusinessCenter.com, a domain name that was preferred for some reason to the blindingly obvious ‘KoChangGrandSale.com’ – which is still available.
Anyway, there are limited details of cheap rooms (in Thai language) here. But you’ll find better offers on the online booking sites or if you’re in Thailand at the regular travel fairs where resorts from all over the country sell rooms cheaply. Next is at the Queen Sirikit Center, Bangkok from 2-5 September.
Whilst business owners on other islands and tourist destinations can get their act together, form a group to promote their location as a whole this can’t be done on Koh Chang as virtually everyone is out for whatever they can make themselves and very few hoteliers are interested in doing something that might also possibly benefit a rival resort too.
I was in Pai ( east of Chiang Mai ) earlier this month and was amazed to see a small town with, in reality very little of offer other than having some decent scenery, be so popular. Its entire economy seems to revolve around coffeeshops and sales of artistic t-shirts all somehow related to the ‘Pai in Love’ theme, which itself is the title of a Thai movie filmed in the area. Koh Chang has got a lot more to offer than Pai, but it doesn’t have any savvy marketers unfortunately.
Anyway to fill space, here are some photos of Pai and surroundings – that’s Chiang Mai at night. . .
And a few of China . . .
Two Rai Chanote Sea View Land For Sale. Great, uninterrupted sea views from this very reasonably priced hillside plot. Ideal for a house. Priced to sell at only 2,000,000 Baht/Rai
If you are the type of person reading this site then you probably won’t be the type who would stay at the Soneva Kiri on Koh Kood. This is the region’s most luxurious and exclusive …
The Koh Chang weather for August 2010, from the Klong Prao Meteorological Office, i.e. outside my window. August is usually pretty good, especially the last two weeks of the month. But in keeping …
August 27, 2010 ( TTRweekly )
Attempts to promote “Ko Chang Grand Sale 2010” during the so-called green season are faltering as the host organisation fails to identify participating resorts and its promotion lacks detail.
The sale …
Cosy Holiday Home on 1 Rai with Excellent Sea Views. This plot with bungalow and lush tropical garden is situated on top of a ridge on the west of Koh Mak with views north to Koh Kham and Koh Chang. Paved public roads lead to the two main beaches – 2 minutes & 7 minutes walk away. Several expat neighbours. Price: 5,900,000 Baht
23 August 2010 (NNT)
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has set up a tourism stimulus campaign with activities that help promote Ko Chang Island as health and wellness travel destination for working women.
Following the launch …
Room rates from 2,150 Baht. Warapura Resort on Lonely Beach is probably the nicest mid-size, mid-price resort on the island. The rooms are well designed, nothing ostentatious or over the top. Just a simple, but stylish design with whitewashed exteriors and interiors. If you like a bit of lively nightlife nearby but need some comfort and quiet during the day, check it out.
Rooms from 2,500 Baht/night. Siam Beach Resort occupies the prime, private location at the northern end of Lonely Beach on Koh Chang. It has metamorphosised from backpacker huts to a good 3 star, with 4 star aspirations, in only a few short years . If you need home comforts, a great beach and plenty of cheap places to eat & drink only 10 minutes walk away, check it out.
Room rates from 2,900 Baht High Season. Nirvana Resort in Bangbao is a true boutique hideaway. Not a resort for anyone primarily interested in a beach vacation, but if you are looking to escape the crowds, get away from large concrete resorts and surround yourself by nature then Nirvana is as good as anywhere you’ll find on the island.
Room rates from 4,100 Baht. The Dusit Princess Resort in Bailan unfortunately falls in to the ‘Why stay here when there are better alternatives?’ classification. There are better options for 4-5 star hotels on Koh Chang and there is no aspect of this resort that really stands out as being truly 5 star and neither does it have an outstanding location which would thus elevate the resort onto any ‘must stay at’ list. But good if your first couple of choices are full.
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There was a grand launch and banners are out all over Koh Chang, yet if you Google 'Koh Chang Grand Sale' there are only a handful of results - with this site at the top. Apparently, the campaign is on a need to know basis. So, hotel owners and Koh Chang residents know about it, but the rest of the world doesn't.
The only details that have been leaked to an expectant world are the monthly themes. August's is 'Take Mom to travel on Mother Day' , September is 'Beautiful Natural, let’s travel to Ko Chang' and in October it's 'Fresh seafood, let’s have fun with Islander.'
This cunning marketing plan is brought to you by the unintentionally ironic 'Koh Chang Entrepreneur Association' who now, after making banners and having a launch party, don't have the budget to do any further promotion this year.
