The Complete Idiot's Guide to Koh Chang, Thailand.

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If you cant be bothered reading the rest of this site, you should find most of what you need to know here.

Letters A-L on this page.  M-Z in Part 2

A

Acupressure.  The effective, low cost cure all is available at Sima Massage, Klong Prao.  (Near Chang Chutiman elephant camp and the turning for Tropicana)  I haven't had it done to me as I tend to steer clear of quacks and voodoo medicine but a few people who've stayed at our place have been there and swear by it. 

Aerial Photography.  Rather than pay someone to take aerial photos, you can now do it yourself.   Head to Klong Prao Airport, talk to Captain Nimit, and he'll take you up in an ultralight - a two seat glider with a large fan motor stuck on the back.  You'll be safe enough he's been flying these planes for over 15 years. Prices from 1700 baht for a 15 minute flight.   Some photos here.

Airport.  The nearest airport is Bangkok Airway's private landing strip in Trat which was built for oversize Cessnas & holidaymakers for whom the 5-hour drive from Bangkok would be too time consuming and affords far too many opportunities for coming in contact with regular Thais.  Bangkok Airways Trat customer call service centre/office/ticket booth  can apparently be reached on 039 525 299-30 providing someone's home and you don't call at lunchtime or when there's an interesting game show on TV.  First  time visitors have reported being a bit alarmed when the plane lands then does a U-turn and starts taxing back along the runway it just landed on and not a slip road, but fear not, there are only a handful of flights per day.  In high season there are 3 flights per day each way.

Apartments.  If you're looking to stay long term there are a couple of apartment blocks.  One small and pricey, the other large and pretty good value.  At the south end of White Sand Beach, opposite Plaloma Resort, you'll find a small apartment block where a concrete box can be yours for 7,000 baht/month.  However, the rooms here will almost certainly all be rented out.  Nearby, Paddy's Palms 'Resort' has apartments for rent behind the Irish pub on a long term basis.   Away from White Sand Beach, a better bet is VJ Apartments, VJ Plaza, Klong Prao.  Around 90 rooms at the rear of a rather uninspiring shopping plaza, the saving grace being the excellent supermarket.  6,000 baht/month high season with no deposit to pay.  It's a bit dark & dingy and the places tends to attract a strange mix of alcoholic expats saving their beer money and Thai staff from banks, the international clinic etc.

ATMs.  There are now ATMs pretty much everywhere along the west coast - in Klong Son, White Sand Beach, Klong Prao, Kai Bae and several all within 20 metres of each other in Bangbao.  But you won't find any on the East Coast of the island yet. What's more, some of them actually work most of the time.  They all take, and will usually return, overseas issued credit cards and global ATM cards i.e. any card bearing a 'Cirrus' or 'Plus' logo.  

ATVs.  Great fun if you've got acres of rugged farmland on which to play but a liability if you're using them on the road, as a few locals with a bit of cash seem to do.  Personally, I don't see the point in buying a 250cc machine for the cost of a small pick-up truck, which does 30 mph on the flat and then having nowhere to use it.  The 2007-08 high season saw a boom in ATV rental places on the island.  There are now four, one on Pearl beach, two in the Chai Chet area, just north of Klong Prao and one at Klong Prao Airport   The increased competition means that prices are from 500 baht an hour upto around 950 baht/hour for an ATV buggy with rollbars. 

If you've got teenage sons then this is about as much fun as they can have on the island - unless you want to hit the bars on White Sand Beach and get them a hooker as an early 18th birthday gift. You'll also still find a couple of bars & restaurants renting out ATVs these should be avoided as they aren't street legal in Thailand. (It may appear cool to be seen scooting around on them but as they aren't allowed on roads, guess who gets all the bills if you have an accident.) 

B

Backpackers. (Or 'Travellers' to be politically correct.) Love 'em or loathe 'em but you can't avoid 'em.  You'll be sitting in a beachfront restaurant enjoying your steamed sea bass, a large plate of prawns and cool Heineken and from somewhere behind you you'll overhear a voice ordering a fried rice and bottle of water and an extra plate so Ms. Backpacker can share. 20 minutes later the voice will be heard again complaining that he has been charged 10 baht for the water when it only costs 5 baht in the 7-11.  100% mark-up, rip off or what??? And then outrage as their threats of an irate posting on the Lonely Planet discussion board "I'm a close personal friend of Joe Cummins, you know!" go ignored by the waitress.  

Having done the backpacking thing (my trip consisted of riding my bicycle around a large chunk of the world over a decade ago) I'm regularly less than impressed by the lack of travelling many travellers do - remaining in one spot for a month or so is just plain boring and hardly opens your eyes to a new country & culture. 

No, taking in full moon parties on different islands doesn't really count as an adventure. Fortunately, there are  a new breed of backpacker, those who don't mind budgeting $20/ day for living expenses and can therefore afford the extortionate rates local laundries charge (30 baht/kilo).  Roll on the day when means testing is introduced at border crossings.

Bank Accounts.  If you plan on moving to the island or  working here then having a Thai bank account certainly helps when it comes to having a place to deposit any hard earned cash or to transfer monies into.  Unfortunately, Thailand now has an annoying rule which prohibits anyone who doesn't have a work permit from having opening a bank account.  As least that's the theory

Some banks on Koh Chang adhere to this rule, other's don't really care so long as you've got some cash to deposit. Fortunately, Siam City Bank on White Sand Beach, opposite Baan Thai Hotel, will open an account, with ATM card for you in a matter of minutes.  Either they're just very nice folks or are desperate for new accounts. Kasikorn Bank is a better option and they will also open an account and even get a member of staff to fill in all the forms for you.  They'd be a better best especially if you want an internet banking option.  Bangkok Bank are also flexible as they opened their branch after most people who needed bank accounts had already got one.  Get to know the staff and call in at the weekend for the best chance of opening an account if you don't have  a Work Permit.  

Bars.  Koh Chang has only one brand-name bar 'Sabay Bar', on White Sand Beach, which is relatively well-known off the island and boasts a mock rock cliff face as a frontage, a Balinese themed interior and prices higher than many city centre Bangkok bars. There's a very nice beach bar on White Sand Beach, just south of Sabay Bar in front of Tantawan bungalows called 'Tapas Bar', situated under a large tree and is cheap, quiet and serves very nice snacks & nibbles.  An antidote the to fire twirling and loud music from most beachfront places  'Vitamine Club' on Lonely Beach, is where you'll meet chilling backpackers, head up the road 100 metres to 'Lemon Bar' if you want to meet gay chilling backpackers., walk another 50 meters to 'Magic Garden' to meet mellow chilling backpackers.  Both  Kai Bae and Lonely Beach both have their share of roadside & beachside bars all offering the same leafed roof, late night, Bob Marley, cheap vodka-redbull bucketed ambience that discerning travellers favour.  Worth singling out as a nice spot for a sunset beer is 'Barracuda' beach bar, just north of the Panviman Hotel, Klong Prao.  Very good food, friendly owner & staff and nice empty stretch of beach. 

Bar names.  Maybe it's just me but I have an aversion to western owned bars/restaurants/resorts named after the owner or the owner's girlfriend.  It shows lack of imagination and a desire to run the business as a boost either your or your totty's ego plus the lack of imagination and thought in naming the place is carried over when dealing with customers who aren't on first name terms with either of the owners.  (I'll give purely Thai owned places a break here as it's not always easy to think of a good Thai name that's translatable into a good English name backpackers can pronounce but farangs should know better.)  Shoot me if you see me in a place called Leks, Noi's, Oui's, Nui's, Nok's, Moo's etc and if, in years to come,  I'm the owner, remind me it's time to take the cyanide capsule.

Baht - The correct way to spell the name of the Thai currency in English.

Bakeries.  Not much in the way of fresh bread available on the island if you don't fancy sliced bread or sweet Thai bread.  However, the saving grace is 'Crust' located in Klong Prao village opposite the temple.  Run by Paul, a German baker with over 30 years experience, the bread and pastries here are as good as you'll find anywhere.  Many of the luxury hotels now use his services as it's the only place on the island where you can get real bread and croissants baked the way they should be. Go there, you won't be sorry.  You can then also suggest to the manager of your hotel that they change the limp toast and tasteless white bread rolls they offer at breakfast for something much better.  In Kai Bae, Pap's Deli do some nice bakery items too - including good crusty baguettes - ideal for foot long sandwiches.

Bart. - Microsoft Word's spellchecker's suggestion for the correct spelling of the name of Thai currency.

Bath. - The way to spell the name of the Thai currency in English if you're Thai.

Beaches.
Klong Prao Beach
A very long long sandy beach and, unlike most other beaches it actually has sand along it's entire length. As with most beaches on the island it only slopes gently into the sea which means you have to wade a hundred metres out in order to swim. No where near as many resorts here as the other beaches - the main places to stay being a handful of up-market resorts and KP Huts, Tiger Bungalows and Thale Bungalows - three backpacker hangouts for backpackers who don't want to mix with too many other backpackers and who don't require an internet cafe and Frozen Caramel Macchiato in order to be happy..

Kai Bae Beach
A popular beach has about a dozen places to stay on the seafront which are often full during high season and very good value in the low season.  These are mainly in the mid-price range - no wooden shacks here with the exception of Holiday Beach and the long standing Porn's bungalows. All the usual necessities (internet / coffee shop / bars / dive shops / 7-eleven minimarts / ATMs etc) are on the stretch of road behind the beach.  The beach isn't as good as others on the island but does have some very nice views - especially from Coral Bungalows in the centre of the beach.  

Lonely Beach
The backpackers' mecca . . . unless of course you're a Muslim backpacker.  Until a few years ago it  was quite desolate and then the powers that be extended the road, put in electricity and the chances of finding peace and quiet evaporated overnight.  Still the place to be seen for any self respecting world traveller and the place to avoid for everyone else.  Nice, clean beach & 'Nature Rocks' is a great place to hangout and people watch. The north end of the beach is one of the better places to swim along the west coast but resorts here are quickly going upmarket and more and more package tourists are invading.

White Sand Beach
The  first beach you will come to after hopping off the ferry and therefore the busiest and first to be developed.  The central stretch of beach has featureless concrete bungalows crammed and mid-price package tour hotels crammed as closely together as possible.  The far northern end is sandy, quiet and has a similar vibe to Lonely Beach, the southern end is devoid of sand, on the plus side it is nearer the beer bars and the only decent Italian restaurant on the island. Good swimming and very good sand at the very north end, loads of stones at the south.

East coast beaches
There aren't any. Or at least nothing that can be called a beach - only a few patches of reddish brown sand that appear at high tide.  Head to the west coast if beach-life is important.  However, one notable exception is Long Beach in the far south-east of the island - a very nice crescent bay with sunset views but not easily reached with a basic bungalow resort 'Treehouse', a branch of the Lonely beach bungalows with the same name that opened in mid-2005.

Beach Access. All beaches in Thailand are in the public domain, however what you often find is that this means nothing if you can't actually get to the beach. 

Thais tend to enjoy going to beach resorts where the beach and the hotels are separated by a road, this allows easy access to the beach for both somtam vendors and tourists. Foreign tourists prefer to stay as close to the beach as possible, leading to the land next to the beach being private property which is occupied by a resort.  Koh Chang's beaches are of the farang style, great if you are staying on them but getting to the sand can be a hassle if you're not. 

On White Sand Beach the National Park office designated three spots as public  walkways down to the beach so visitors could avoid having to wander through a resort car park or past bungalows to get to the sand. That's the good news.  The bad news is that two of these walkways were washed away in the great floods of October 2006 i.e. they weren't built to withstand heavy rain.  One, at the northern end of the beach, adjacent to the 7-eleven, has since been rebuilt and now also serves as an open sewer; the one in the centre of the beach near BanPu Resort is a pile of rubble and also serves as an open sewer and the one that the authorities didn't really do anything to - except put a sign up saying 'Publics Access Beach' next to an existing alleyway is still there and can be found next to Baan Thai Resort at the southern end of the beach.

There's only oneo obvious way to get from the road to the beach on Klong Prao, which is good as it helps keep the beach much quieter than Kai Bae or White Sand Beach. A public walkway to the beach was constructed at the end of 2005.  It's located midway between Klong Prao Resort and Koh Chang Resort and was built as you'd expect, meaning that the builders didn't anticipate the lack of foundations would have an adverse effect on the longevity of the structure, and , you guessed it, it collapsed when the tide came in too far.  But it can still be used with care.  Alternatively, to see the middle of the beach - take the track leading to KP Hut & Panviman Hotel, take any of the rough tracks that lead off to the left after you pass KP Huts. (There are a couple between KP Huts & Panviman and three or four others after you pass Panviman)

To reach the sand on Kai Bae, it's easy to park a bike beachside at the informal campsite past Gajapuri Resort & Ploy Scuba BBQ, alternatively just follow the road signposted to KB Hut and you'll find you end up in a car/boat park next to the beach, from here it's easy to walk along the southern stretch of beach.

To reach the sandy areas of Lonely Beach you have to go through one of the bungalow resorts on the beach itself or walk from the  Treehouse.  Siam Beach is a but posh but Nature Beach or Siam Hut are better bets to park your motorbike or car wanted down to the sand.

Bailan Bay is a bit of a hassle to get down to, and, as the only real beach is the artificial one outside the new Dusit Princess Resort you may not want to bother.  But if you head down to Bailan Hut you'll see a narrow, slightly stony beach nearby.

Klong kloi Beach is by far the easiest to reach, go past the Bangbao turn off and just park by the roadside after you go round a sharp right hand turn, you'll see the beach in front of you.  Walk over  a rickety wooden footbridge and onto the sand.

Beachwear shops.  One word to describe them 'identical'.  There must be forty or fifty small shops on Koh Chang that sell identical souvenir t-shirts, sarongs, fisherman's trousers and bikinis.  A bit of variety wouldn't go amiss, that's for sure but I guess there are still some people on the planet for whom the 'McShit' t-shirt is a 'must have' item of clothing.  If you're buying from these shops, do like the Thais and haggle.  Thanks to my girlfriend's extensive research into  shopping on Koh Chang we've discovered that Lonely Beach is the place where you're most likely to be asked to pay way over the odds for clothing, the shops in Bangbao seem most willing to discount to normal Thai market prices and the vendors on White Sand Beach would rather sell their first born child than discount more than 10 baht from the asking price of a t-shirt (Although you might get  a discount on their child).  I buy my sandals at the local markets, for 200 baht you get well made Thai brands that will easily last 6-12  months without requiring constant use of superglue to hold them together.

Beer.  There's only one place you can get a pint of draught beer on Koh Chang and that's the 'Oirish' Pub - Paddy's Palms on White Sand Beach.  Ok, so it's about as Irish as the staff who work there and has all the ambience of two knocked together shophouses - which coincidentally it is, but they are the only place that has Guinness and Kilkenny on tap and beggars can't be choosers.

For imported German beers with names ending in '-brau' head to Upper Crust, opposite Klong Prao temple and for  a wider choice, try the Wine Gallery, by the roadside in the centre of Kai Bae.  V-mart supermarket in Klong Prao also has a few Germanic style beers from microbreweries in Thailand.

Beer Bars.  The main Pattaya-esque beer bar enclave is situated at southern end of White Sand Beach, just past the 7-eleven and is known by the highly original name of 'Little Pattaya'.  As with the big motorbikes that are available for rent nearby the girls are Pattaya rejects, the majority of whom have had several previous owners, have seen better days but are still good fun to rent for a day or two.   For a real eye opener drive by the small roadside bars in Chai Chet during daylight hours where even the most ardent feminist would struggle not to agree with the diplomatic assessment that the girls are "more than a bit rough". (But there's always an overweight, lobster red tourist propping up the bar, proof indeed that beauty is in the eye of the beholder . . . or should that be 'beer holder'?)

In Oct 2006 the new 'Koh Chang Entertainment Plaza' opened in Chai-Chet just north of Klong Prao. A load of beer bars, each adorned with more fairy lights than an Oxford Street window display at Christmas, in what used to be a covered market. Worth a visit to see if there really are more bars than there are customers.

Wander around the centre of Kai Bae and you'll find a few dimly lit roadside bars with bored looking girls perched on stools just dying to engage you in a debate on  world affairs and the current state of Thai politics or, if you're not in the mood for some mental stimulation, maybe just a game of Connect 4 and a friendly chat about the respective sizes of your willy and your wallet. 

Bird Flu.  No outbreaks were reported in Trat or on Koh Chang.  You'll be fine, it's old news now and everyone has more important things to worry about such as falling house prices and rising gasoline costs.  A few dead birds is the least of anyone's worries.  Just avoid exchanging bodily fluids with any strange wildfowl or accepting offers from natives of the northeast of Thailand to vacation at their free-range chicken farms.

Bookshops.  A couple of minimarts on White Sand Beach have new English language novels for sale direct from Asia Books in Bangkok, as does VJ Supermarket in VJ Plaza, Klong Prao.  Imported books are pricey in Thailand so if something to keep you busy on the beach or whilst waiting for your girlfriend to get herself tarted up for a night out is what you're after then a visit to a second hand bookshop is in order. If you're staying in or passing through Lonely Beach then a stop at Lonely Books at Nature Beach bungalows, is a must.  This is the best you'll find on the island, a very well stocked used book shop with something for all tastes. Lonely Books also have a branch opposite Chang Park Resort in Kai Bae. Tantawan restaurant on White Sand Beach save you the expense of buying a book by having a library service which is worth making use of if you can read quickly.  Other options include the second hand bookshop opposite Ban Pu hotel, White Sand Beach or Kai Bae where a couple of internet cafes also have books for sale.  Reckon on 140 - 200 baht/book.  

Booking accommodation in advance.  In brief. Something simple to do if you're staying in a large 4,000 baht/night resort.  Something nigh on impossible if you're staying in a small family run resort or a 150 baht/night flophouse.  Small places aren't geared up for the information age, as dealing with walk in guests is far easier than figuring out how to register with Paypal and far less hassle than and expense than signing up for a e-commerce package from a bank.  You'll find that small resorts with websites rarely answer emails as the person designated to answer emails doesn't know how to or doesn't have good English skills, therefore any emails containing anything other than an amusing flash animation of a cartoon kitten dancing to the latest hit from some Korean boy band will end up in the Junk folder. 

In high season book in advance if you can, and you'll almost certainly save yourself a lot of hassle finding a room once you get here as many of the places mentioned in guidebooks will be booked up already.  Advance booking, in the case of some hotels six months in advance, is essential for any beachfront resort from Christmas to mid-February, when the island is at it's busiest. On the plus side, there are plenty of new resorts on the island which aren't in guidebooks yet, and so will welcome your custom.  Many of these are off the beach, by the roadside, but some do offer much better value of money as they have to compete on price and not location for guests.

Booze.  If you start to tire of having to choose between Singha, Chang, Heineken and over priced table wine every evening, take a look at Koh Chang Wine Gallery in Kai Bae.  They have a large stocks of imported beers, wines and spirits in all price ranges, the majority of which are unavailable anywhere else on the island.  Many restaurants and resorts on the island buy their wine from here. V-Mart supermarket in Klong Prao also have a good choice with some recognisable Aussie red wines for 500 - 1,000 baht a bottle, they also now sell Thai-brewed San Miguel which tastes as good as the real thing. Upper Crust, Klong Prao have a small selection of good quality, mainly Italian & German wines. Avoid any wine bottle with 'Koh Chang wine' on the label and a picture of a bunch of grapes.  Read the small print, it's fruit wine and tastes like your Grandfather's home brew. If you are a wine afficionado then bring your own to Thailand as you'll be shocked by the prices - wines that cost a couple of Euros in Europe sells for nearer 10 Euros here.  All due to the high tax on wine - both domestically produced and imported.  It's a drink for the rich.

Boring Facts.  If you've been doing a bit of searching for Koh Chang related information you'll have found that the main page of virtually every site mentions that it's the second largest island in Thailand, and many will even give you the area in square kilometres and population.  Who cares? Or are there really people out there saying:
"Ooooohhh Bob, let's go to Koh Chang.  It's the second largest island in Thailand with a population of approximately 6,000 according to the 2000 census."
"Yes, dear.  And it's part of the 52-island Mu Koh Chang Marine Park archipelago to boot. Status that was granted as long ago as 1982. Now, where's my Visa card?" 

If you really want to bore people to death at dinner parties, on the subway or in the pub you'll be pleased to know that there are a total of 1,757 registered addresses on Koh Chang. You probably knew that already . . .but did you know that, according to the National Statistical Office website there are 28 people aged 85 or older, of which 23 are women and 5 are men?  Why not see if you can spot them whilst on the island?  Spot all five, take their photos, email them to me and you could win a prize.  (Or you could have just wasted your vacation.)

Builders.  (For anyone reading this site because they plan on living or doing business on Koh Chang there's a section on building stuff.)  There are a lot on the island.  Some are locals, some from the Trat area and many from elsewhere in Thailand.  Prices for building work vary a lot depending on who you speak to, by a lot I mean 50 - 75%. In addition to finding someone to do the work for you at a good price it also helps to find a builder who specialises in the type of work you want doing. 

If you want a two story concrete construction then you don't hire a guy who makes his living putting up wooden huts - his workers won't have the experience needed to do a good job of finishing concrete etc.  Likewise if you're planning on using wood then you'll need to do some research first on the types of construction materials available and find a builder who can talk knowledgeably about his trade, for example the benefits/drawbacks of using different types of wood; and can estimate prices without having to be on the phone to the builders' merchant for half an hour. 

Bungalows.  If you're Thai then you'll probably check into a dimly lit, concrete, airconditioned hotel room or  bungalow, the darker and colder the better.  If you're not Thai then the notion of doing that seems a mite bizarre.  Aircon is more of a luxury than a necessity if you have a good sea breeze.  Nights are usually quite cool, except in summer - March / April / May - and a good fan is all that's needed.  But all fan rooms are not created equal. 

To been honest I'm surprised by the number of travellers who are happy to stay in rooms which are barely big enough to swing a cat in.  Yes, they're cheap.  Of course they're cheap, they have no windows, bamboo mat walls a plywood floor, a 40 watt light bulb and ceiling fan that does little more than constantly rattle all night.  Why not spend 100 baht/night more and staying in a room with windows, a bed, mozzie nets, running water and space to swing a cat should you desire? 

Buses.  None on the island, but you can buy tickets at most hotels, bungalows etc for minibuses to Bangkok, Pattaya, Koh Samet etc.  Alternatively make your way to Trat from where you can take a full size bus.  Minibuses are quicker but unless you're Douglas Bader or a fully fledged, card carrying dwarf you'll find the lack of legroom  stifling.  The best deal on getting to & from back Bangkok is the government run bus service which runs between Ekkamai Bus Station in Bangkok to/from Koh Chang Ferry and Centrepoint piers on the mainland.  Cost is 250 baht/person.  Both routes run services leaving Bangkok at 7.45am & 9.45am with returns back to Bkk, leaving at 2pm & 4pm (and there's also a return 12pm service from Koh Chang Ferry pier going to Hualampong Railway Station & Khao San Road, Bangkok)

Buying Land.   Unlike other large islands such as Phuket and Samui the vast majority of land on Koh Chang lies within National Park boundaries and as such is off limits to developers . . . . unless they happen to be: a) rich b) related to members of parliament or c) both a) + b) in which case flattening a few thousand trees to make way for concrete can easily be overlooked.  For us mere mortals the lack of available land on Koh Chang means that if you're looking to buy land then you'll have to dig deep into your pocket, especially if you're relying on adverts in English or fellow farangs that you meet in bars to help you with your land search.  

Speak to the local noodle stall owner, the guy in the hammock who sells overpriced litre bottles of petrol to passing motorcyclists and anyone else who doesn't appear to be awash with cash - that's how to find the cheap land.  Better still get a Thai  friend, (not a bar girl, as even the most buxom will invariably fall into the 'breast size larger than IQ' segment of the populace) to help you and steer clear of the Bangkok businessmen who ask for key money.  One final thing to remember is to choose your friends, don't let them choose you.  Word quickly spreads and if people know you are looking for land you'll find yourself with lots of new friends all eager to show you the same plots of land.  It pays to be cautious.

C

Cable TV.  The Koh Chang Television company are the sole purveyors of fine cable content on Koh Chang.  Most hotels are connected up to their 50 channel service which includes news & movie channels,  a few of which are in English.  Subscription fees are 500 baht/month.   Sign up at their HQ in White Sand beach. For your amusement there are also adverts from local businesses, 90% of which are voiced by a former producer at the station and who fortunately possesses one of those gravely movie trailer type of voices and not a high pitched squeak.  Their website is www.kohchangtv.com - my favourite ad is for the Klong Son carwash, closely followed by the commercial for Angels Bar which is a lesson in ways to diplomatically say a hooker bar isn't a hooker bar but still imply that it is.

Cambodian Border Crossing.  The border crossing is around an hour and fifteen minutes drive by minivan from Trat town.  Take a minivan from outside Trat central market. This crossing is far removed from the hectic activity at the far busier Aranyaprathet / Poipet crossing which anyone travelling from Bangkok - Siem Reap overland will go through.  Had Lek / Cham Yeam border post is a far more laid back affair with no queues and formalities taking 10 minutes maximum.

Get your stamp out of Thailand at the small office on the right of the checkpoint barrier, then walk 100 metres to the Cambodian Immigration office - the first building you see on the left. (Look to the right and you'll see the entrance to Koh Kong Casino Resort).  Refuse all offers of help from the guys who will approach you.  If you've made it this far you can fill in a simple form in English without their assistance.  If you don't already have a Cambodian visa, head to the open door of the visa office.  The office looks as though it has been recently looted, with only an empty wooden table, couple of chairs and no information or adornment of any kind on the unpainted concrete walls, other than a decade old map and a photo of the Cambodian King trying his best to look as un-gay as possible. 

The Immigration guys will probably playing cards in the back.  They know why you're here and you'll be given a simple visa application form to complete, you'll also need to supply one passport photo.  You'll also need around 1,100 baht for the visa.  When the hand of cards is over a guy will come and check the form, another will appear with a key and unlock a draw containing a book of blank visas, the visa takes up a full page of your passport, and a third will sigh, pick up his pen, fill out the blank visa stick it in your passport, call the guy who's job it is to stamp visas, wait for him to do his official duty, then hand your  passport back and you'll be on your way. 

Not very far though, only to the 'Arrivals' window immediately to your right as you exit the visa section.  Here you'll have to fill in the usual arrivals/departure card and get your passport stamped with arrival date etc, again ignore the annoying locals who will have these cards in their hands, take one from them and you'll be pestered for a tip incessantly.  Once your passport is stamped you can wander off, pursued by a rag-tag band of locals all wanting to escort you to a guesthouse, carry your bag or sell you cigarettes; and catch a motorbike taxi to Koh Kong village a few kilometres away.   From here on the website www.talesofasia.com will provide you with all you need to know about Cambodia.

If you plan on staying longterm on an unlimited number of consecutive free 30 day visas, you'll have problems as from 1 Oct 2006 onwards as a new regulation means you're limited to three 30-day visas in any 6 month period.

Canoes.  Most resorts rent out sea canoes for visitors who wish to paddle around the shoreline.  If you're going to hire a canoe then it's worth making the effort to paddle to somewhere rather than just going round in circles 50 metres offshore for an hour or two.  From White Sand Beach you can head north, past the headland and onto Klong Son Bay - the bay with relatively little development, palm fringed shoreline, shallow waters and mountain backdrop looks seriously nice when photographed from the sea plus there's some snorkelling off the northern tip of the island. If you rent a canoe from Kai Bae, southern Klong Prao or Lonely Beach then you'll find that paddling out to the islands offshore make for a good day out.  From southern Klong Prao beach the nearest island, Koh Rom, is less than 30 mins away, lazy buggers may prefer to rent a canoe at the southern tip of Kai Bae where the nearest island, Koh Man Nai, is less than 10 mins away across  waters which are wade-able at low tide. 

See some photos of the inshore islands here.

Unlike the southern Thai islands there isnt much in the way of canoe tours yet.  However good mangrove canoeing is available, the downside is that the two best areas to head for Salakkok & Salakphet are both in the south east of the island  - i.e. 40-50km away from the areas where most visitors stay.  You can rent canoes at a couple of places in and around Salakphet from where you can explore the bay, see the fishing village and visit the islands in the centre of the bay.  The Koh Chang Discovery Club, run by the guy who owns Baan Kwan Chang elephant camp, started kayak rental in an easily accessible mangrove forest in Salakkok.  It's a very nice way to spend an hour or so if you are in this part of the island.  No public transport here though, so head to Salakkok on your rental scooter and follow the signs the 'Salakkok Kayak Station'.  100 baht/hour to rent the kayaks.  Follow a numbered trail through the mangroves and you cant really get lost.  At the far south east of the island, at the end of the road past Long Beach, lies Sea Breeze restaurant - rent a kayak here for 250 baht / day and you can paddle to Koh Ngam - lovely beach, Koh Mai See Yai - large island only a couple of  sea gypsy villages on it, Koh Laoya - private island with small beach or even down to Koh Wai if you wanted to.  Koh Wai and back is around 14km, easily done in a day but check the weather first.

An easier alternative is to rent a canoe from any Klong Prao beach resort - (another blatant advert for us, as we're the cheapest place to rent from in the area) and paddle down the nearby river estuary.  You can go around a kilometre up either of two rivers which feed the estuary.

Charoen Pokphand (CP) Company.  Mention CP to any local or small businessman and they'll more often than not shake their heads in a mixture of envy and sadness.  Before it was announced that the government had big plans for Koh Chang, CP went on a buying spree and locals, not realising that a big boost for tourism was on the way sold out to the big generous buyer.  However, when land prices shot up almost  overnight following the government's announcement, local landowners saw that they had sold out far too cheaply.  At the moment CP's developments/interests/close friends include the 7-11s, Changburi Resort, Seaview Hotel and Koh Sai Khao - a private island in Salakphet Bay.  In addition, most of the useable land around Klong Prao belongs to them.  Oh yes, and they control access to the island in the form of the largest ferry company. 

Chang Cruise.  Unfortunately no longer in use - but still in the A to Z for novelty value. Originally a car ferry, then a snorkelling tour boat with a capacity of 300 and finally  used for romantic dinner cruises. It's owners failed in all three ventures. The snorkelling idea didn't really take off as, for some reason, tourists didn't leap at the prospect of travelling by car ferry to the small protected dive sites. It  was then bedecked with fairy lights and moored off White Sand beach.  Phuket and Samui have dinner cruises in everything from old Chinese junks to purpose built yachts, only Koh Chang offered an old car ferry as the ultimate in romantic dining experiences.

Chinese Temple. Between the ferry piers and Klong Son the road winds up a small hill, on the right you'll see 'Chao Po Koh Chang' which translates as the  'Godfather of Koh Chang'.  (Whether he actually bore a resemblance to Marlon Brando isn't documented.) Apparently when fishermen found themselves facing a strong monsoon or a farmers a poor harvest, they would seek guidance from the Chao Po Koh Chang. Cynics will be disappointed to learn that prayers have been known to be answered.  You'll hear Thai drivers beeping their horns three times when they pass to say hello to the spirits.    

Climate.  Either hot & fairly dry or even hotter and very wet; depending on whether you visit during November - April or May - October.

Coffee.  One of the reasons our first plan was to open a coffee shop was that we couldn't find a decent place to buy the stuff when we first came here.  'Earthlink' on White Sand Beach is pretty good but almost Bangkokian in it's pricing.  The 'Rock Inn' in Bailan also serves up coffee that tastes like coffee which is a rarity in itself on Koh Chang as anyone who has had the misfortune of sampling Uncle Dee's coffee will testify.  Lots of places use the extremely average 'Uncle Dee' brand simply because the Uncle Dee Co. offer a free coffee machine to coffee bean buyers.  Save money and buy 'cafe boran' the traditional strong, sweet Thai iced coffee served to go in a plastic bag for 10 baht from a market stall.  A few of the upmarket restaurants also now sell 'Illy' coffee and the 'Senseo' brand of coffee machines are also appearing, to appeal to people who like their coffee to come out of little coffee pods.  

'Moccachino', a  coffee shop that opened in Feb 2006, appears to be the saviour of those looking for good coffee, very nice surroundings plus internet access on Macs or PCs.  But the coffee is nearing the Starbucks price range.  Located roadside in Kai Bae Plaza, not far from KB Hut / KB Resort etc.

Cookery classes.  Another popular way to kill time away from the beach on Koh Chang is to learn how to cook your favourite Thai dishes.  'Blue Lagoon' & 'Ka-Ti Culinary' - both in Klong Prao are two of the most popular places to spend an afternoon choking on chili fumes. The format of most cookery classes is pretty straightforward.  A chat about Thai food in general, an introduction to some of the more exotic ingredients, then hands on experience making  common or garden Thai food  - Tom Yam Gung, Pad Thai, Green Curry etc, followed by eating your creations.   You'll quickly learn that virtually all Thai recipes include adding liberal amounts of sugar, oyster sauce, fish sauce, mysterious seasoning sauce and soy sauce to enhance the flavour. (Adding a couple of spoonfuls of MSG while no-one's looking doesn't hurt either.)  You will have fun, you will learn a lot and you will be too full to eat dinner. Figure on around 1000 baht per person for class, with a maximum of 6 people per class.

Cookie's Restaurant. The most popular place for Thais and farangs to eat on White Sand Beach.  And deservedly so.  Good food and good sized portions at sensible prices.  If you want to eat cheaply simply avoid the seafood. Our dog gets free sausages when he comes with us, we don't.  But we'll get served by a small army of waiters all eager to play with the dog. Maybe not as good as it once was, in which case try Bamboo Restaurant to the south or Beach Terrace at Sangtawan Bungalows, 100 metres to the north.  Both a re also very good.

Contacting hotels from abroad.  You plan to book your hotel with your local travel agent but have a few questions that you'd like to ask the hotel management before you do so.  Not  a problem you think as you've got the hotel's website URL and all the contact info you could wish for is listed.

First, of all stick to the tried and trusted methods - start with a Fax.  You dial, then nothing, or at best a voice in Thai telling you that the number was discontinued years before the hotel was ever built.  Ok, the phone.  You dial and get a confused receptionist, you then enter into a 15 minute conversation during which you repeat the following at least a dozen times each: "Hello, can you hear me?", "Hello, are you there?".  You put down the phone  when the line mysteriously goes dead and all subsequent calls to the same number are met with an engaged tone. 

Finally, thank God for email.  Your message isn't bounced back as undeliverable and you think you're on a roll.  You spend the next day eagerly awaiting the reply, and then you spend the following day eagerly awaiting the reply, and the next, and the next until it dawns on you that perhaps a follow-up email is in order.  A week later you'll then email me and ask me why you can't contact your hotel of choice. Other than the fact there's usually only one person in each 3 or 4 star hotel who knows enough English to answer a fax, call or email correctly (and if they're off sick or too busy then you're screwed), I have no idea.  But it's a very common problem.  A simple rule to remember is that Thais and email seldom mix well. 

Cynical. That's what this site has been called.  Good luck to those people who are happy to live on, work on or visit their own rose tinted version of Koh Chang but this site is for people who have outgrown travel brochure nonsense, appreciate a more realistic view and don't enjoy reading sycophantic muse written entirely to plug advertisers business ventures. Phew, got that of my chest.

D

Dentists. There is one dental clinic, called 'Baan More Fun' on Koh Chang, (opened in Feb 2006), Koh Chang Dental Clinic ( www.kohchangdental.com ) is located roadside near the Amari Emerald Cove Resort.  It's run by Dr Itsakpong and a couple of other dentists who have had their own private clinic in Trat for around 10 years.  The equipment all comes from overseas - mainly USA & Germany and the place is spotlessly clean.  Get your teeth cleaned for under 1,000 baht or a have them whitened and return home with a movie star smile for 10,000 baht.  Just remember, just because a gleaming smile looks good on Tom Cruise or Julia Roberts, doesn't mean it will suit you.)

Diving companies.  The number of dive schools has increased annually since 2001, and with good reason, although the business has high expenses there are very good profit margins to be made.  The ubiquitous Ploy Scuba leads the way.  Virtually every surface on Koh Chang has had a Ploy Scuba sticker stuck on it at some time.  Not far behind in making a mess of lamp posts are The Dive Adventure.  Scubadive Thailand, based in  Bangbao, is a dive school with a good reputation. 2007 saw a trend for smaller dive companies offering more specialised courses 'Scuba Dreams' in Kai Bae and 'Tec Evolution' in White Sand Beach being two of the new arrivals.   I also keep hearing good things about BB Divers, based in Bangbao and with a training pool & accommodation for divers in Lonely Beach.  They're unique on Koh Chang in that it's female-run, which would seem to indicate that not only will they be organised and  efficient, but that there's far less chance of bumping into one of the owners at 2am in Sabay bar trying to pick up a hooker.

Dive Instructors.  The lure of becoming a diving instructor isn't simply the about getting paid to work in exotic locations.  There's learning about marine flora and fauna and the thrill of passing on your knowledge and experience to others who may one day become passionate about protecting the planet's undersea beauty for generations to come.  On second thoughts, bollocks to it, it's all about shagging as many of your students and local female population as possible.  As work in exotic overseas locations goes, it's either teaching English or teaching diving for the majority of Western 20somethings, and, trust me, English teachers aren't on many girls 'must-shag-when-drunk' list.

Dive Sites.  Let's be honest, any one with a real zest for a diving holiday is going to head straight for the Andaman sea and the world class dive sites around the Similan islands or heading straight to Koh Tao where virtually everyone visiting the island is there for the diving, Koh Chang won't be on the shortlist.  But if you're new to diving or simply want to dive in Thailand at a location within easy reach of Bangkok then Koh Chang is it.   The main undersea attractions are the underwater rock pinnacles which range from about 5 - 30 metres in depth.  Whale sharks have been sighted though. Visibility is usually in the 10-20 metre range. There used to be a huge vertical wreck, of a gas tanker, however mother nature took over in early 2002, the ship refloated, drifted into shipping lanes and was re-sunk by the Thai navy.  It's now a mere horizontal wreck in 35 metre waters somewhere between Koh Samet and Koh Chang. There are a handful of wreck dives, mainly small boats and one warship.

Dodgy Construction Work.  Local government staff, more specifically, those in the planning department, don't work weekends.  Therefore, you'll often see large trucks shifting dirt from one location to another on a Saturday or Sunday.  Why?  Because, more likely than not, the work that they are doing is best completed without nosey officials getting in the way.  Once something has been built it's far harder to have it removed than it is to either stop it being built during the planning approval phase or during construction.  Therefore, don't get plans approved and don't let anyone catch you building it.  Job done, but over a period of several weekends.

Dolphins.  Around Koh Chang, there's probably more chance of seeing dolphin on a menu than in the sea, which is why any  'Swim with the Dolphins' tours you see advertised will head to Oasis Sea World at Chantaburi rather than the open seas.  The dolphinarium is only an hour's drive from the ferry pier and you'll have the chance to see a dolphin show and also swim with the dolphins.  (Read the small print, actually swimming with the dolphins  - which is what everyone wants to do - is always an extra on top of the tour fee which only includes a dolphin show.)

On the tour you'll probably also be taken to a gem shop or two and a run-of-the-mill Thai temple, and even Robinson's  department store, as your guide will want to make sure you spend the whole day having your wallet emptied.  Returning home with nothing but photos and fond memories of frolicking with the dolphins isn't the aim, arriving back at your hotel loaded down with shopping and bargain gems is.  But I'd recommend the experience as a way to take a break from Koh Chang and Chantaburi is quite a nice town, it's the centre of Thailand's gem industry, there's quite a lot of French influence - as they controlled this area of Thailand for a while, plus a load of Vietnamese immigrants made it home a century ago and the largest Catholic church in Thailand is here.  Although, as it isn't in the vicinity of Robinson's department store or the Dolphin Show, you probably won't see it. 

With your own transport you can also visit the nearby mangrove forests, there are mountain bike trails along the quiet roads along the shoreline.  These are the real highlight of Chantaburi.  If only someone would build an out of town shopping mall or gem shop nearby, you might be able to see the on a guided tour.

After going completely off topic for the past couple of paragraphs, and to get to the poijnt, there is one place where you do have a good chance of seeing a pod of dolphins.  Head right round the the south east of the island to the end of the road, past Long Beach.  In the channel between Koh Ngam and Koh Chang dolphins  regularly make an appearance early in the morning, that's sunrise early and not 9am early.

E

Elephant Camps.  There are now four camps on the island, two of which I don't have a great deal of time for and one where I go regularly.   To me an elephant's natural habitat is in the jungle and not tethered a few metres from the roadside.  Whilst I'm sure that 'Baan Chang Thai', 'Chang Chutiman' and 'Ban Chang Klong Plu' camps ensure the mahouts look after their elephants well the idea of roadside, drive-in elephant camps just doesn't appeal to me.  These three camps are all in the same area of central Klong Prao.

Infinitely better is 'Ban Kwan Chang', a camp run by K. Pittaya, who is in change of the Asian Elephant Foundation. This camp is located in a valley about 3km from Klong Son village in the north of the island.  There are 9 or 10 elephants of varying ages and personalities.  A couple of the mahouts speak some English and there is quite a lot of written info available about the history of elephant handling in Thailand etc at the camp.  What you wont find though ar.  Even if you aren't up for a ride on an elephant you can buy some bananas, feed them and just enjoy the jungle scenery.  Go there, you'll like it.

Elephant Island.  As you'll probably have discovered - from reading the first sentence on most hotels websites, the name 'Koh Chang' means Elephant Island in Thai.  Surely, Koh Chang was called 'Koh Chang' well before the island was accurately surveyed or photographed from the air so the name coming from the shape of the island viewed from above seems a non starter.  And you'd have to be smoking something stronger than menthol cigarettes to believe that the silhouette of the island resembles that of a reclining elephant.

This is the local folklore, I've abridged it but kept the important parts . . .

Locals believe that long time ago a Buddhist saint came to Koh Chang and raised a herd of elephants on the island. He employed an old couple to look  after the herd. The old lady was called 'Yai Mom'.

One day an elephant called 'Petch' escaped from the herd onto the forest, met a  wild elephant and had three baby elephants out of wedlock.

The saint found out about the matter and sent the old couple to look for the elephant and its babies. The old man went up north. The old lady went down south.

With the pachyderm equivalent of a cry of "You'll never take me alive!" , Petch the elephant ran to north coast, leapt into the sea and doggy paddled to the mainland where she landed at the present day Ban Thamamchat. Being an unfit mother, Petch forgot that her kids couldn't swim or at least not far enough to complete the 6 or more kilometres to the mainland. The three babies drowned and were transformed into 2 piles of rock at the head of Klong Son bay. Today, the Thai name is 'Three Elephants Rock'. (Why three elephants were transformed into only two piles isn't clear.)

Talking of transformations, whilst swimming to the mainland 'Petch', the elephant, needed a toilet break.  Her bowel movements were also transformed into a rocky outcrop, now known as  'Hin Kee Chang' in Thai a.k.a. 'Elephant Shit Rock' - you'll see this from Centrepoint Ferry. (Obviously, Petch was extremely fortunate that her bowel movements turned to stone after it exited her body and not before.)

But that wasn't the end of the totally unexplained transformations, the old lady followed the elephant onto the mainland, but fell into a mud pool and died.  Her body transformed into a rock called 'Hin Yai Mom'. Her hat fell on a rock at the end of the cape where there is now a lighthouse. The cape has since been known as 'Laem Ngob' (Hat Cape) and is now the departure point for passenger ferries to Koh Chang. 

The saint expecting that 'Petch' would come back onto the island, asked for tenders for a project to build a large trap in the south of the islands the southern coast on the area that is now called 'Ban Salakkok'. (This is one of the first recorded examples of a pointless project costing an  obscene amount of money being instigated by an individual in a position of power who is the only real beneficiary is the person who commissioned the project in the first place.  There are plenty of latter day examples on Koh Chang.)

Petch the elephant did return to the island, but being streetwise and spotting what must have been a rather obvious, kilometre long, trap strung between two islands went into different direction.  The saint therefore sent his men to catch the elephant.

In the end, the saint got so fed up with the hassle caused by 'Petch' that he cursed the island to prevent an elephant from ever living there again. Since that day, there has been no elephant living on the island.  (Until the advent of elephant camps for the tourists.)

To see a mural depicting the events above, go to Centrepoint Ferry pier on the mainland.  Then drive east about 500 metres - in the direction of Trat - and you'll see the entrance to a small temple on the left side of the road.  Look at the old mural that is painted on the temple gateway by the main road. 

F

Fire Department.  In case you were wondering what happens if there is a fire at your hotel, fear not.  Koh Chang has a fire department and they own a fire tender.  (Note the singular.)  This is based in Dan Mai, on the east coast, a mere 30 - 45 minute scenic drive from most hotels on the west coast.  With that in mind, best to make yourself aware of where your hotel's fire extinguishers are when you check in - as you'll be helping the staff to put any blaze in your room out.

Fire Shows.  In 'B' for 'Bars' I mentioned 'Sabay' bar. This bar gained it's popularity from the nightly fire shows that it's staff put on.  If the sight of sweaty young Thai guys swinging balls of fire round their heads is new to you then be sure to stroll past at about 8.30pm every evening.  Of course the fire show's popularity has ensured that virtually every beach bar on the island now has a fire show of a varying degree of mediocrity and danger to spectators.  The job of 'Fireshow Guy' now seems to be top of the career aspirations of local teenagers who, rightly, see this as their one shot at getting off with a farang backpacker chick.   And judging by the number of bikini clad babes seen practicing and taking private lessons the odds of that happening don't seem to be too bad.  Down at 'Barracuda Bar' on Klong Prao beach a father and son team whirl fire around their heads. Don't blame Dad for being a bad influence, it was his schoolboy son  that taught him the moves.  So, the next time you think about telling your kids not to play with fire, remember you may be harming their future employment prospects. 

Fireflies tour.  A tour offered by a few of the agencies on the island is a nighttime one to see the fireflies at play in the mangroves.  'Iyara' restaurant in Klong Prao,  combine a meal in their riverside restaurant with a free guided, 30 minute trip to see the fireflies by old style gondola.  Near by, 'Phu Talay' restaurant also offer their diners a free trip after their meal. The number of fireflies you actually see varies a great deal so it's a bit hit and miss - but if you're lucky then you'll usually see several trees lit up with a constantly moving mass of lights. That coupled with the eerie surroundings of pitch black mangrove makes for an experience accurately described as "neat" by one American friend.  Our house is a 10 minute canoe paddle from firefly central so we often get lost fireflies making their way into the house at night - the little buggers send the dog crazy as they zig-zag across a darkened room.  You can also see fireflies in the Klong Son mangroves, contact the Grand Orchid hotel in Klong Son for info on their firefly tour.  The largest mangrove forests are in the south-east of the island.  If you are in Salakphet or Salakkok after nightfall you can see fireflies in the mangrove forests there by canoe or on foot, along the public walkways. 

Fishing.  In the late afternoon it's common to see young locals and construction workers sitting on pier or riverbanks with their rods in hand, having a ball. Fishing isn't simply a matter of drowning worms for fun, it's free food  - which if you're earning less than 150 baht a day and spending half of that on a large Beer Chang & 20 ciggies, is something which helps appease the wife.  After seeing a few decent sized, edible fish in the estuary outside our front door I was almost tempted to borrow a fishing rod but was stopped by one of our builders who assured me that he knew a far less time consuming, and guaranteed successful way of catching fish. 

It's simple, highly effective and, as I later learnt, also illegal - so don't try this, unless you want a bucketful of fish in less than 30 minutes.  Take one 10 metre length of electric cable, throw one end in the water in an area where fish like to congregate and hold the other near a plug socket.  Watch and wait.  When a six inch fish swims within a metre radius of the end of the underwater cable, make a quick connection with the plug socket.  This results in the fish slowly freaking out on the surface of the water thus enabling it to be scooped out with a net or by hand.  If you're lucky and fish are in close formation, you can snare five or six fish in one zap.  Beats watching fish ignore your bait time and again.  (The reason it's illegal is that all small marine life gets fried indiscriminately when you power up - a situation marine biologists describe as being "not a  good thing".)

If you are into your angling, Blue Lagoon have two fishing tackle shops, in Klong Prao  and Chai Chet areas, these stock numerous rods, reels, lures and lines.  Everything you need to spend the day away from the rest of your family. A cheap rod is  only a couple of hundred baht. Sea Fishing tours are available for around 1,200 baht/day, double what a snorkelling trip costs, but that's partly due to far fewer people being interested in drowning worms whilst on holiday.  More seriously, we've had a few guests go on sea fishing trips with a company called 'Sea Hunter' and they've all loved it.  All report that the staff are organised and efficient, the equipment is good quality and the guys on the boat know their stuff when it comes to fishing.  In the day time expect to catch Grouper and Snapper.  At night Squid and Barracuda.

Footwear.  Need a new pair of sandals . . no problem.  You'll be quoted 350 baht for a 99 baht pair of flip-flops that started life by being hastily stuck  together in a Cambodian backwater by pre-teen workers.  Be sure to buy a tube of superglue, you'll need it if you plan to wear them for more than a week.  If you want to buy crap, then haggle the price down to nearer 100 baht.  Fake Crocs should be around 150 baht for adult sizes and are surprisingly durable.

Next option is to head to one of the markets and buy from the sandal vendors.  They sell decent enough quality Thai brand sandals e.g. 'Kito' and 'Adda',  for 200 - 250 baht.  They're comfortable and will easily last 6 months or more with no worries, I will usually lose one of a pair well before they fall to bits.

If you want brandname footwear, forget it. There were a couple of shops selling Danish 'Ecco' brand shoes and sandals, at prices cheaper than in Europe - as the shoes are made here in Thailand.  However, no one bought them and the shops closed after a year.  

Foreign exchange.  Everyone knows that they get a very disadvantageous exchange rate when they change money at their hotel or guesthouse.  So why do it?  Laziness, that's why.  Get yourself to one of the forex offices run by Thai banks where Traveller's Cheques and hard currency, i.e. not your stash of Lao Kip and Nepali Rupees, can be changed at the usual bank rates.  There are exchange offices on White Sand Beach; at VJ Plaza in Klong Prao; near the northernmost 7-eleven in Kai Bae; and near the 7-eleven in Bangbao.

G

Golden Retrievers.  We've got one and they're one of the more popular breeds on the island, if unloved, unwanted beach and street dogs are discounted.  Or at least they are popular when they are puppies but many owners forget they grow and need plenty of exercise.  You'll see a couple of unwanted, stray, retrievers on the island now.  Sad, but that what happens when guys buy dogs for their girlfriend's, forgetting that the odds of the dog outliving their relationship ie. to making it to 12 months, are extremely high.

Green Club.  A 'Koh Chang Green Club' was in existence a few years ago.  At the time I was pretty sceptical about it.  My scepticism is based on the only people I've seen wearing the Green Club t-shirts are prominent businessmen & resort owners on the island; one of whom we met whilst he was overseeing construction of a small luxury development in the south-east of the island.  A project he was happy to admit had to be completed quickly, he was aiming to build two teak wood houses in under two weeks, so as to avoid being told to stop by planning authorities.  Talking much later with the one guy in the original 'Green Club' that was actually into doing something to protect the environment, he admitted that his initial project had pretty much been hijacked by people wanting to promote themselves using the idea of being 'eco friendly' as a selling point. 

The 'Koh Chang Discovery Club', run by K. Pittaya,  is now the leader in projects that hep protect the environment but still provide jobs and income for locals.  They operate a couple of projects in Salakphet and Salakok.  The mangrove kayaking and restaurant in Salakkok is owned as a collective by members of the local community.  They all have a stake in running the business, some put in a little money, others donate their time or work there.  But all share in the profits.  This project won an award for involving the local community in eco tourism development at the 2007 Tourist Authority of Thailand awards.

Graffiti.  You don't see much graffiti in Thailand but Koh Chang is home to a little bit of the royal variety.  Head to Tham Mayom waterfall to see the spot where King Rama IV and, a few years later, King Rama V carved their names into the stone.  It's probably best not to ask the park rangers if you too can carve your name there or enquire as to whether this type of royal vandalism should be promoted as a tourist attraction.  In 2007-08, the graffiti actually became noticeable on the island with many street signs, some corrugated iron walls around construction sites and concrete walls in out of the way locations all getting disfigured by amateurish spray 'artists'.  

Guidebooks.  The expat-run White Sands Publications churn out a free quarterly guide to Koh Chang and the surrounding islands which includes good maps and lots of bland, non-controversial, useful & sensible tourist info and seems to be the most widely available guide on the island.  Expect regurgitated facts and plugs for advertisers rather than an exciting read. 

The company behind www.koh-chang.com, a touristy website aimed at getting you to book your hotel room online with them, also produce a free 'ultimate guide'   However, this guide appears to be targeted at potential clients for a few of the big hotels and seafood restaurants on the island and is therefore full of lengthy outdated prose on the enchanting beauty of the island and phrases such as 'Join with us to come to experience the only one natural of Koh Chang.'

It's possible to lay your hands on free island maps of varying degrees of usefulness and accuracy or you could lay out some cash and buy a fold out map from most minimarts in tourist areas.  But even these maps exist more to make money from selling advertising spaces to bungalows and restaurants on the island, rather than they do to provide any useful, accurate information.  The latest free map, is one of the worst I've seen and is a testament more to the salesman who managed to sell so much advertising space on a map that's of so little use to anyone who picks it up.  

'Siam East' is a pocket guide worth checking out if you are interested in the mainland too.  Quite a lot of info on Chantaburi and Trat areas.  This mag also occasionally has some pretty humourous articles and interviews obviously written by a native English speaker who realises how dull his basic subject matter is and that it needs livening up a little.

'Koh Chang & Beyond' - an advertorial filled free magazine which includes maps & general info guide to the island and Koh Mak & Koh Kood. I occasionally write some stuff for it.  But more often than not I have to write in a tourist mag style which means keeping a thesaurus handy and lots of references to 'paradise island', 'stunning vistas' and 'palm trees swaying in cool tropical zephyr ' and so on, so take it for what it is.

Gym.  After working up a sweat by simply walking around, head over to Koh Chang's first gym, namely 'Koh Chang Gym' located at the southern end of White Sand beach near Bangkok-Trat International Clinic.  It's a shop unit as full of as many free weights as can possibly be packed into 24 square metres of floor space .  A much larger gym, also named 'Koh Chang Gym' is located at one of the ferry piers on the east of the island.  They have a large selection of weights machines and barbells, dumb bells etc.  Next to the passenger ferry pier, Dan Kao pier, south of the two car ferry piers is the biggest & best equipped gym on the island.  Loads of free weight machines and sweaty Thai guys.  Weekly, monthly an annual memberships are available.

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Health.  Every resort on the island has at least one  female member of staff who will dish out oversweet tea, sympathy and a handful of paracetamol to anyone who stays out in the sun too long or falls off their rented scooter.  If your medical needs require more specialised help then you can head to the new large, international clinic, run by the Bangkok Hospital group, at the southern end of White Sand Beach, Tel: 01 863 3609 - it's open 24 hours for emergencies & and takes credit cards.  Expect to pay 3,000 baht to see a doctor, so maybe not the best place to go if you need cream for a mozzie bite. Another option is to visit Koh Chang's hospital on the east of the island a few km past the ferry terminals which will save you an arm and a leg . . . both metaphorically and literally.   A couple of doctors speak  a bit of English. 

More hit and miss diagnoses and medication are also available at pharmacies & small clinics in Klong Son, Kai Bae, Dan Mai, Salakphet, Jek Bae, Klong Prao and Bang Bao who'll all be  happy to let you tell them what drugs you require.  The local clinics are dirt cheap and if it's obvious what's wrong with you i.e. cuts, insect bites etc then don't worry about going there. 

But if you need to explain your symptoms then it's better not to take too many shortcuts in order to save a few baht. There are a couple of good clinics with English speaking doctors.   Try 'PP Inter Clinic', on the main road opposite the turning for the Amari Emerald Cove hotel is your best bet for a friendly, English speaking doctor.  Dr Peeraphan used to work for a well known private hospital and is a qualified plastic surgeon as well as MD.  Same quality as the International clinic at half the cost.  See www.ppclinicinter.com for info.  Another good private clinic with English speaking female doctor is 'KP Clinic' opposite the gasoline station in Klong Prao village.  There is also another clinic ' Kai Bae Clinic' 100 metres north of Cliff Beach Resort, again some English spoken but doesn't appear to be in the sale league as the two aforementioned private clinics.

Herbal Sauna.  The original herbal sauna is locate in Bailan.  This adobe style building quickly caught the eye of backpakcers who headed there to 'chill out' prior to a night partying.  Build a room, build a fire, throw on some camphor oil  - how hard could it be? Not very assume a growing number of backpacker resort owners who now have their own herbal saunas.  You'll find small hebal saunas in lonely Beach and also Klong Prao.

Homestays.  If sleeping in a fisherman's spare room,  waking up to the sound of Granny hacking up phlegm, realising you aren't flexible enough to use a squat toilet properly and then sharing a Beer Chang for breakfast with Dad's chums -  "Hey you! Manchester United, very good.", "You like Thai girls?" -  is your idea of a holiday then several locals in the beautiful Salakphet bay area welcome travellers into their humble abodes for a small fee. (You pay them, they don't pay you.)

Hongtaews.  You won't know the word but you'll know what they are.  When you're travelling around the island you'll notice row upon row of new, non-descript shop units, usually home to collections of t-shirts, beachwear or souvenir junk.  This type of unit is called a 'hongtaew'.  Local developers have realised that there are plenty of people willing to pay a few thousand baht a month to rent 16-20 square metres of roadside space, so it's easy money.  The downside is that most of the hongtaews are real eyesores and if the government was serious in developing Koh Chang as a high end destination they'd bulldoze the lot of them and build landscaped public gardens, complete with rockery, water features and gazebo in their place.

Horse Riding.   In Hua Hin, on the opposite side of the Gulf of Thailand, horseback riding along the beach has long been a popular pastime.  Here on Koh Chang, elephant riding (trekking) is the thing to be seen doing.  Therefore, it wasn't surprising that the one attempt to open equestrian centre, i.e. a couple of horses that would plod around  a 200 metre oval track, failed to take off and it closed in 2006.

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Ice Cream.  Forget Walls, Nestle and the shockingly poor but very cheap 'Cremo'.  Look for the the middle aged man & woman on motorbikes selling coconut ice cream.  They come over from Trat daily and ride motorbikes with a blue sign bearing the memorable slogan 'Coconut Ice Cream' and a picture of a palm tree on them. No awards for originality  but this 'brand' is delicious and a small plastic cup full only costs 10 baht. Far better than other locally produced stuff which tend to combine a crushed ice texture with a crushed ice taste to produce an overall taste sensation closely resembling that of crushed ice.

Internet Access.  Land lines now cover pretty much all of Koh Chang.  So getting a phone line installed doesn't usually necessitate a three to six month wait.  This means that anyone can easily set up an internet cafe, but nowadays the profit margin aren't so high and so fewer new ones are being opened.  More small resorts are also now offering in room internet or wi-fi, options that many larger resorts still dont offer or charge a crazy price for. You'll also find some bars and restaurants are now also offering free internet usage to their patrons. Most internet cafes use ADSL services supplied by TOT or CAT, two government telecom companies. This means that internet access on the island should in theory be the same as the cost on the mainland i.e. around 20 - 30 baht an hour.  It isn't of course because you people are tourists and tourists pay more.  So expect to pay 1 baht per minute for internet access here. However, you'll also see daily deals - e.g. 'Unlimited use for 100 baht a day' which is good but only if you plan to live in the internet cafe.

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Jah Bar. Closed in late 2003. Get over it stoners, life moves on.

Jek Bae.  A hamlet on the eastern shore of Salakphet Bay.  Home to several bungalow resorts hat get the occasional Thai tour group staying at the weekend, and a local clinic and that's pretty much it.  No reason for to you go there, you'll pas through it on the way to Long Beach or Hat Yuthanavy, if you venture to this part of the island.

Jintara.  The playful, artistic elephant at Baan Kwan Chang Elephant Camp.  Feed her some banana's tell her I said "Hi".  Look into her bright, lively eyes, you can tell she's one hell of an happy, intelligent  pachyderm.

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Kai Bae.  This area was the site of the first backpacker bungalow resorts on Koh Chang.  One family here was the first to recognise the potential in opening their houses up to scruffy hippies in the eighties.  Now, 20 years on and  they're coining it in.  Interestingly, years ago the family elders divided their land between the sons and daughters.  The sons, of course, got all the good land, that which was bet for farming fruit. The daughters got the scraps with poor soil where only coconut tree would grow.  So, it's the daughters and descendents, that now own the beachfront resorts whereas the sons' families still have their fruit farms. 

Karaoke.  Question: What beach holiday wouldn't be complete without a night spent in a karaoke bar?  Answer: All of them, if you're Thai.  None of them, if you're a farang. 

Cultural differences you see, it's these little things that make travel to countries poorer than your own so interesting.  Stay here too long and you'll be putting ice in your beer too.

If you feel the urge to make a twat out of yourself in public then you can find a dozen or so places, Klong Prao area is a good place to look, that offer cheap food, beer and a karaoke jukebox - don't expect many songs in English but most Thai songs have transliterated English subtitles.  There aren't any upmarket places that offer karaoke and hostesses in an airconditioned environment. (Not that most readers care, but I do get the odd visitor to the site from Korea or Japan.)

Kicking Ass.  Is a beach vacation too laid back for you?  Do you feel the need to learn how to 'whoop ass' in a divine manner?  Look no further i high season you'll often find impromptu classes in various martial arts on offer from travellers eager to find the finances required to linger longer on Koh Chang. So, keep an eye out for classes in 'Antique Tibetan Kung Fu in the Dragon style'. (It was never going to be in the 'fluffy bunny' or 'duckling' style, was it?) 

Backpacker activity credibility checklist:

• Gives a nod to an oppressed nation? - Yep. 

• Got a bit of tradition? - Sure, it says Antique. 

• Is violent, but in a spiritual and therefore acceptable manner? - Heck, it's Kung Fu - don't you remember the 1970s David Carradine TV show?

There's still nowhere that offers Muay Thai courses or training on the island. 

Koh.  The Thai word for island.  For the sake of credibility, and also accuracy, pronounce it the same as you would the first two letters of the word 'got' and not to rhyme with the word 'go'.

Koh Chang Television.  Koh Chang has it's own TV station which has proved to be very popular with hotels and bungalow resorts as they can now offer a multitude of international TV channels for their guests at hardly any cost to themselves.  Before you get too excited, bear in mind that if you aren't Chinese, Indian, Indonesian or Filipino then the number of channels you'll want to watch is limited to roughly zero, or one if you include Fox News, plus a movie channel showing a DVD.    Imagine your disappointment when the advertised live football on a Saturday night isn't Bundesliga or Premier League, but the Malaysian Super League featuring a mid table clash between Teranganu and Petaling Jaya, live from a near empty university playing field.  Highlights of KCTV also include some locally made content in the form of camcorder made infomercials for tourist attractions and hotels complete with cheesy soundtrack and less than subtle editing.  The ad for Klong Son carwash is a particular favourite of mine. 

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Laundry.  The going rate for laundry services on the island is about 30 - 40 baht per kilo.  Plenty of good laundry services are available so no need to pay hotel rtes if you don't want to. If you plan on staying a while a better bet is to keep an eye out for coin operated washing machines, you can find the in out of the way shops tucked down alleyways on all the main beaches.  These usually cost around 30-40 baht for a full load.  All you need is to buy a 5 baht bag of washing powder and give up an hour of your valuable time to wait for the machine to complete its wash, rinse & spin cycle.  Laundry dries within 30 minutes with a bit of sun and sea breeze.  Don't worry about not having your clothes ironed wearing slightly crinkly t-shirt won't kill you or embarrass everyone you have ever met,  regardless of what your mother may have taught you in the past.

Lawyers.  Whether you've been busted for the pigs for a crime you didn't commit or wrecked your rental motorbike and are now facing a ridiculous demand for damages, you may think about obtaining the services of a lawyer.  There's one small law office on Koh Chang, in VJ Plaza.  However, this is staffed by a clerk and not a 'real' lawyer - he's in Pattaya where the main business is.  Another is in Kai Bae adjacent to Chang Park Resort.  Plus you'll see signs on small offices for legal services roadside in White Sand Beach & Klong Prao

If you need a lawyer for any reason, especially one that involves the exchange of money or property then avoid any based on Koh Chang for the simple reason that you have no way of knowing that they will represent your best interests.  Get a lawyer from Pattaya or, better still, from a well known law firm in Bangkok.  They'll cost more but they wont screw up your life.

Learning Thai.  Koh Chang's first language school opened it's doors in July '06 and as with most ideas that don't involve selling junk to tourists, closed a year later.  It's now a profitable restaurant 'Meals and More' rather than an unprofitable place to learn Thai or English.  You'll find a few freelance Thai teachers on the island. But no organised classes available.  Thais who want t learn English will head to the mainland where they can study in large groups for a very low cost.  The benefits of paying slightly more for a far smaller class size aren't apparent.

Lifejackets.  These are provided, in varying degrees of quality and quantity on ferries and all speedboats and tour boats.  But rather than being designed to keep you floating face up in the water, they are more designed so that non swimmers can snorkel whilst wearing them, and therefore are great if you want to float face down in the water.  The average Thai citizen's unnerving reliance on lifejackets as the only thing standing between the wearer and certain death whilst on or near water is something just waiting to have a PhD. thesis written on.  

Most farangs who travel and take boat trips or snorkelling tours can swim or at least have the ability to float and also understand that the odds of the boat sinking are comparatively minimal.  Thais, for whatever reason, aren't naturally buoyant and therefore feel the need to don a day-glo orange life preserver at the mere mention of open water.   Of course, taking non-swimming grandparents and young children snorkelling and then  relying on lifejackets to keep the dangers of the ocean currents at bay isn't one of the greatest ideas ever.

Locals.  The local population falls into two camps, those who cashed in on the land price boom too soon, and those with a brain. 

The former group sold their land as soon as a nice man from Bangkok came to their door and offered them a couple of hundred thousand baht plus a second hand pick-up truck for their acres of useless beachfront coconut palms.  The latter group, rent out their land but periodically sell small plots when they are offered huge sums of un-taxable cash.  You'll also notice that there are only a handful of families on the island and that everyone in a certain area has similar features.  Pretty much everyone is related to everyone else.  Don't mention inbreeding.

Lonely Beach. - see 'Beaches'.    Sure the beach is excellent but now that everyone and their dog has built small bars and dirt cheap huts it reminds me too much of Koh Phi-phi (pre-tsunami) and it's shanty town, cash-in-quick commercialism. And like Phi-phi (post-tsunami) levelling the place in order to build something a little more upmarket isn't such a bad idea.  In fact, the process is already well underway with Siam Beach resort doing away with their backpacker bungalows to provide rooms suitable for families and US$300 a night pool villas plus the Bhumiyama, a good 3 star, opened in 2005 sandwiched between two backpacker hut places. On a smaller scale the small 'Kachapura' and 'Warapura' resorts both provide travellers who are looking for a bit more comfort but without the hotel ambience very good value accommodations in the heart of the nigthlife area.

Lonely Planet Guidebook. A new 'Thailand' edition was published in mid-2007, the problem with listings for places such as Koh Chang which are developing so fast is that by the time the book is published the information is at least 18 months out of date.   The current guide was researched in October 2006.   So use it to get an idea, but don't expect prices for transportation to be anywhere near accurate and also note that so many resorts and restaurants have opened on Koh Chang in the past couple of years that just because one isn't in the LP, it doesn't mean that it's not worth dining at.  

Longtail boats.  You wont see any of the type used in southern Thailand, narrow, 6 metre long boats with a truck engine mounted on the back.  Here locals use smaller 4 metre fiberglass boats with 6 - 13 HP Honda engines.  These are dirt cheap to run and also well worth buying if you plan to be on the island for a while, the only thing you need is somewhere to moor it.  The cost, including delivery for a boat and engine which is ready to go is around 55 - 60,000 baht, get one in Trat town.  The one proper longtail belongs to Panviman Resort and is used to take their guests on short trips to the islands in Klong Prao bay.

You'll find 'M - Z' on the next page