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Koh Chang Updates & Stuff page
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December 2007 - March 2008
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24 March -
Last update in response to a post on a discussion board about
the dangers of riding a motorbike on Koh Chang I noted
that a Thai guy died in a motorbike accident just the day
before. Worse was to come for the family, in a horrible
twist of fate his wife also died in a motorbike accident on the
same stretch of road 3 days later - just after his funeral.
Left or right? Decisions,
decisions . . .
Last month I had wondered why I
had a sudden influx of Estonian emailers. Turns out that
at a tourism fair in Talin, Estonia recently; Koh Chang was
being touted as a new island to visit in Thailand and were being
recommended to take a look at this site for more info.
House to sublet for up to 4
months. Furnished, western kitchen, 2 ensuite bedrooms,
large garden, available until July 31. Available now, make me a
sensible offer and it's yours.
March 13th was intended to be the
date of the annual Queens Cup Kayaking for Elephants thing, but
it didn't take place due to total lack of interest. Therefore,
barring an act of God, that will be the last chance anyone has
of competing in the Queens Cup Kayak event on Koh Chang.
As I mentioned a month or so ago, it looks like it will be
replaced with a far sexier, more advertiser friendly,
yachting event.
Couple of photos from a recent
late afternoon ultralight flight . . .
Note the crystal clear waters
surrounding the traditional shopping village of Bangbao
Heading into Salakphet Bay
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Visit Koh Kood Year 2008.
Why visit Koh Kood now? Simple, the
new government has plans to develop the island and transform it into the
new Samui.
As you'd expect all the cheap beachfront land was snapped up
long ago, a lot of it by prominent
cabinet members of the pre-coup government who apparently bought huge
chunks of land on Koh Kood several years ago. The Deputy Finance
Minister responsible for drawing up the masterplan is the wife of one of
the MPs banned from politics after the 2006 coup, also a trained nurse.
(How many other countries have nursing graduates heading up their
tourism development strategy?)
So this new plan shouldn't
come as a total shock. This
plan calls for
an eco-tourism development with the construction of an
airport, a waste management facility, ports and water and electricity
plants.
One hurdle to overcome is that the Thai
Navy would have to hand back most of the 80,000 Rai of land on the
island that has been under its control since 1967.
And if you're looking to invest on the
island, how about a 19 Rai (3 hectare) plot with 500 metres of
beachfront and a sunset view. Ideal for a resort or beachfront villas.
Price: 6 million baht/Rai
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The new 4* Centara Chaan
Talay Resort is now open on the mainland, 45 minutes drive southeast
from Trat town. Nice pool, an even nicer white sand beach that
stretches for several kilometres. But the hotel is a a bit remote.
Not a shop or restaurant of any description for several kilometres
in either direction. Also some minor design faults e.g. in the
beachfront villa with outdoor bath. Mmmmm romantic . . . or maybe not if
people walking past can stare at you as you are soaking in the tub.
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15 March - We've
just had a couple of weeks off from the stresses and strains of
doing as little as possible in order to make a living here on
the island. My parents just visited Thailand and this trip we
took them to drive around for a couple of weeks. Came back
to KC yesterday and don't appear to have missed anything
exciting happening.
But if you're in Kai Bae on the
18th then pop into Blues Cha Cha where one of Thailand's better
live ska/blues/reggae bands, T-Bone, is playing a free
concert.
On 30 March there will be a
'Mini-Half Marathon' which is being organised/sponsored by the
Bangkok Trat Hospital, not as a way to get more outpatients at a
slow time of year, but as an event to help local children's
charities. Two weeks is plenty of time to get in
training, so there's no excuse for you not to grab a pair of
fake Nike's from the market and willingly give yourself a good
case of heatstroke by jogging in the name of charity at what is
probably the hottest, most humid time of the year.
Alternatively, just stick a few hundred baht in a donation box
and save yourself the pain. Let's be honest, little orphan
Somchai doesn't care where the money for his new tricycle came
from or how much suffering you endured in order for him to get
his first set of wheels. I know which option I'll be going
for.
Good post, from a guy
running a backpacker place on KC, on the
Lonely Planet discussion board
about the perils of renting motorbikes on the island. An excerpt
below:
"Some things I just don’t
understand on this issue..
1) If you have limited or no experience with a motorbike why
start on an island with such dangerous roads?.
2) Why, so often, drink and drive?. You wouldn’t do it at home.
3) Why go for the cheapest option. Its cheapest for a reason. Is
saving a 100 baht really worth it?
4) Why be surprised at inflated repair prices. Try returning a
damaged vehicle back home. The same rules apply.
5) Why race the locals?. They have been riding motorbikes from a
very early age."
And by coincidence a Thai guy
died when his motorbike hit a pick up truck near Ramayana Resort
last night.
A bar owner from Pattaya brought
his bunch of happy hookers for a works outing to Bangbao
recently, here's a photo of the good time had by all being taken
home along Bangbao pier after their night out.
So a few photos of our travels
around Thailand to fill space until I think of anything
interesting to write about life on KC:
First priority was to find a nice
resort with AC room, pool, spa, 3 meals a day . . .
. . .for the dog. In
hindsight it would have been cheaper to leave him on KC and hire
a couple of people to look after him fulltime for 2 weeks. But
Pet Paradise
did their job well.
After checking the dog in, we
headed to the airport to pick up my parents and drove up
to Korat where we stayed a 4 nights. Korat itself is
basically a large concrete sprawl with no redeeming features
other than it's a handy base from which to explore the area.
After seeing quite a lot of old ruins and doing some
walking in Khao Yai National Park we went up to Khon Kaen
primarily for the silk, as my Mum is a fan of 'mudmee'.
Khon Kaen city itself is similar
to Korat, only not quite as awful. On the drive up there we
stopped at a couple of silk villages - one well known and the
other not on any map, but from where one of the Thai royals
always buys her silk from.
We then had a long drive west to
Sukhothai, saw more old stuff and also had a look around the
Burmese border. Finally it was down to Kanchanaburi for 3
nights at the
Oriental
Kwai Resort, which is a place that all resort owners on Koh
Chang should visit to see how a resort should be planned, built
and run. You won't find a nicer place with better staff
within a couple of hours drive of Bangkok.
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Holiday snaps.
More in the
Photo section
if you fancy seeing places you could visit if you rented a car in
Thailand and drove around a bit instead of parking yourself on a
poolside sun-lounger for 2 weeks of staring at the ocean and vegetating.
Phanom Rung, Buriram - not as popular as
Phimai but nice little Khymer temple with views across the plains to
Cambodia
A buddha in Mae Sot that looks like Mr
Bean, strange as most look more like Boy George.
A crocodile on a riverbank in Khao Yai National Park
Sukhothai - more old stuff that anyone
visiting Thailand should see.
Extracting the thread from silkworm
cocoons, not something you see everyday.
It wouldn't be a real holiday in Thailand
unless a few rare animals were exploited for photo-ops with tourists. In
the absence of pandas, we made do with tigers.
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26 February - Took a
day trip on a yacht yesterday courtesy of Bill & Keith who had a
chartered a nice 42' yacht from
Gulf Charters and invited us along for a day to Koh Wai. The
weather gods were smiling as this was the first clear day with no
haze for a few weeks plus the wind was strong enough to get most
the way there and back under sail. Moored off Koh Wai
below, Koh Chang in the background.
More photos.
Undeniable proof that Koh Chang
will never be a new Pattaya comes in the form of Koh Chang's
first 'jumper'. Regular readers of the Pattaya Mail will
have become familiar with headlines such as 'German Man in swan
dive from 18th floor balcony' and 'Lovelorn pensioner makes high rise
suicide leap'. One problem facing anyone with a desire to
top themselves on Koh Chang has been the lack of tall buildings
from which to throw yourself. However, a few days ago a
guest staying at VJ Apartment didn't let only being on the 3rd
floor put him off and he jumped. His death wish was
probably that the apartment had been 10 floors taller, as he
landed with a thud but survived with a few broken bones
protruding. In Pattaya, alcoholic expats and manic
depressive holidaymakers with suicidal tendencies are
probably laughing at this inept attempt and thinking to
themselves "I'll show those islanders how it's really done".
Keith at Capital TV, Bangkok,
wants to hear from you if you want to have a
less-than-subliminal plug for your business on an upcoming TV
travel show to be filmed on Koh Chang and shown throughout SE
Asia to a captive audience of stay at home Mums, pensioners and
students waiting for the lunchtime repeat of Survivor Micronesia
to come on. Also, if you have
any ideas about interesting subjects to film feel free to share
your thoughts at <
k3@capitaltv.co.th >.
New 2 bedroom, unfurnished house
with over 1,600sqm of land for rent long term in Kai Bae.
12,000 Baht/month.
More
details and photos.
One more yacht photo, leaving Bangbao,
tacking towards Koh Klum before heading down to Koh Wai. If you're
interested in sailing in this part of the world also see:
Koh Chang Sailing
Sunsail Koh Chang
Island
View, Salakphet
Koh Chang Marina
Thida Yachting
No more updates for a while as I'm off on
holiday.
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Koh Chang 20 years ago
What could you have seen if you were out
at sea off Koh Chang 20 years ago? The odd snorkelling trip, a few
fishermen perhaps . . . or maybe dozens of bodies floating in the water.
There isn't much written about Koh
Chang's history, ancient or recent, but it's interesting to try to dig up some
info on what's happened around these parts in the past. Exactly 20 years ago
this part of Thailand was awash with Vietnamese boat people. The
boat people first made the headlines in the late 1970s when they fled
Vietnam. The numbers died down in the mid-80s, but in late 1987 & early 1988
following 2 years of famine, a new wave of boat people set out to sea.
In the mid-1970s this area had got a reputation as a haven for pirates
who attacked the boats carrying the refugees. The women were taken by
pirates and the men usually killed. In the book 'Stranded at
Sea' by Ellen Linnihan, a case of 160 refugees dieing on the island of
Koh Kradad, just off Koh Mak,
in a single 12 month
period, is mentioned.
However, a decade later the pirates weren't as
much of a problem, the locals had chilled and the boat people heading to Trat province were tolerated and put in camps on the mainland.
People smuggling was a good business and money could be made by corrupt
officials. In late December 1987 the Interior Minister
visited a refugee camp and was shocked see the over crowding and hear
stories of human trafficking. His initial reaction was a good thing, but
his new policy only made matters far worse for the boat people.
The solution was to turn back all boat
people. In January 1988 the Deputy Interior Minister presided over
a 'pushing
off' ceremony where refugees in a camp at Klong Yai, near the Cambodia
border, were put on a boat and sent back to where they came from.
Local fishermen were also encouraged to blockade ports to stop any boats
carrying refuges from entering. The navy also ensured that no
boats would be allowed to reach the Thai mainland.
Any boat found carrying refugees was
subject to a heavy fine and the owners subject to 10 years imprisonment.
In early 1988 the governor and police chief of Trat were both replaced.
This clampdown also served to stir up & encourage nationalist
spirit amongst the
locals to prevent boat people from landing by any all means necessary.
The smugglers now had to face attacks by the vigilante
fishermen if they were seen with boat people on their boats.
So, rather than be found with 'illegal immigrants' (as the boat people
were now classified) on their boats the captains dumped the refugees on islands in this area.
That was the best the boat people could expect. The unlucky
ones were on boats that were sunk at sea after being rammed by Thai
fishing boats.
On 29 January 1988 a fishing boat rammed a boat
carrying refugees near Hat Lek, 29 bodies were found. On 2
February Thai language newspapers reported stories of five overturned boats and
80 dead Vietnamese also near Hat Lek. Just over a week later the
UNHCR voiced their concerns to the world
During the first weeks of the pushback
policy hundreds were victimised. On Koh Salak, a tiny rocky outcrop of an
island, just of the east coast of Koh Chang, over 100 women and children
were found - they had been without food or water for 3 days. 71
people were set ashore on Koh Kood, where they were robbed of all
possessions and 17 died. One survivor documented
the events on the island in letters written later to her husband who had
already made it to America. On 19 February UNHCR officials were allowed access to the
islands around Koh Chang and within a few days a
total of 520 dehydrated, malnourished refugees were picked up and consolidated on Koh Rang, the large island where all the
snorkelling trips now go.
Thai officials discouraged any further boat
trips by aid agencies to search for survivors. No accurate figures of the number
who died in the waters around Koh Chang only 20 years ago exist.
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14 February - A
belated update as I've been busy with other more important
stuff.
Love may be in the air today, but
it looks like there's something even more mind altering in the
water in Switzerland. Thanks to Gerard for
making me famous in Geneva. ;-)
A new section this week entitled
'Wankers on Jetskis' this is where we feature rich Thai brats
whose parents have bought them a jetski for their birthday and
they think it's a good idea to race it down the river. Like this
guy . . .
Another new, niche section I was
thinking of creating was one featuring a dozen Thai guys wearing
Hawaiian shirts, banging cymbals and holding banana plants
whilst being paddled down river aboard a longtail boat on their
way to the annual
'Kumoniwannalaya Luau' in rustic Klong Prao.
But these guys below were just part of a wedding procession
- so my plans for the new section are still on hold.
New website for anyone with an
interest in sailing around Koh Chang -
kohchangsailing.com charter hire from Sam and friends based
down in Salakphet Bay at Island View pier. Knowledgeable
guys with a wealth of experience sailing in this area.
Looking for a Koh Chang
discussion and travel tip exchange for travellers by travellers? If so
Joachim would like to stop reading this site and take a look at
http://kohchang.guidebook.in.th
now . . .
One . .
Two . .
Three . .
Four . .
Five .
.
Six . .
Sev . .
Welcome
back! Some more sites to divert your attention, possibly for more than
couple of seconds.
A plug for
Tec-Evolution on White Sand Beach where mere mortals can
learn how to dive with a rebreather, enter the exciting world of 'Tec
diving' and take an SDI/TDI course. Plus you can stock up on all
the scuba gear you always managed to live without until now. Down
in Kai Bae at their 'Scuba-Evolution' branch they blend their own Nitrox
- what more could you want?
(Most of that last paragraph
means nothing to me either.)
On White Sand Beach, Sven had a novel idea -
sensing a fast approaching crime wave of Tsunami-like
proportions was set to engulf Koh Chang in the near future,
he set about opening the island's first Safety Deposit Box
rental business. All boxes require two keys to open them
and are built of triple thick steel, same quality as used in
bank deposit boxes. Rent a box short or long term. Good
place to store your valuables if you're staying here for a while
as most bungalows or apartments aren't known for their security
features. And for anyone here on holiday who needs a safe
place to stash cash, look no further. Located near Top
Resort, free internet for their deposit box customers - and
not-free internet for anyone just wanting to use the internet.
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I don't know who's put this webpage
online -
Toxic Koh Chang, other than they are an English couple who were here
on holiday recently, but good luck to them if it makes the powers that
be take the issue of refuse collection and sanitation a bit more
seriously. Skip the ALL CAPS written blurb where they
unfortunately get sidetracked by the unrelated topics of the Thai mafia
and prostitution and watch their video that was shot entirely on White
Sand beach which by far is the most crowded and polluted of the beaches.
For anyone coming here on holiday - not all the island is this bad.
It did appear as though the garbage problem was being taken more
seriously a few months ago
when the local authorities made a big play of putting out
loads of bins a long the roadside. However, it turned out that
this was just for the benefit of the TV cameras that accompanied the
'Miss Thailand' contestants on their visit here. A month after they had
visited the bins were all taken away.
Definition of
'irony' that one of our guests spotted the other day: A
construction worker driving home from work on his motorbike.
He was wearing his overalls with 'Safety First' plastered on the
back but had a small dog seated in front of him, was talking on
the phone and wasn't wearing a helmet.
 For
a less sterile live music experience try JuJu Bar, which is about 400
metres north of the Amari Emerald Cove at the southern end of Klong
Prao beach. Live blues, 60s stuff, African drummers, jam sessions
etc. Open from early evening but best to eat elsewhere first go
around 10pm. You can also catch the band at Thale Bungalows every
Sunday at 8pm.
In early March the
new
Centara Chaan Talay Resort and Villas will open on the
mainland just outside Trat. Looks a very nice place with rooms
from around 3,000 baht/night upwards. First interesting thing to
ponder is that will the be enough international customers to
fill a mainland 5-star resort as it's hard enough getting people
to visit Koh Chang let alone a beach miles away from anywhere on
the mainland. Also interesting to note that of what
are arguably the three best hotels in the area none are managed
by their owners. The Amari & Dusit on Koh Chang and the
aforementioned Centara in Trat, all manage the hotels rather
than own them, which is a far cheaper way to enter the hotel
market than buying land and building your own resort.
Nice recently built little house for sale / long term rent in Klong
Prao. Quiet area, yet under 10 minutes drive to White Sand beach
or Kai Bae. Yours for 1 million baht on 600sqm of land on a long lease.
More info.
Finally, nothing to do with Koh Chang.
But you'll enjoy it.
Thai police issued this photofit of a suspect. It was based on
witnesses descriptions and is of a man being sought in connection with a
bank robbery at the Lat Krabang branch of Bangkok Bank a few weeks
ago.
A warrant has now been issued for Darth Vader's arrest. |
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3 February -
Congrats to Clare & Kuy from Kai Bae on their new rugrat Maya -
born a few days ago in the UK. Notice how her eyes follow
you no matter what angle you look at the photo:
Moving swiftly on before this
update gets bogged down in a mire of cute photos and admiring 'Ahhh's
. . .
Last update I mentioned that Koh
Chang is the only Thai island to have a marijuana strain named
after it. Turns out that the person who took the first
seeds from Koh Chang to the west is a regular reader of
this site and had also emailed me in the past - small world
isn't it? You'll find Mongoose's site
here
if you're interested in herbal gardening.
We just had a new toilet built.
As civil engineering projects go I didn't figure it'd be one of
the toughest assignments ever. However, we hadn't counted
on Somchai & Uncle Somchai our builders. We used them
because they did a good job fixing our wooden deck. Somchai was
the skilled one who basically did everything whilst Uncle
Somchai carried stuff, smoked and disappeared for hours on
end. So they were happy to have a few more days work
building a toilet.
Turned out that whilst they were
very good with wood, concrete and toilets left them a bit
mystified. The first inkling of this was when the concrete
was poured for the floor and Mam noticed something was amiss.
They'd forgot the pipes leading up through the floor for water,
drainage and waste. This was followed by it taking almost
2 days and several attempts to fit and successfully connect
water pipes to one sink and one toilet. But like all things, it
eventually got done and I know now that the main difference in
construction standards isn't in the materials used, it's simply
the number of attempts it takes to do something right. You want
Western standard, it'll take at least 3 attempts; Thai standard
takes 2 attempts; and certified Isaan quality means they balls it up
first time and you say "Sod it, that'll do."
On a different scale are
these villas at Soneva Kiri on Koh Kood. Yours for
US$6 million i.e around 200 million baht, and upwards for what
is basically a 4 bedroom, bamboo house with a tent for a
roof, a big garden, a big pool and a big fridge a.k.a
'Glass enclosed, temperature controlled, walk-in wine cellar.'
One place where you are
guaranteed to see monkeys (or macaques, depending on how
pedantic you are) is opposite the entrance to Bhumiyama Resort,
Lonely Beach. See them most afternoons on the power
lines and in the trees.
For anyone who thinks the west
coast of Koh Chang is overrun with tourists. I just found
these on my phone that I took late afternoon a couple of weeks
ago on Klong Prao beach. The view south & view north.
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The sea was a bit choppy this week, so
our plan to paddle from Koh Chang to Koh Wai was put on hold.
However, we had a nice afternoon around kayaking around Salakphet Bay.
Couple of photos below, for more photos and info,
click here.
Look closely at the photo above.
Hanging from the tree is the worst attempt at building a swing I have
ever seen.
Talking of kayaking, in just over a
month's time the kayaking around the island to raise money for elephants
thing will take place. I've had several conversations with the guy
who organises it about the fact that although padding for 3 days around
Koh Chang maybe be fun for the participants, it isn't a) the type of
thing many tourists would do b) particularly spectator
friendly c) attention grabbing in the eyes of sponsors.
This year is a slight improvement with the addition of
'funny races' a series of short races which will be held off White Sand
Beach on March 13th. These are open to all - so you just need to
turn up and you can enter. More info can be found at
www.asian-elephant.org but only in the Thai language version of the
site. So not much point looking really.
However, sponsorship for this type of
annual event is pretty much impossible to get. Very few companies want
to payout any money and it's even a headache getting Feelfree to just
provide a few kayaks on loan.
The reason is simple, kayaking may be a
nice way to see the islands but it just isn't sexy. You aren't
going to find corporate sponsors rushing to stick their name on the side
of a sea canoe. That won't sell insurance polices, 5 star hotel
rooms, business class plane tickets, Swiss timepieces or luxury housing
as the possibility of having wealthy, tanned Europeans, decked out
in his & hers Ralph Lauren summer collection, back slapping and popping
bottles of champagne at the finish line is non-existent.
So this year may well be the last we see
of the Queen's Cup kayaking event.
However, if it does drop off Koh Chang's
social calendar, the good news is that there would be a far more high
profile and far sexier replacement involving yachts. So if
anyone out there is interested in sponsoring a yachting event to raise
money for Thai elephants, send
me or
K. Pittaya, the organiser an email.
Not sure what the event would be yet, possibly a Pattaya
- Koh Chang regatta or Koh Chang - Koh Kood - Koh Chang sail. But
one thing's for sure it would get more media attention than a dozen
canoes do at present.
+++
Some land for sale on Koh Mak if you're
interested . . . 3 or 4 Rai inland for 1 million/rai. 10 Rai by an
excellent beach for 4 million/rai. 16 Rai by a stony shoreline, 200
metres of sea frontage, 2 million/rai.
More info & photos |
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25 January -
Desperately seeking Carlos. If anyone knows the
whereabouts of Carlos do Nascimento, a 40 year old, tall, thin
South African guy whose family last heard from him 2 weeks ago
when he was on Koh Chang, please ask him to contact his
brother Laurice urgently.
On the way to Koh Chang?
According to maritime rumour the world's 62nd largest private
yacht is heading towards Koh Chang from Samui. Where will
they park this 68 metre long super yacht? In Monaco they
just parked on the main street as this photo shows:
When you've got a boat this
big you can moor pretty much anywhere you like. It now has
a helipad and each of it's three tenders are powered by 2 x
250HP outboards.
Signs of a sheltered life -
Number 34:
How many of you realised that Koh Chang was the only Thai island
to have a variety of Marijuana named after it? Do your bit
to help local weed exporters and get your Koh Chang Landrace
Sativa seeds online
here.
Worth a mention for anyone
visiting Koh Mak. Call in and see Ball at 'Ball Cafe'
located near Ao Nid Pier. Nice guy, good coffee and a
great source of info about the island.
Trekking info updated with
more photos of the treks
you can do with Tan the trekking guy - the only TAT certified
trekking guide on Koh Chang.
New pool villas for sale on Koh
Mak. 3 bedrooms, pool, 350sqm of living space.
More details.
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Here's a nice spot for a swim and a beer by the
beach. Ocean Place pool bar, Koh Mak. there's nothing like
this on Koh Chang. More reasons why Koh Mak looks set to become
the destination for discerning visitors to this part of Thailand
can be found here.
It's time to slap a bindi on your forehead, gather fifty good friends, hop onto the roof of the nearest train and
spontaneously burst into
a choreographed song & dance routine. Yep, Bollywood's first, and probably last, movie featuring
the delights of piers and dull bungalow resorts on the east of Koh Chang
has just arrived in a cinema near you - if you happen to live in the
Indian subcontinent.
The premise of 'Bombay to Bangkok', which was filmed partly on Koh Chang
in April last year, is that a guy is mistaken for a thief, flees to
Bangkok and meets up with a hooker with a heart - a Julia Roberts
'Pretty Woman' type.
To cut a blindingly
obvious story short, much song, dance and slapstick filled hilarity ensues, they
end up on Koh Chang for some reason and in the end they fall in love.
( I know all this because I've seen the trailer.)
For those of you fortunate enough not to
be able to get to a showing any time soon you can endure the full
interactive experience here:
Figure out at which point in the
screenplay all credibility does out of the window is it a)
When Shankar, a petty thief, in desperate need of
money, steals from the local mafia don and escapes by hiding in luggage
belonging to a group of doctors heading to Bangkok or b) When he bumps into
Jasmine, volunteer medical relief worker by day, massage girl by night.
The hitch is that she is Thai and he can't converse with her at all.
Except through the mystical medium of Hindi pop.
See the trailer on
YouTube and play 'Name that Pier'.
Finally, singalong to the theme song
'Same Same But Different' by
learning the lyrics which include such Dylan-esque moments as:
" I
am Jasmine call me Jammy
Shankar pakka hindustani
Nice to meet u, thanks a lot
You are welcome, mention not" |
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16 January - This
week sees the annual commemoration of the 'Battle of Koh Chang'
which took place in 1941. The most remarkable aspect of
which is the way the outcome is viewed. Sixty years on and
everyone is a winner. Depending on your viewpoint, the result
was either "At a stroke the cream of the Royal Thai Navy
(except the four submarines) had been wiped out." (Wikipedia)
or "The Thai navy successfully drove French navy out of Thai
territorial waters." (TravelKohChang.com)
Regardless of whether you are rooting for the Thai or French
navies, expect to see lots of naval vessels off Laem Ngop and
along the east of Koh Chang in the next few days as ceremonies
for the war dead will take place at the mainland memorial and at
Hat Yuthanavy on Koh Chang from 17 - 21 January.
Thailand's largest expat
discussion board, Thaivisa.com, now has it's own sub-forum for
all things Koh Chang related. Worth a look to get
alternative views on the island.
Koh Chang Forum
Porn's Bungalows in Kai Bae have
a new website. Nice photos of the place and the beach,
but no online booking. It's still walk in guests only.
Bungalows from 500 - 800 baht a night.
Another new website.
Without a doubt the best source of info for Koh Mak is
www.kohmak-island.com Pages of interviews and insight into
the lives of Koh Mak's local & expat community. Plus
places to stay & all the tourist info you need.
More signs of Koh Chang going
upmarket. Tarnsilah Bungalows used to be a collection of
200 baht/night bamboo huts by the sea. Went there a couple
of nights ago and it's now 2,500 baht/night designer concrete
bungalows - very swish. I think there will be more
of this type of development in the area as the same thing
happened in Khao San Road in Bangkok a few years ago with new
guesthouses & small hotels springing up catering to people who
have more money to spend on accommodation but don't was a
package tour atmosphere. And who are still young enough to
want to stay in an area with a wide range of places to eat,
drink & party the night away. The restaurant should be worth a
visit as it's dirt cheap but also nicely designed with seating
on the floor in small salas and one large open-sided, covered
deck. However, the staff still seem to think they are
selling to people staying in 200 baht/night rooms and so both
the food & service was pretty poor. But give the owners a while
to sack everyone and find new staff who can cook & serve food
and it'll be OK. This is the bar area:
Want to visit Koh Kood on a day
trip? You can on the Amari Emerald Cove's 'Supercat'.
It's a tad more expensive than your normal 600 baht snorkelling
trip by converted wooden trawler, but it'd make a unique day out
at sea and it's pretty much your only option if you want to see
Koh Kood and aren't planning on staying there the night.
More info.
 Luxury
Villa for Rent on Koh Chang. If you don't want to stay
in a hotel but want some luxury there is now an alternative that
should appeal to families and small groups. 'Inspiration'
is a 4 bedroom beachfront villa with private pool and huge
garden area. Located mid-way between White Sand Beach &
Klong Prao beach this is the only property of it's type on the
island.
Booking info & photos
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More from Koh Chang's troop of fun loving jokermen, the Tourist Police,
custodians of the Kai Bae viewpoint. I noticed that they are now
reaching out to visitors by offering free stones to all from a table
situated outside their office.
(Hurry, only two left.) Why they
are doing this and what they hope to achieve I haven't a clue, but
the phrase 'Island Fever' springs to mind as being cooped up in a
Portakabin on a clifftop for weeks on end can't be good for you.
Fisherman fixing his net at the foot of
the lighthouse in Bangbao. I like this photo.
I'm not into subliminal
advertising, so this poster works for me, although whether the 'Ultimate
place to be' is in the Casa Del
Mar Guesthouse & Lounge Bar, Bangbao or in the bikini clad model's knickers isn't
clear.
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6 January Happy New
Year, but it isn't. Out of respect for HRH Princess
Galyani Vadhana and in order to avoid falling foul of the
government's decree that all merry making activities in
Thailand should be suspended for 15 days to mourn her passing,
there will be no attempts at humour in this update. Only
factual information and sepia toned reminiscences of times gone
by. It is pleasing to see that all other sites about the
island have followed this lead, dulling down the information in
them to the point of making reading a sombre, sobering
experience.
High Season is officially over
now. Following a record breaking 5 days of packed hotels the
crowds have now left Koh Chang and it's back to normal. However,
with the next New Year holiday a mere 359 days away, the
island's hoteliers and business owners are now hard at work
figuring out how to extract even more money from visitors during
the 2008-09 high season.
What's the most embarrassing
question one yachtie can ask another? "Excuse me. Do
you know where my boat is?". A few days ago, during
strong overnight winds, a nice new 50' catamaran broke free of
it's mooring off Koh Mak and drifted off into the ocean.
No crew were aboard, so when the owner awoke the next morning
and looked out into sea where his pride and joy should be
moored, he found it wasn't - it had disappeared. A search
by speedboat around Koh Kood turned up nothing, except one
yachtsman - who was asked the question above. However, the
following day, the Thai Navy found the cat out in the gulf and
all was well.
The same bad weather i.e. a bit
of wind, led to 30 tourists having to be rescued from the island
of Koh Wai. In what can only be described as barely
imaginable hardship, the tourists who might have had to endure a
night in a 200 baht/night fan bungalow on Koh Wai, were saved
from this fate and whisked away by rescue vessels to
civilisation in the form of 24-hour air-conditioning on
Koh Chang.
Looking at
one site
for a new restaurant on Koh Chang this week I learnt something
new about the word 'Paradise'. The Greek word came from the
Avestan word "pairidaêza-" (an Eastern Old Iranian language) =
"walled enclosure", which is a compound of pairi- (= "around")
(a cognate of Greek περί peri-) and -diz (= "to create, make"),
a cognate of English "dough". So now you know how
Paradise got it's name, how that's relevant to Koh Chang I
haven't a clue but it's worth committing to memory in case it
pops up in a pub quiz.
Magic Garden Resort in Lonely
beach can now be yours for a mere 7.9 million if you're looking
for what could be a nice business for a hands on boss who
understands today's backpackers. I don't. One look at the
Lonely Planet discussion board and I begin to start all my
sentences with "In my day . . ."
Sea Kayak photos around
Koh Ngam & Mai See Yai - including a very nice beach and a sea
gypsy village.
None of the big hotel
international hotel chains have got plans for Koh Chang yet, one
reason may be the high land prices ,another may be that they are
looking for exclusivity and not mid range mediocrity. So
where have Sheraton Hotels chosen to build a resort? Not
on Koh Chang, given the amount of crap being built here we'd be
lucky to get a Best Western or a Travel Lodge, but on a very
private peninsula on Koh Mak.
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I was looking around the other day to see
what 140,000 Euros would buy me nowadays. I found a couple of
places that caught my eye. For example
the house below could be mine for this amount. It comes
complete with 2 bedrooms, a back yard, panic alarm button, shrub
borders, a vestibule and a mock Georgian front door. It's located
in St Helens which is the posh part of Liverpool so you get a
better class of happy slapping hoodie hanging around the street corner.
However, it was
this little beauty that really got my attention as, despite being
a centre terrace house and being in Birmingham, it not only possesses
a rear hall
but also an inglenook feature fireplace and by the looks of things has
already been pebble dashed - thus saving me a job. However, as I had set
my limit at 140,000 Euros it was a few thousand over the budget and I
was forced to look further a field.
Thinking I would never find my dream home
I stumbled upon this place. Sure the selling price may include all
fittings & furniture, but it still lacks an inglenook and those tropical
palms are a poor substitute for a good deciduous hedge. Gas
central heating? - forget about it; and there's no sturdy brick wall
built around the back yard. Therefore, I decided to forgo the
opportunity to buy it, despite it being within my 140,000 Euro
budget. However, if you are looking for an island home which,
whilst not offering all the attractions of an end-terrace in St Helens
or the vista of a mid-terrace in a Birmingham suburb, does come with
with sea views and an an annual mean temperature of around 30C then
just let me know.
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26 December -
One of the things that suddenly struck me the other day was that
I'd never actually paddled a canoe around the islands of
Koh Mai See Yai and Koh Ngam I know, I know, it's the
first thing on most people's 'Must Do' lists when they visit Koh
Chang, but I just forgot about doing it. So what better time to
go for a 16km paddle in the midday sun than Xmas Eve? More photos
will be added when I get time.
Want to live on Koh Chang?
Phase 2 of Tranquility Bay Residence will be launched in just
over a month's time. Prices for units will then increase
by around 12%. There are still a couple of 60sqm condos
for sale in Phase 1. Buy now and you'll save yourself
800,000 - 1 million baht on Phase 2 prices.
More
info
The Amari Emerald Cove Resort would like me to
mention their Christmas Meal and New Year Dinner. Xmas was
yesterday so unless you have a time machine or a hole in the
space time continuum in your bungalow you've missed out on what
can only be described as 'A new way of
celebrating Christmas' according to the blurb in their ad. But if you haven't already
been forced into paying for an obligatory gala dinner at your
hotel and want to see in the New Year in in style then the Amari Emerald
Cove is the place to be seen this 2007/08. See
Amari info for details of magic acts, firework displays and
'a lavish gourmet buffet to cater to every gastronomic desire'
Call them up and ask if this includes
nyotaimori for around 4,000 baht a head you'd certainly hope
so.
Cliff Cottage in Bangbao now has
a shiny new website - see
www.cliff-cottage.com for details. If you have 300
baht to spend on a quiet no frills bungalow with both sunrise
and sunset views then this is the only place to be on Koh Chang.
Also in Bangbao, if you're
staying in the area or simply passing through and suddenly get
the urge to 'chill' then a trip to Casa Del Mar is in order.
This is a brand new Ibiza style chillout lounge / guesthouse in the
fishing village catering to Ibizians and chiller outers of all
ages.
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18 December -
No beer last weekend and no beer next weekend!! Shock, horror,
expats and tourists revolt at not being able to buy beer in the
run up to the Thai General Election. Could life
get any worse? - probably not for the people who are whinging
about it on Thailand's English language discussion boards.
So, last weekend on Koh Chang the sale of alcohol was officially banned but
as usual enforcement was sensibly selective. Crappy little beer bars were shut down but big beachfront bars could
stay open. 7-elevens & supermarkets couldn't sell alcohol
but you could still get it in beachfront restaurant or smaller
out of the way places. At the big restaurant we were in on White
Sand Beach last Saturday anyone could buy alcohol, Thais &
foreigners, but beer was served in paper cups. Cocktails
were still served in glasses as they don't look like alcohol.
So, no need for me to do the old 'water into wine' trick for my
followers.
The obvious irony is that anyone
who feels they can't go without a drink for a couple of days,
could probably do with going a couple of days without a drink.
++
The electricity will be off on
the west coast of Koh Chang on 10 December from 9am-4pm (or
whenever the work is fixed) Due to the relocation of
pylons on the new Klong Son super highway.
++
Have you got your Christmas Box?
This is mine.
You too can get your name on a
coffin by donating 1000 baht to one of the many foundations that
specialise in accepting donations in return for putting stickers
on plywood coffins. In the near future, somewhere about 100km west
of Bangkok, a pauper will be buried in my coffin and their family
members will spot that it was sponsored by IaMKohChang.com.
Distraught relatives, now looking for a new life, will
suddenly find their lives changed when their lottery numbers
come up. They will then then pop down to their local internet cafe and impulse buy a 55
million baht villa at Tranquility Bay, thus enabling me to
travel around the world for a year on the commission I
receive.
In MBA-speak this is called a 'Business Plan'
and is based on the same level of delusion that drives people to
open bars in roadside shop units in out of the way locations on
Koh Chang. The difference being my plan has more chance of success
than theirs.
++
No Christmas Tree for me this
year, as I'm allergic to tinsel and I didn't come to Thailand
because I have a fondness for illuminated pines. So
I spent 9 baht on
decorating the dog instead.
++
Finally in the 'I'll be back' section . . . anally retentive readers will
remember me
mentioning Mr Plodprasop, the guiding light of DASTA the
organisation responsible for turning Koh
Chang into the 'Lost World' themed 'Maldives of Thailand' i.e. the high end,
car-free, eco-friendly tourist destination that it is
today. He's at it again and if his party win the general
election he has pledged (according to The Bangkok Post): "The
coastline between Trat to Surat Thani provinces will be
transformed into major tourist destinations comparable to the
likes of Nice in France," Hmmm . . someone has
obviously either never been to Nice or seen a map of the
coastline of the Gulf of Thailand.
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What to do on Christmas Day? . .
A
couple of ideas. First up . . .
Would you know what to do if
Eastern European terrorists seized the Nakatomi building in
downtown L.A. on Christmas Eve with you in it? Neither would I,
but Bruce Willis would, because he's got a gun and knows how to
use it.
Learn how to protect yourself and
kill people with funny accents. Learn to shoot on Koh
Chang before it's too late to save your family.
The sign simply says 'Shooting',
what at isn't specified but if you're a bloke with tattoos,
shaved head and a fondness for white singlets; then head down to Koh
Chang's very own shooting range and fire off a few rounds.
Whoop with delight and applaud as your mates squeeze off a few
shots. That warm, fuzzy, macho, bonded feeling? That's how
Bruce Willis feels all the time.
1250 Baht gets
you 25 bullets and the use of a gun from which to fire them.
Some kind of pistol is provided, not sure what make, but it's
matt black and so looks pretty damn cool. There's also a
pump action shotgun lying around on a bench. Instruction
is given by a Thai guy in khaki, no idea of his credentials but he
looks the part and that's all that really matters.
Additional bullets are 20 baht a pop.
The targets used are US Army
standard issue, so you can choose to shoot a guy standing with
his back to you having a piss . . .
. . .or perfect your head
shots on annoying toddlers with these 2 foot high targets. Go ahead, it'll make your (Christmas) day.
If unleashing hell on defenceless
targets doesn't get your juices flowing, then you're probably
either a woman, gay or don't salute your boss at work. In which case,
you'll appreciate a quiet walk in beautiful surroundings . . .
This is the badly signposted
Salakphet Mangrove walkway, which is much nicer than the badly
signposted Salakkok Mangrove walkway which is a disaster.
More photos and directions here.
(But I bet 99% of you reading this don't make the effort to go
there.)
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12 December -
Congratulations to K. Pittaya founder of Baan Kwan Chang
Elephant Camp and Salakkok Kayak Station, he's in Bangkok
tomorrow night to receive an eco-tourism award for the Salakkok
project at the annual Tourist Authority of Thailand
showcase for the best in Thailand's world of tourism. This
project involves involving all the local families in the
business, they all share in the profits and can be involved in
the day to day running as much or as little as they like.
He has also just set up a new
eco-friendly project in Salakphet is ready to be launched in the
next couple of weeks. This will be the first of it's kind
on Koh Chang and also involves locals living in the area.
More details of this after Xmas.
(I put a few photos of the
mangrove kayaking in an update a couple of months ago - see them
here.)
++
Elections will be held
in Thailand on 23 December and so you'll notice candidate's posters adorning
roadsides in the hamlets around the island. Below is one from
one guy
who looks like he's made the promise of 'Casual Friday all day every day' the
centrepiece of his campaign.
++
Klong Kloi Beach is a nice spot for a bit of sunbathing and good
views out to the islands south of Koh Chang. I was down there
twice last week - taking people staying with us for a bit of
sightseeing. I warned the guys I was with about what to
expect as the last time I visited it was populated by a
fifty-something Russian tour group. If swimsuits
were war, then some of those being worn by elderly visitors
recently would be hauled off to The Hague for atrocities and hung.
However, this week things were looking decidedly perkier, the
fifty-somethings having been replaced with a far younger crowd
for whom a bikini top is too much hassle to put on first thing
in the morning. "In
the distance you can just make out the silhouette of Koh Kood, the flat island is Koh Mak, in front of that is Koh Wai
and about 5 metres from where we're standing you're probably
having as much trouble as I am trying to ignore a couple of really
cute semi-nude girls bouncing around in the surf."
Please note, that I cannot be
held responsible for lack of Russian totty on view or the
quality. Nor do I in any way condone Maria Sharapova
look-a-likes getting their tits out on Koh Chang's beaches as
this is technically illegal. (Insert obvious police
related 'busted' gag here)
++
Nothing at all to do with Koh
Chang, but there's a new website worth a look is
Not The
Nation, which satirises 'The Nation' newspaper's site and has
far more interesting stories.
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Last year we had a Grande Xmas Charity Appeal which raised a
smile and some cash for those in need - or it would have done if
only the admin fees hadn't eaten up 95% of the donations and I'm
sure this year will be no
different.
But the problem is deciding who to give to when there are so many
deserving causes in the community. Therefore, this year the choices have been
narrowed down to an elephant, a cute kitten and
a Cambodian worker.
Simply insert your choice of deserving causes into the blurb
below and stick your credit card details in an email to me.
Giving couldn't be easier and less guilt free this year.
2007 Adopt a __________ for
Christmas Appeal
Through IaMKohChang you can adopt a __________ quickly and
easily online as a gift.
Adopting a __________ can really help. Koh Chang's __________
population has decreased dramatically as their habitat is encroached
upon by development and and agricultural clearance. This is a worldwide
problem destroying nature, damaging communities and distorting trade.
Around half of the world's natural habitat for __________ has now
disappeared.
From just £10.00 a month you can adopt a __________ . Your support
will help us to safeguard the future of __________ on Koh Chang and
build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature.
Your gift helps provide the huge amounts of feed it takes to
keep a __________ happy and healthy. Plus ensuring they get a
daily bath and routine medical care. All of this costs a lot of
money! Your gift will help provide the best care that each
__________ needs and deserves.
When you adopt a __________ you get a special pack and updates on how
your __________ is doing.
As a foster parent you will receive the following:
-
A personalized foster certificate
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A high-quality photo of your foster __________
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Your foster __________'s biography, detailing
their life before they were rescued
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Two or three updates per year on your chosen
__________'s progress as well as new photos
-
and a choice of either:
a) ' __________s', a beautiful book which details
their intricate society and strong sense of family.
b)
a beautiful __________ soft toy.
c) A car bumper sticker which states
"ASK ME ABOUT MY __________ "
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3 December - I came
out of the bank on White Sand beach yesterday and a Thai guy
stopped me as I was getting on to my bike. At first I
thought he was going to try to sell me a suit, as that's usually
the only reason any Thai guy will stop you in the street for no
apparent reason, unless of course he wants to shoot you. So I was kind
of flattered, thinking at least he figures I have enough cash to
spend on a tailored 3 piece or two. But in reality he wanted to sell
me a few nights at some bungalow place for 200 baht/night.
Which got me thinking that I'll have to make a bit more of an
effort next time I go out. Being mistaken for
middle-aged backpacker with a 5 dollar a night budget wasn't one
of my highlights of the week.
Good news for visitors to Koh
Chang's waterfalls, as of 1 December the entrance fee has come
down from 400 baht/person to a mere 200 baht. This is due
to
Koh Chang now officially being in the second tier of National Parks in
Thailand and so visitors don't qualify to be ripped off
charged 400 baht to see water running downhill . . .as they did
until a couple of days ago.
2008 is shaping up to be entered
in the annals of history as the year that mid-price housing
estates came to Koh Chang. Two are planned for the Klong Prao area - one on a rather nice plot of land near
Ramayana Resort (see below)and the other a couple of kilometres south.
Both will also include huge numbers of roadside shophouses ideal for anyone
who feels the need to pay 4 million baht or more to live in a
terrace with cars rushing by a few metres away from your front
door.
Koh Chang was almost made famous
by Fashion TV last week. Their cruise ship moored off
Bangbao and a photographer planned to bring a dozen or so models
ashore for a visit to an elephant camp and a photo session on
the beach. Fortunately, I managed found time in my hectic
schedule to arrange to meet them and help set things
up. But unfortunately their boss killed the plan and the ship
sailed on rather than stopping overnight here, so the models
never made it ashore and my dreams of an IaMKohChang.com
swimsuit edition were dashed.
Sassi vs Invito. And the winner is .
. .
It's rare that I
eat fancy foreign food as it's not often you'll hear me
utter "I'm starving, I could just do with a nice 'Gran grigliata di pesce
su letto di verdure'". But this week I was fortunate enough to eat at
the best Italian restaurants on Koh Chang within the space of a few
days. So it gave me a chance to compare the two. (Obviously
someone else was paying otherwise I wouldn't have bothered.)
Service - Nothing between them, attentive
staff at your beck and call in both places.
Views - Not
particularly
inspiring or romantic from either, choose from main road & bar girls
at Invito or car park and
tailor's shop at Amari.
Decor and ambience etc - You have to give it to Sassi
hands down.
Price - About the same but I didn't pay
too much attention.
However, as far as the food went, Invito definitely
had the edge - even a palate as jaded as mine immediately detected
it was something pretty special. So, if your stomach is your
priority, go for Invito. But if a quiet dinner in pleasant
surroundings if what you need, then it's got to be Sassi.
Decisions decisions.
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A new elephant camp 'Klong Plu
Ban Chang' has just
opened on Koh Chang. It's still under construction
and at present there are only a handful of elephants, but
more are on their way. The treks follow paths cut into the
hillside above the camp and will give visitors some pretty nice
views of the mountains inland. Find the camp about 200 metres along
the road leading to Klong Plu waterfall.
That building on the top of the
hill overlooking Klong Prao beach is the new Middle School (
Mattayom 1-3 i.e. Grade 7-9) It won't be open for a while so you
can ride a motorbike up to it on the track cut into
the hillside, and you'll get some great views. Obviously
designed with the need to get local kids to do more exercise in mind,
as the track up to it is pretty steep in places.
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