November 30
If you are in the Klong Prao area you can paddle a canoe to see elephants bathing in the river. Get your timing wrong and you see their backsides disappearing into the distance as they walk back upstream towards the camp, as shown here. Elephants from Baan Chang Thai bathe in the Klong Plu river at a location that is about 10 minutes paddle inland from the mouth of the estuary. More photos exploring the river in this Photo Gallery
A couple of days ago this story appeared in the Dail mail newspaper. ‘British couple subjected to vile ‘Clockwork Orange’ style sex attack on Thailand holiday.’ which related to an incident that took place last week on Koh Chang. This story has today appeared in other national newspapers in the UK. Since the original story, which was short on actual detail, was printed more concrete information has come out which should reassure visitors that this type of incident could happen anywhere and is just unfortunate that it took place Koh Chang.
( 5 December: The story is in more UK papers including The Sun and Scotland Yard is involved now.)
The alleged perpetrators were apparently a couple of fairly well known French guys and an Englishwoman, all from Pattaya and not Thais or anyone actually living on the island. According to the police report they met their ‘victims’ in Sabay Bar on White Sand Beach, drugged them and then went back to the couple’s bungalow at White Sand Garden, a small resort located inland in the centre of White Sand beach, about 5 minutes walk away from the bar, where the attack then took place.
Only a couple of weeks ago a woman was attacked at 9.30pm as she walked along the beach at the southern end of Klong Prao beach. This within a couple of hundred metres walk of several large resorts and beach restaurants. The guy, either Thai or Cambodian, tried to steal her necklace.
Koh Chang is changing for the worse but there’s still a long long way to go before it reaches Samui, Phuket or Pattaya levels of crime.
If reading that is getting you all stressed out then what you need is a relaxing Fish Spa. These have taken off in a big way in Thailand and now entrepreneurs on Koh Chang are getting in on the act by providing this novel way to feed fish. ‘Dr Fish’ is based in Kai Bae but if you fancy having fish nibble your extremities in a more upmarket atmosphere, Panviman Resort in Klong Prao also offers fish spas from 300 baht.
Elsewhere in Kai Bae there’s a new entrant in Koh Chang’s Ugliest Resort competition. It is buildings like this that make a strong case for banning locals from being allowed to develop their own island. Leave it to wealthy outsiders who pay huge amounts to employ teams of architects and designers who dress in black, carry an iphone and drive a Honda Jazz to work in order to save the planet. They will come up with a ‘concept’ based on their ‘vision’ which ‘blends form with function’ which costs a truckfull of cash but more often than not doesn’t result in the client being handed the keys to a concrete box with ill-fitting aluminium windows.
And if you thought that was bad. How about the 3,000 baht/month roadside shop units, all 48 of them, that stretch as far as the eye can see outside Klong Prao Resort. Or it may just be inspired advance planning, as if there’s ever an F1 race on Koh Chang this would make an ideal pit lane.
I was going to add something cheery and optimistic but as I’m on a roll I’ll forget that for now and mention the new beer bar area that’s being developed in Kai Bae in the ‘Walking Street’ area close to Cliff Beach Resort. They’ll be a dozen or more small beer bars plus the island’s first ‘Coyote Bar’ – like a go-go bar but the girls keep most of their clothes on. Bars here are available for rent, so if you’ve ever pictured yourself pimping Isaan farmgirls for a living now’s the time to ‘invest’. A ready made beer bar including basic furnishings such as beer fridge, bar stools and a tasteful painting of a naked woman can be yours for 250,000 Baht – just bring the booze and girls.
You might want to escape to Koh Mak if Koh Chang isn’t your cup of tea. A new speedboat service run by Kai Bae Hut Speedboat leaves Kai Bae at 1100am, calling in at Koh Wai, Koh Kham, Koh Rayang, Koh Mak before arriving at Koh Kood. Get your ticket from most tour agents.
My favourite email this week . . .
Hello!
Can you help me please?
While visiting Koh Chang I bought at OTOP shop (Salakpet) some product made of ants, but I did not understand what is it? Dont you know what is it?
Thank you.
And finally, despite all the crap that’s being built and the island’s slow slide into becoming a Samui-esque tourist trap, you can still find easy to follow tracks up some hills and end up with a view like this after only 15 minutes walk from the main road.
Hello! Can you help me please? While visiting Koh Chang I bought at OTOP shop (Salakpet) some product made of ants, but I did not understand what is it? Dont you know what is it? Thank you.
