Koh Lan: Island in crisis as Pattaya mayor admits it can't be called paradise!

[webfact]

Koh Lan: Island in crisis as Pattaya mayor admits it can't be called paradise!

 

Picture: Sophon Cable

 

Pattaya's mayor visiting Koh Lan said that the island was beset by many long standing problems. If the problems are not solved the island "has no right to call itself paradise".

 

Sothon Cable TV reported that Anan Charoenchasri, his deputy and a large entourage held talks on the island aimed at addressing long standing problems.

 

These centered around the issue of the disposal of a mountain or trash, encroachment, filthy water supplies and illegal buildings.

 

The mayor agreed that the island had been neglected for far too long as a number of locals explained the problems facing Koh Lan.

 

The indigenous population of just under 3,000 people from 625 families had 2,000 other people working there in the tourism business.

 

But they were swamped by 10,000 to 20,000 tourists a day.

 

There is just not the infrastructure in place to cope with so many people, the mayor was told.

 

The tourists were 40% Chinese, 30% Russian, 20% Thai and 10% other nationalities the meeting was informed.

 

Anan promised action to address the issues once and for all saying that the island is rightly referred to as a gem but until the problems are solved it could hardly refer to itself as paradise.

 

Source: Sophon Cable

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2018-01-11

[toughlove]

Was doing fine before the Chinese found it and then boom! Up by 40%

[johncat1]

Most Islands around Thailand face the same problems . It is not just because of the poor infrastructure it is mainly because of Thais greed and putting money first    Thais are slowly killing the " Golden Goose " because of their greed

[smedly]

56 minutes ago, toughlove said:

Was doing fine before the Chinese found it and then boom! Up by 40%

it was never fine and is a typical example of Thailand in general, stuffing money in their greedy pockets as fast as possible without regard for infrastructure safety or the environment, 30 years of tourism and trillions of baht it is still a dirty hovel.

[lonewolf99]

It stopped being a paradise when the first footprint was put on the sand......................

Glad to know I am now officially one of the 10% "others".

it is more than a dirty hovel it is a filthy, stinking dirty hovel.

[Henrik Andersen]

Thai are only interested in money and now face serious problems 

It have never been a paradise 

[thaibeachlovers]

3 hours ago, toughlove said:

Was doing fine before the Chinese found it and then boom! Up by 40%

LOL. It was a decrepit disgusting garbage tip long before the Chinese package tours turned up in Pattaya.

Deserves to fail and be abandoned by tourists, but the Chinese love the place for seafood in the grotty hovels that pass for restaurants, so the speedboats will be full for a long time to come.

Toilets are a complete rip off for the decrepit stinking excuses for toilet facilities.

 

I can't think of a single good thing about the place.

[atyclb]

2 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

LOL. It was a decrepit disgusting garbage tip long before the Chinese package tours turned up in Pattaya.

Deserves to fail and be abandoned by tourists, but the Chinese love the place for seafood in the grotty hovels that pass for restaurants, so the speedboats will be full for a long time to come.

Toilets are a complete rip off for the decrepit stinking excuses for toilet facilities.

 

I can't think of a single good thing about the place.

 

 

the water is clear and quite nice but you need to get away from where tons of boats are docked.  they have a 7 11 so you can get normal priced drinks and stuff.

[thaibeachlovers]

1 minute ago, atyclb said:

 

 

the water is clear and quite nice but you need to get away from where tons of boats are docked.  they have a 7 11 so you can get normal priced drinks and stuff.

I'd never swim in the sea where thousands of people visit and the toilets are inadequate. 

When I went I stayed on the small beach other side of the pier on one of the big beaches. Would have been nice except for the b****** jet skiis.

Food from the restaurant on that beach was OK but overpriced.

[toughlove]

LOL. It was a decrepit disgusting garbage tip long before the Chinese package tours turned up in Pattaya.

Deserves to fail and be abandoned by tourists, but the Chinese love the place for seafood in the grotty hovels that pass for restaurants, so the speedboats will be full for a long time to come.

Toilets are a complete rip off for the decrepit stinking excuses for toilet facilities.

 

I can't think of a single good thing about the place.

Oh you big drama queen [emoji23]

 

Total nonsense except for the rubbish tip. Plenty of descent placed to eat. You want 5 star go to the Hilton

 

If you had been there you would know not to go to the side where china's day tour.

 

You go to the side facing Pattaya, grab a bike and explore all the lovely clear water beaches.

 

Forget the name but the one the topless barbie doll Russians go to is a lovely beach with good food.

 

It appears you have only been to one beach so If you want to go hang with the china's then as they say.. Up to you [emoji16]

 

[toughlove]

I'd never swim in the sea where thousands of people visit and the toilets are inadequate. [emoji2]
When I went I stayed on the small beach other side of the pier on one of the big beaches. Would have been nice except for the b****** jet skiis.
Food from the restaurant on that beach was OK but overpriced.

No offense but I would be suspicious a dude called thai Beach lovers who actually lives in Chiang mai... Chiang mai Charlie would have been a better nic?

Seriously every beach I have been to has toilets so no clue what you mean

If your crapping in the water you need to stop!

[Wake Up]

Love Koh Larn and I am an American. I avoid the Chinese beach. But other beaches exist that are great and not crowded. Love riding the motorbike around the island and walking and swimming and sleeping in a room over the water.  30 baht boat ride from Pattaya and you are in a new world.

[RichardColeman]

Maybe the mayor is trying to relocate some of the tourists the hole known as Pattaya beach with its empty bars, restaurants and hotels

[toughlove]

Love Koh Larn and I am an American. I avoid the Chinese beach. But other beaches exist that are great and not crowded. Love riding the motorbike around the island and walking and swimming and sleeping in a room over the water.  30 baht boat ride from Pattaya and you are in a new world.

I agree and even those "disgusting" resteraunts as quoted by Thai Beach lovers are just typical thai style eateries where you can can get fresh seafood and have it grilled and sit inside on a table. What so disgusting about it?

 

Ate there many times before the Chinese arrived but no worries plenty more crystal clear water beaches and resteraunts by motorbike.

 

I like riding on the path that goes right through to the top of the hill . Stunning views from the top.

 

[everett kendall]

There is even a hidden naturist beach, not really a beach but a place to get away from everyone and sun in your all together.

 

 

[dpdp]

12 hours ago, Wake Up said:

Love Koh Larn and I am an American. I avoid the Chinese beach. But other beaches exist that are great and not crowded. Love riding the motorbike around the island and walking and swimming and sleeping in a room over the water.  30 baht boat ride from Pattaya and you are in a new world.

 

Can you tell ne where are the quiet beaches ? Thank you.

 

 

[whitemouse]

Agreed, it can't be called a paradise.

 

Everybody knows, in paradise there are 72 virgins sitting on a cloud,  waiting for a martyr to arrive. Small island in this region would not be able to provide 72.

[Dexlowe]

12 minutes ago, whitemouse said:

Agreed, it can't be called a paradise.

 

Everybody knows, in paradise there are 72 virgins sitting on a cloud,  waiting for a martyr to arrive. Small island in this region would not be able to provide 72.

What a strange and totally irrelevant post.

[Ulic]

Everybody wants someone else to reinvest a portion of profits back into

infrastructure while they want to keep all their profits for themselves. 

Live for maximum profit today. Don't worry about the future. 

[Wake Up]

5 hours ago, dpdp said:

 

Can you tell ne where are the quiet beaches ? Thank you.

 

 

The last time I went was December 2016. Take the 30 baht ferry from Pattaya to the island. Take a motorbike to your left and the first beach will be quiet with a few Europeans far away from any Chinese.  Finish with that beach and keeping going and you will see another smaller beach with even less people and beautiful water and beach. Then keep going and you will come across a huge beach with speedboats and thousands of Chinese and other tourists. It is not on the Pattaya side of the island and it is where most of the speed boats dock. You will see lots of food, shops and people —-mainly Chinese tour groups. Worth a walk for a first timer but I am not a crowded Chinese tour group fan. 

Keep heading around the island and you run into another beach not crowded at all. Head back to the main port where you disembarked and you will finish circling the island to some great cool restaurants. If you spend the night then all the crowds leave on the last ferry and you have a quiet evening looking at the lights of Pattaya. I do not know of any nightlife but it may exist. I stay at one of the hotels over the water near the dock or just down the road from the dock. Go on Agoda and look at all the options. The island hotel will give you a map and the beaches have names but I cannot remember beach names. I also walk a lot on the island.  Best to rent a motorbike from your hotel or near your hotel. Worth going to although you will hear some people loudly critical of the island. I don’t understand thier criticism. Maybe they get off at the dock where the Chinese speed boats depart and if that was my only experience with the island I would not like it also. But the rest of the island is quiet and great experience and 30 baht each way for a ferry is nice. And rent a motorbike. It is not Phuket or Pattaya and easy to drive a motorbike on Koh Larn. Have fun 

Edited January 12, 2018 by Wake Up

[johng]

19 hours ago, toughlove said:

Seriously every beach I have been to has toilets

Where do you think the water from the toilets go to ?

A: to a modern fully functioning water treatment plant

or

B: straight into the sea.

[toughlove]

Where do you think the water from the toilets go to ?
A: to a modern fully functioning water treatment plant
or
B: straight into the sea.

C. https://www.epa.gov/septic/how-your-septic-system-works

[atyclb]

da nang, vietnam beach is typically quite clean and well cared for. u see uniformed staff cleaning it every day.  a multitude of nice restaurants are also there and they do not encroach on or damage the visuals of the beach. the sidewalks are wide open and in good shape, no vendors blocking.

[Jai Dee]

An off-topic Pattaya bashing troll post has been removed from this thread.

[JSixpack]

1 hour ago, atyclb said:

da nang, vietnam beach is typically quite clean and well cared for. u see uniformed staff cleaning it every day.  a multitude of nice restaurants are also there and they do not encroach on or damage the visuals of the beach. the sidewalks are wide open and in good shape, no vendors blocking.

 

So? Off topic and completely irrelevant. We just had a troll post with a long list of the world's better beaches deleted. Is there any member who can't name one? And we've had the Da Nang knee-jerk before as well.

[gk10002000]

It used to be really nice.  Take a speed boat over to the Northern side of the island.  Quiet peaceful beach.  Easy to order any of the fried rice dishes with shrimp or chicken.  Individual lounge chairs, really no crowds.  Not like where you get off on the ferries. 

If they would clean up the Jomtien beaches I would happily swim and snooze and eat and drink there.  Used to do that. But now Jomtien is pretty bad such that I haven't gone in the water. 

Edited January 12, 2018 by gk10002000
additions

[atyclb]

11 hours ago, JSixpack said:

 

So? Off topic and completely irrelevant. We just had a troll post with a long list of the world's better beaches deleted. Is there any member who can't name one? And we've had the Da Nang knee-jerk before as well.

 

 

sorry if my post offended you

[marginline]

On 11/01/2018 at 2:46 PM, thaibeachlovers said:

LOL. It was a decrepit disgusting garbage tip long before the Chinese package tours turned up in Pattaya.

Deserves to fail and be abandoned by tourists, but the Chinese love the place for seafood in the grotty hovels that pass for restaurants, so the speedboats will be full for a long time to come.

Toilets are a complete rip off for the decrepit stinking excuses for toilet facilities.

 

I can't think of a single good thing about the place.

I concur. Great, succinct insight thaibeachlovers! ?

[The manic]

On 11/01/2018 at 2:46 PM, thaibeachlovers said:

LOL. It was a decrepit disgusting garbage tip long before the Chinese package tours turned up in Pattaya.

Deserves to fail and be abandoned by tourists, but the Chinese love the place for seafood in the grotty hovels that pass for restaurants, so the speedboats will be full for a long time to come.

Toilets are a complete rip off for the decrepit stinking excuses for toilet facilities.

 

I can't think of a single good thing about the place.

Many food shacks in Thailand and Street food is good. You call them grotty shovels but they are typical Asian food shacks found in Asia and many Island. If you want a posh location, often where you can not see the kitchen or cooking area, then are plenty of sea food restaurants and posh hotel. I agree the beaches are not unspoilt paradise style beaches but the Island is cheap to get to, about a dollar and you can get cheap transport to all the beaches to find the best one and generally have a good day out there.  

[JSixpack]

9 hours ago, atyclb said:

sorry if my post offended you

 

 

So you may wish. But in fact I enjoy helping ease trolls out of the forum. Keep it up.