Koh Larn crisis: Study finds there are just too many tourists - visitors may soon have to pay to enter

[webfact]

Koh Larn crisis: Study finds there are just too many tourists - visitors may soon have to pay to enter

 

 

A study by a leading university has said that Koh Larn is in crisis and its present infrastructure cannot cope with the amount of tourists currently visiting.

 

The study - commissioned by the Ministry for Tourism and Sports and done by Silapakorn University - says that the island's size and facilities should mean that a cap of 6,410 daily should be imposed.

 

Yet, as Manager reported, there are often 10,000 daily visitors especially on long weekends.

 

 

The infrastructure of the island means that litter and lack of fresh water are now in crisis.

 

Dr Panita Wongmahatlek leading the study told a meeting that her group were recommending a 13 point plan to help solve the island's problems.

 

One of the key points was to consider charging tourists, or operators who bring them, a fee to visit the island. The money could then be used for improvements that are vital for the island's future.

 

A limit on the number of visitors should be considered and also consideration should be given to allowing the island to restore some of its natural beauty.

 

This is being effected in places such as Maya Bay in the south of Thailand that has been shut for several months though the group were not proposing that Koh Larn be closed.

 

The study group said that litter management and the provision of fresh water was paramount.

 

But they also said that areas like the roads, transport on the island, land rights,accommodation, port facilities and a whole host of public utilities needed improving.

 

The study was commission at a cost of 10 million baht to examine five Thai islands : Koh Larn, Koh Samet, Koh Koot, Koh Mak and Koh Chang. It was given the brief "Carrying Capacity" meaning what can each island cope with in terms of visitors.

 

Dr Panita said that all of the above islands had changed out of all recognition in a short period of time due to tourism.

 

Yesterday's meeting concentrated on Koh Larn and was chaired by deputy mayor Apichart Weerapan.

 

Source: Manager Online

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2018-06-06

[Just1Voice]

This is what happens when the Baht is your God, and to hell with infrastructure. 

 

[johng]

11 minutes ago, webfact said:

he study group said that litter management and the provision of fresh water was paramount.

Don't forget the sewage treatment plant !

[mok199]

Thailand has been sodomized to death by their own,long before the Chinese joined the ''orgy''...

[senior55]

I not really understand why people go to that island

[essox essox]

11 minutes ago, senior55 said:

I not really understand why people go to that island

they go for the nice beaches and clear sea to swim in.....surely you should know this?

Also the nice boat ride of approx 50 minutes

[LennyW]

This is what happens when most of the infrastructure budgets are divvied up among snouts in the trough rather than where the money is supposed to go!! Not unique to Kho Larn!!!

[Anythingleft?]

Greed, pure and simple....

Sent from my SM-N950F using Tapatalk

[stanleycoin]

So, more money is needed to stuff in the back pockets.

Sounds about right !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

[AhFarangJa]

The Tourist propaganda image........

 

The True picture...........

The chickens are coming home to roost..........

[Somchai Logic]

Koh Larn crisis: Study finds there are just too many opportunities to fleece tourists 

[peperobi]

I'm sure that the authorities will choose the solution "fee payment" like in all nice places here.

[VBF]

I love my trips to Pattaya and Koh Larn used to be a lovely change from the frenetic Pattaya - easy and cheap (30Baht) to get to, a trip on a Songtaew around to the far side of the island and a lovely lazy day on a clean beach.

 

That was 10-15 years ago 

 

I last visited in 2017 and sadly, the Thais having failed to learn the lessons from Phuket, it has changed into an over-visited  filthy DUMP! From what I'm reading, Ban Saeng is going the same way (?) so is there anywhere unspoilt anywhere near Pattaya?  Somehow I doubt it....so sad. 

[dcsw53]

Thailand's problem is not enough islands, the solution is simple.  Do what the Chinese do, build some more.

 

Collect and dump all the rubble dumped around the place to form the base, move the rubbish stockpiled in places like Ko Larn and Samui to raise the level and cover it with some sand. Then charge each boat THB 500 landing fee. What could be easier ?

[nakhonandy]

1 hour ago, VBF said:

I love my trips to Pattaya and Koh Larn used to be a lovely change from the frenetic Pattaya - easy and cheap (30Baht) to get to, a trip on a Songtaew around to the far side of the island and a lovely lazy day on a clean beach.

 

That was 10-15 years ago 

 

I last visited in 2017 and sadly, the Thais having failed to learn the lessons from Phuket, it has changed into an over-visited  filthy DUMP! From what I'm reading, Ban Saeng is going the same way (?) so is there anywhere unspoilt anywhere near Pattaya?  Somehow I doubt it....so sad. 

Loads, check out the beaches on the way to Sattahip. Bang Saray is still OK. 

[johng]

Thailand's problem is not enough islands, the solution is simple.  Do what the Chinese do, build some more.
 
Collect and dump all the rubble dumped around the place to form the base, move the rubbish stockpiled in places like Ko Larn and Samui to raise the level and cover it with some sand. Then charge each boat THB 500 landing fee. What could be easier ?

Excellent idea...foreigners 1000 baht. [emoji1]

[VBF]

1 minute ago, nakhonandy said:

Loads, check out the beaches on the way to Sattahip. Bang Saray is still OK. 

Thanks - I did once spend a day on the "Navy beach" at Sattahip, but I had a TGF with a brother who is actually a serving naval officer and we were his guests.

I also spent Xmas day 2012 on Bang Saray beach - good to hear it's still nice ?  At the time a friend had lent me his car whilst he went to UK so it was easy to do,

 

Only problem, for me is that it's a fair trip from Patts which as i said before was what I enjoyed - the ability to have a day trip all on public transport - once a good option, sadly now less so..

[Cake Monster]

A typical Thai method to anything.

Build a Housing Estate first then afterwards rip up the main streets to lay waste water pipes Etc.

This is no different

Develop the Islands for Tourism, and then try to find solutions to the problems afterwards.

 

[Xaos]

Town hall should pay. And they dead in low. Season so on average not. Too many

[cookieqw]

here we go again = tourism to blame = never mind the fact that it must have been a thai who authorised the development of the island

[Media1]

Rephrase to many useless Chinese. Let's keep it simple they have polluted Pattaya and should be bused around shopping and back to airport ASAP

[Enoon]

 

 

1 hour ago, nakhonandy said:

Loads, check out the beaches on the way to Sattahip. Bang Saray is still OK. 

 

If you want them to stay that way I suggest you (and others) stop telling people about them.

 

 

[balo]

Before the Chinese invasion Koh Larn was a nice relaxed place to visit, I used to take at least 2 trips monthly. Then after lining up behind 100s of noisy Chinese every time I stopped going. I actually prefer Naklua beach over any other beach , but I do not swim in the dirty water.

 

 

[stud858]

town planning not a strong point in Thailand.  get the Norwegians in.  Thailand too proud to admit that they can't bring things up to new age standard except for the odd shopping mall. Don't be bashful. ask for help from outside Thailand.  we are all just one big happy planet. 

[maximillian]

3 hours ago, VBF said:

I love my trips to Pattaya and Koh Larn used to be a lovely change from the frenetic Pattaya - easy and cheap (30Baht) to get to, a trip on a Songtaew around to the far side of the island and a lovely lazy day on a clean beach.

 

That was 10-15 years ago 

 

I last visited in 2017 and sadly, the Thais having failed to learn the lessons from Phuket, it has changed into an over-visited  filthy DUMP! From what I'm reading, Ban Saeng is going the same way (?) so is there anywhere unspoilt anywhere near Pattaya?  Somehow I doubt it....so sad. 

 

Went to Koh Larn only once, stayed there for about a week or two. That was in1974.

There was only one restaurant, one resort, no streets at all. Other beaches only accessible by longtail boat. The food in the restaurant was superb. Like paradise, had there not been the noisy longtailboats passing that bay non stop.

 

 

[gk10002000]

I liked the place... in the past, like 2004.  I would be quite content to play on the beach in Pattaya or Jomtien actually, if the water was clean.  I used to swim in Jomtien, but not anymore.  How about they fix the problem with proper Pattaya septic and waste water treatment.  Gosh, can you imagine actually being able to go in the sea while staying at the sea-side resort?

[Rimmer]

Two off topic posts have been removed

[Yann55]

On 6/6/2018 at 9:49 AM, Just1Voice said:

This is what happens when the Baht is your God, and to hell with infrastructure. 

 

 

Or the Dollar, or the Euro, or the Yen, or the Yuan etc... The love for money is indeed destroying this country fast, but let's not forget they're not alone in the club... And the current efforts of the West with regard to environment awareness are paltry when compared with the damage done.

 

Where Koh Larn is concerned I was there very recently during the long Makha Bucha week-end and to say it was overcrowded would be an understatement. The crowds there consist mainly of :

 

1/ (Mainland) Chinese tourists who come by the bus load and stay mainly on Tawaeng Beach, once the most gorgeous on the island and now an appalling tourist factory.

 

2/ Small (5 to 12) groups of middle-class students, mostly from Bangkok, who share rooms in the cheaper hotels, and spend 1 or 2 nights drinking and screaming Thai songs at the top of their voices. You don't want to be in the room next door. These young people rent motorbikes (300 baht for 24 hours) and roam around at full speed on the island's roads. These are mostly paved, and in the many places where the paving is loose (cheap work due to too much skimming), driving fast can be deadly.

 

3/ Russian tourists (couples or small groups) who go mainly to Had Nual (known as Monkey Beach), Had Samae and Had Thian, in that order. They used to be quite obnoxious and loud but it must be acknowledged that they have significantly improved recently, so perhaps that means there is still hope with regard to the Chinese tourists in the years to come ?

 

One more sad observation : the locals on Koh Larn, who've always had a bit of an insular attitude but were on the whole rather welcoming, have now become downright hostile. Most of the staff in hotels, restaurant and beach activities are not Thai. They can be friendly, but it's not a given, as they also tend to mimick the 'local attitude'.

 

 

 

 

[Moti24]

Koh Larn crisis: Study finds there are just too many tourists - visitors may soon have to pay to enter

 

If there are too many tourists, reduce the number of tourists!

 

But, NO!  Let's charge the visitors!  We must keep up the good name of "The Land of Scams"!

[bkk6060]

8 hours ago, Yann55 said:

 

They can be friendly, but it's not a given, as they also tend to mimick the 'local attitude'.

 

 

 

 

And, what attitude might that be?