Koh Chang - A Paradise Lost

[wilko]

Koh Chang - A Paradise Lost…

It is unfortunate that many travelers to Thailand are rather uncritical about their environment and the effect tourism is having on the islands of the Kingdom. Koh Chang is a terrible example of unregulated tourist development gone mad.

I first went to Koh Chang in 2003 and was rather disturbed by what I found and what has happened in the subsequent years I find even more disturbing.

Koh Chang is the second largest island in Thailand. Given an unexpected boost by the post-tsunami unpopularity of the west coast (i.e. Phuket) an ever increasing number of western tourists are heading for this island...here is my polemic on why this is not so good....

I've been to Koh Chang many times over the past few years, largely because it's near to where I live, and every time a friend comes to stay this is the most convenient "paradise island” to take them to... My brother even got married there in March 2005.

So what’s wrong with this slice of “bounty” advert?

(Deep breath)

Koh Chang is a tragedy....it’s being badly developed, it’s overpriced and it's going down hill at a rate of knots......

Why? The land for development was all bought up by bigwig friends of the "great and powerful" and now anyone who wants to set up a business there has to pay through the nose for it. All the hotels are overpriced even when you compare with Phuket and Samui. The insensitive despoiling of the island had started before the Tsunami as the island had been ear-marked for development by releasing the flat coastal land a few years before. Whether it ever appeared for sale on the open market I don’t know. In the post tsunami era the island’s desecration has continued with increased vigour as developers realised the new potential. Most locals never saw any of this ...they were either bought out early or have land not sought by the developers.

Almost all the west coast is now covered with awful self-contained resorts, built with no thought for the environment, conservation or island infrastructure. They also restrict access to the beach for others.They are for the most part badly designed and ill finished. Appearance is all, the places are little more than decorated concrete sheds. Health and safety is simply not addressed - some of the pool designs look positively lethal. Slippery tiles adorn pool-side and bathroom alike. The building never stops; frequently you can find your room is on a building site. It is unlikely the hotel will warn you of this. This is now greatly restricting the amount of beach that is accessible to the public; it can only be a matter of time before all the good sandy beaches become resort owned or dominated sea fronts.

If you're coming from Europe or the States you'll find that the cost of living and rooms is cheap but not compared to elsewhere in Thailand. You'll love the sunsets and the white sand, you won't wonder where all the sewage is going and what happened to the mangroves, farmland or the fishing industry that gets smaller catches every year, or the fishing villages being turned into souvenir arcades-com-hotels.

The centre of Koh Chang is a national park, but unlike all of Thailand's other National Parks, apart from the odd waterfall, no-one is allowed inside, you can get a guide who will take you in but strictly speaking that's against the law. There is virtually no effort made to set up a good system of eco-tourism in the park as you might find in Australia. “Jungle Trekking” is now increasingly offered at the numerous travel shops; without proper regulation this will be anything but eco-friendly, and yet another part of the island is under threat.

There is only one road around KC and it doesn't go all the way round, it's a horse-shoe affair. There was a motorbike track that connects the two ends but it's not for the faint of heart and now partially washed away. Built originally for logging traffic, the main road is barely more than single track (asphalted) but cannot cope with the ever increasing load of cars trucks, pickups and Song Taews pouring onto the island. Most of the bridges have been washed out and are replaced by drains covered over with rubble – beware of hitting these at night or on a motorbike.

As KC is the second biggest island in Thailand, walking around it in a day is not an option. KC is also very mountainous and the roads are very windy and hilly and the resorts can be a long way from any shops, night-life etc, the baht taxi service (song taew) is still very haphazard and patchy and any where you want to go is further than you want to walk, so it’s really useful to hire a motorbike or car; these are about 50% to 100 % more than on the mainland. It might even be worth hiring a vehicle on the mainland and driving there (Pattaya is about a 4 ½ hour drive to the KC ferries - fare [approximately 120 e/w for cars plus 100 for passengers].

Warning! As it is extremely hilly, and the surface on the hairpin bends has been polished by years of scrubbing tyres and little maintenance. DON”T rent a room near any of the steep hills as the squealing of tyres around the bends will keep you awake all night.

Where to stay? The first “town” most people come to is White Sands, is the probably the largest conglomeration on the island, it’s an increasingly crowded long strip of hotels, resorts, restaurants, gift shops, tailors and motley bars about 3 km long built between sea and mountain,. The building over the last 3 years has completely filled the space between hills and shore. The developers have now started to dig away at the hills behind and are erecting buildings wherever they can - between the mudslides. One wonders how long it will be before a cliff collapses and takes a building with it. Look above the buildings to see evidence of land-slip....

If you arrive on foot with no hotel booked a baht taxi will take you from the ferry to Whitesands and drop you there. (So long as he has a full load at the ferry or he'll want you to foot the extra money before he sets off.) You will then have to find somewhere to stay this is impossible on foot and with luggage so book in advance at least for the first night. Then get some wheels, car/Jeep or motorbike and look around the next day for a place you like.

There is no airport on KC itself, if you go by plane you'll land at Trat airport which is on the mainland quite near to the ferries to KC. Get a taxi to the ferry - only a few baht. There are several ferries across, the crossing takes 45 to 90 min, depending on which ferry you take. On one ferry I paid 30 e/w for me and my car, on another I paid 360 baht for my car an five people return. The ferries can now be very over stretched at high season and week-ends – even thought there is a new car-park the queues can extend back up the hill for quite a way.

Now you may think I hate the place, well I don't, I just get very disappointed in the direction the powers-that-be have taken KC, it's lack of infrastructure and any forward planning will mean that sooner rather than later this place will become a collection of overpriced resorts and nothing else.

For resorts with a beach, Klong Prao Beach is probably as good as it gets, there are about 4 resorts there actually with beach frontage, The Paradise is all nicely built new bungalows, very tightly packed, Coconut and Royal Coconut are next to that and Klong Prao resort has a long beach front and good pool beside the sea. All are constantly redeveloping to increase the density of accommodation within a given strip of beach.

Indeed, the last time I stayed at Klong Prao Resort in last August (2005) the place was a building site. They didn't tell me until the day I arrived even though I was a regular guest there. If you do book in advance you must ask about this sort of thing because you will very likely not be told by the staff. Building also precedes a hike in prices. I used to pay 1800 baht to stay there. That time I paid 1750, a discount of 50 baht (just over a dollar) because it was the wet season and there was building going on! I was told the new price is 3500 baht and that was what they would still charge whilst the building was continuing. In fact as of Feb 2007 you should be able to get a room for about 2800 baht.

If you want a more isolated place with less frantic development you will have to go round to “Long Beach” on the far South East side of the island. This side is less chopped about as there a few beaches of any significance, the exception being Long beach...it’s not that good either! It’s accessible by dirt road sections of which get washed away every rainy season, but quite a pleasant drive with lots of good views. Accommodation is “basic to good hippy”

Wherever you decide to stay - CHECK BEFORE YOU GO ABOUT BUILDING WORK.....ESPECIALLY IN THE WET SEASON!

The problem with Koh Chang is that it is changing and changing rapidly for the worse. Hotels are constantly building and encroaching on the environment. Prices are rising and beach access is getting more and more taken over by private resorts. The days of a hut on the beach for 200 baht are in fact, virtually gone. The scuba divers are going further and further a field in search of clear water and fish, and don’t be kidded that so long as the hotel claims to be by the sea that it has a beach! (v. Ramayana!!)

Untrammelled development is occurring all over the islands of Thailand and visitors to the country should be aware of the unsympathetic, unregulated development that is taking place here. It is happening everywhere; Samui has suffered in particular at the hands of unscrupulous “developers” and the same thing is happening on Koh Chang and it is now beginning to spread to the rest of the islands in the archipelago.

However, I think that Koh Chang is unique in regards to this as it is not only the second largest island in Thailand. (Phuket is the largest but connected to the mainland by road) but the most recently developed. Even as you lie on the beach, an opportunity is being missed here to avoid all the mistakes made on the other “paradise” islands.

Anyone will tell you that their favourite island has changed beyond recognition in the last few years, but Koh Chang still in my opinion has a chance of changing its ways especially if people are made aware of the situation before they go. Business interests on the island will react to market forces, there is little hope for swift and effective government intervention, as this is almost without precedent in Thailand. During a 2 week stay it is unlikely that the average visitor will become aware of the larger issues surrounding the conservation and development of the island, so I would hope that some at least will think before they go, and ask questions like...

• Where does the sewerage go?

• Where are the mangroves?

• What happened to the local agricultural industries?

• What do the fishermen do now?

• Where are all the fish?

• Where does the water come from and where does it go?

• What is the sea water quality on my beach?

• How is the coral?

• Who is looking after the marine and forest nature reserves?

• Why is there no satisfactory public access?

• Who owns the land?

It is quite possible that in the future Thailand could run out of islands to develop and lose one of its main attractions as a tourist destination. All this will be achieved with your money…you are paying for the development on these islands; it is your money that makes these short term goals achievable.

PS - If you want up to date local info on KC, try this site: IamKohChang.com

a good site for info on Koh Chang and sounds like an interesting place to stay too!

PPS – I cannot recommend the Ramayana and Boutique resorts!

Edited January 15, 2008 by wilko

[Goshawk]

thread title : Koh Chang - A Paradise Lost, Here's my twohalfpence on this tragic isalnd (sic)

Koh Chang is a tragedy....it’s being badly developed, it’s overpriced and it's going down hill at a rate of knots......

interesting that this comes from the guy who campaigned for a dedicated Koh Chang forum..

[wilko]

I glad to see you're interested too....I'm interested in KC and sorry to see it turning into a dump!

[thaitot]

The original poster cares about this place It is clear by his post

[Mossfinn]

One helluva post Wilko, but instead of reading it as a diatribe against the Island, I think it relates to more of passion and a sense of loss, I can almost feel the pain that went into this post, I hope you are right in it changing, if people want it enough, but I have feeling I wont be holding my breath for it to happen.

Good Luck

Moss

[Mcmurphy]

listen i catch the first ferry off the island every sunday morning (back 2 work in bkk) there are very very few falangs on this boat but my god you should see the amount of timber leaving the island...pick up trucks and large trucks full of freshly sawn logs. what the hel_l is happening there!

[wilko]

Interesting!

The island was logged officially until it was made a nature reserve...and that is why the roads are there in the first place.

Can you ID the kind of timber?

There should be some as a result of clearing land for development - in general one would think would be be smaller trees....large ones out of the forest are of course much more valuable and would be taken, one presumes, illegally from the centre of the island which is meant to be a "protected" nature reserve.

[Changian]

The vast majority of wood is old rubber trees. No problem to cut these down if they are on your land as rubber farms wont be in the National Park boundaries. You can see areas where old trees have been cut down and saplings planted. Some species of trees are protected through regardless of their location - roads, resorts etc get built around these.

No one sensible would have a truck load of illegal logs on the ferry in daylight. Much better to cut it up into planks and then stick on the back of a truck - far less obvious.

There are a couple of areas where large swathes of National Park have been cleared illegally a few years ago. If you head to Klong Plu waterfall, go through the entrance and then instead of going straight to the waterfall, turn right past the park offices and head along the gravel topped road - that until recently didn't appear on any map of the island. This goes for a couple of kilometres towards Klong Prao waterfall - very small, nothing to see. On the way you'll see a huge area of land that was logged illegally - there is (was) a notice to this effect pinned on a board on the land. Interestingly the only way in and out of this land is via the road that passes the park office.

[pattyboy]

After living here for quite a while I finally made my first trip to Koh Chang last year when my brother was visiting. I was amazed at how ugly it is with it's runaway development and garbage strewn everywhere. It's a pain in the butt to drive around with it's winding hilly roads, and we couldn't find any decent beaches. Yeah, I know it's supposed to have some nice ones, but I guess the tide was particularly high that day. Anyway, we arrived in the afternoon and were waiting for the first fairy off that self-made disaster area the next day. I really can't see any reason to ever go back.

[wilko]

After living here for quite a while I finally made my first trip to Koh Chang last year when my brother was visiting. I was amazed at how ugly it is with it's runaway development and garbage strewn everywhere. It's a pain in the butt to drive around with it's winding hilly roads, and we couldn't find any decent beaches. Yeah, I know it's supposed to have some nice ones, but I guess the tide was particularly high that day. Anyway, we arrived in the afternoon and were waiting for the first fairy off that self-made disaster area the next day. I really can't see any reason to ever go back.

I'm sorry you had such a bad experience but it does underline how the place is "self-destructing"...the very things you go there for are increasingly not there.

PS - There probably ARE some "fairies" on Koh chang...but I've always thought the best way off the island was by "ferry"!

Edited January 28, 2008 by wilko

[Smithson]

Did a large part of White Sands beach wash away during a storm? This is what I was told. When I was there last year it didn't seem nearly as nice as it had been around 2001.

[pattyboy]

After living here for quite a while I finally made my first trip to Koh Chang last year when my brother was visiting. I was amazed at how ugly it is with it's runaway development and garbage strewn everywhere. It's a pain in the butt to drive around with it's winding hilly roads, and we couldn't find any decent beaches. Yeah, I know it's supposed to have some nice ones, but I guess the tide was particularly high that day. Anyway, we arrived in the afternoon and were waiting for the first fairy off that self-made disaster area the next day. I really can't see any reason to ever go back.

I'm sorry you had such a bad experience but it does underline how the place is "self-destructing"...the very things you go there for are increasingly not there.

PS - There probably ARE some "fairies" on Koh chang...but I've always thought the best way off the island was by "ferry"!

Oh, don't you know about the "fairy service" rather than the "ferry service"? You climb on the fairy's back and get flown to the mainland instead of taking that boring boat ride. 555 (Thanks for pointing out my blunder.)

[wilko]

After living here for quite a while I finally made my first trip to Koh Chang last year when my brother was visiting. I was amazed at how ugly it is with it's runaway development and garbage strewn everywhere. It's a pain in the butt to drive around with it's winding hilly roads, and we couldn't find any decent beaches. Yeah, I know it's supposed to have some nice ones, but I guess the tide was particularly high that day. Anyway, we arrived in the afternoon and were waiting for the first fairy off that self-made disaster area the next day. I really can't see any reason to ever go back.

I'm sorry you had such a bad experience but it does underline how the place is "self-destructing"...the very things you go there for are increasingly not there.

PS - There probably ARE some "fairies" on Koh chang...but I've always thought the best way off the island was by "ferry"!

Oh, don't you know about the "fairy service" rather than the "ferry service"? You climb on the fairy's back and get flown to the mainland instead of taking that boring boat ride. 555 (Thanks for pointing out my blunder.)

I look forward to trying it next time I'm there!

[Ave]

It's heart breaking but very hopeful to read threads like this. We do need to talk about it. It can't be avoided.

I lived on Koh Chang for nearly three years just after the Tsunami and tried to do everything I could to spread awareness about the damage that this unsustainable tourism practices have been causing. Volunteer colleagues, local businesses and friends did join or had already started their own mission to save this paradise.

At the time, I was coordinating volunteers with different skills (teaching nursing, computers) especially eco-volunteers, to support the local people. I was also working at the local radio station and I had a job at the local government organisation, allegedly in charge of sustainable tourism. They are called D.A.S.T.A. and they are partly responsible for this degrade. With the cooperation of eco volunteers I tried to get them to make an effort to work with the national park by sharing their knowledge and ideas. Not only the national park refused any involvement, they also rejected the opportunity of 'using' the farang to learn some English and therefore share and learn from others. When tourists visit the national park's headquarter there is hardly anyone who can speak any English at all.

We also had a student doing lots of interviews to collect information for his thesis related to tourism development in Koh Chang. That visit wasn't welcome of course. Many of us tried to let these people in power know that we are aware of the corruption and greed that has taken over the island and that in the long run they will lose everything. I was asked to write articles about what residents and tourists thought of Koh Chang. They read them and never published them... I got fired instead, for saying the truth.

For those who live on or near the island and wish to take some action I would suggest that you pay DASTA, the National Park and the local radio station a visit. Sea FM Koh Chang Radio in Whitesand can be a great place to start. The lady running the station is always happy to receive ideas from English speaking people with good initiative.

If anyone wants anymore info please PM. Although I can't live there anymore I still care about this beautiful rain forest island...

[mark lamai]

the OP is a good update for me.

only been there once in '03.

few years prior i was in an apartment in Thonburi, the chinese owners had a drawing of the first 5 star resort being built on K Chang.

clever little devils knew what was coming.

after visiting i told a mate back in aus that investing in land there would be a good investment,

(didnt know you couldnt do it 100% legally),

then thai govt flags it as the next big destination.

then all the bangkok boys buy all the land they can.

then of course you just rape it for money,

thats the plan, executed crudely and successfully.

BTW

i thought Koh samui was officially Paradise Lost......

[mark lamai]

the OP is a good update for me.

only been there once in '03.

few years prior i was in an apartment in Thonburi, the chinese owners had a drawing of the first 5 star resort being built on K Chang.

clever little devils knew what was coming.

after visiting i told a mate back in aus that investing in land there would be a good investment,

(didnt know you couldnt do it 100% legally),

then thai govt flags it as the next big destination.

then all the bangkok boys buy all the land they can.

then of course you just rape it for money,

thats the plan, executed crudely and successfully.

BTW

i thought Koh samui was officially Paradise Lost......

[wilko]

the "clever little devil" was reputed to be one Mr Taksin.

[Ave]

the "clever little devil" was reputed to be one Mr Taksin.

Exactly and the DASTA organisation was set up by him. To be fair though, they did, get involved with a fear deal of eco/environmental projets like improving the mangrove area in Salak Kohk (which is all made by very natural concrete, lovely...), or organising underwater clean-up competitions between carefully selected diving schools. They even introduced a rubbish separation system placing dustbins of different colours around the island and involving schools and other institutions.

Unfortunately most of the good intentions have been like they say writing with your hand and erasing with your foot..

They made it clear to everyone that they are there to develop the archipelago as touristically as possible. Not many residents are happy with the idea of living on a samui2.

[wilko]

When you see Australia's efforts at eco-tourism and compare them to the miserable attempts in Thailand it makes you want to cry.

I do have a great idea for something on Koh Chang but Ithink it is unlikely that anyone would ever take it up. If you know of a billionaire with money to burn, send him over to me!

[Nicci]

Most of the land on KC belongs to Thai families who have the land for many years now, the rent it off to Thai and westerns who runs businesses ofcourse, on Koh Chang you can still have a bungalow at the beach for 300 Baht a night, so I don' t get all the drama, it is true that just like on Koh Tao, Pangan or Samui, it becomes more and more full with concrete and more expensive spa's and resorts, but this is certainly not a porblem more developed than on any other island.

Its getting more bussy over the years...

[ollieq]

Yes, where does all the sewage go?

And where does the water come from and where does it go?

It smelled terrible and the water looked icky when I paddled a canoe on the manmaid "canal" behind Klong Prao resort, you know the water that bends and finishes up between the bungalows at the resort. Do they pump´n´dump their sewage there you reckon? If they do, it has only one way to go, straight into the nearby beacharea. Makes me think.Think twice.

And I who was to return to Klong Prao with my wife for a longer period.

Wilko please step in here to clear this out, I really don´t want to hear anything but the truth, if it´s that bad that they (KP Resort) let the sewage out there, how will Whitesand beach look then?

[wilko]

Most of the land on KC belongs to Thai families who have the land for many years now, the rent it off to Thai and westerns who runs businesses ofcourse, on Koh Chang you can still have a bungalow at the beach for 300 Baht a night, so I don' t get all the drama, it is true that just like on Koh Tao, Pangan or Samui, it becomes more and more full with concrete and more expensive spa's and resorts, but this is certainly not a porblem more developed than on any other island.

Its getting more bussy over the years...

When you say "most of" what do you mean and where do you get your info from...the received wisdom is to the contrary and has been for some time so it would seem not to be true...there are still families who own land there but the big money has the upper hand. Those who rent pay premium prices....to the landowners.

you used to be able to get a bungalow on all the beaches for 300.....

Edited March 13, 2008 by wilko

[wilko]

Yes, where does all the sewage go?

And where does the water come from and where does it go?

It smelled terrible and the water looked icky when I paddled a canoe on the manmaid "canal" behind Klong Prao resort, you know the water that bends and finishes up between the bungalows at the resort. Do they pump´n´dump their sewage there you reckon? If they do, it has only one way to go, straight into the nearby beacharea. Makes me think.Think twice.

And I who was to return to Klong Prao with my wife for a longer period.

Wilko please step in here to clear this out, I really don´t want to hear anything but the truth, if it´s that bad that they (KP Resort) let the sewage out there, how will Whitesand beach look then?

may I suggest you ask Klong Prao Resort?

Please let us see their reply too!

[kedawi]

I'm no expert but these don't look like old rubber trees - far too big,

[Ave]

When you see Australia's efforts at eco-tourism and compare them to the miserable attempts in Thailand it makes you want to cry.

I do have a great idea for something on Koh Chang but Ithink it is unlikely that anyone would ever take it up. If you know of a billionaire with money to burn, send him over to me!

We have to recognise, though, that Thailand has made considerable changes and improvements over a very short period of time in order to develop a westernised eco-conscience and accommodate such high number of tourists. I think we should give it a little more time to get where we western/ised societies are now. I believe that the education and literacy factors are certainly the key to the successful growth of a country, provided that it is achieved in a constructive and sustainable way of course.

[kedawi]

For many western societies it is too late - they have lost most natural environments already, perhaps countries like India China an Thailand should look to the west and learn from those mistakes. If we wait more irreversible environmental damage will ensue.

Edited September 23, 2008 by kedawi

[Gary A]

I'm no expert but these don't look like old rubber trees - far too big,

Yes indeed, those are VERY large rubber trees. They must grow very well on the island.

[kedawi]

Maybe they were just putting them back!

[diver9]

The last time I was on Chang, & I've been there 3 times, I understood that the government had plans to turn it into a high priced playground for rich Thais from Bangkok with an average daily spend of $1000 up. Chang is my favourite of all the Thai islands that I've been to & I've seen most of them so I'm also sad to see those trees going but I'm wondering whether they're just the result of land clearance to make way for new resorts rather than anything more sinister like deforestation.

When I was there last the local council had introduced a new directive that any new development was to be no closer than 50 metres to the beach in order to try to preserve the coastline so I believe that they do have preservation in mind. As far as development goes... I would love Chang to stay the way it was when I first went there but that's not very realistic & if they plan to turn it into a playground for Thais... Who are we to say otherwise? It's their country after all & we can't lay claim to every island the way we have Phuket/Samui etc can we.

Either way... I love the place.

[kedawi]

THe point about the logging is that it is probably the result of ENCROACHMENT on the National Park in Koh Chaang. I read here(?) that a director of the National Park there was removed from his post as he prtessted too much about resorts encroaching on "preserved" areas.