Koh Chang - A Paradise Lost

[Spiny]

Went there with the family for Christmas and New Year each year from 1999 to 2006. In 2006 found that beer bars had arrived, complete with bar girls, vowed never to go back. Agreed, another paradise lost (ah, greed again).

Seriously thought about investing in a Koh Mak bunglalow last year but I guess that will also end up the same as Koh Chang, Koh Samui and Phuket.

Why can't a beach just be a beach in Thailand ?

[Samuian]

I love the word "encroached" so close to cockroach... this countries natural resources are continually raped, usually with the assistance of those who are supposed to watch over them "officials"...

It happened to Puket, it happened to Samui, it is happening to Phangan....exploit it!

Seems to be the secret formula - wicked...!

[Samuian]

Forgot, an example what CAN be done!

click here:

Edited November 1, 2008 by Samuian

[Sherlocke]

Sadly, picking rubbish off thebeach, although it makes a teporary repite, does not address the problem.

where does the rubbish come from?

[doggie888888]

To the OP, it's so sad to hear all that about Ko Chang.

Might I suggest that you send a similar letter to the BKK Post, at least it may spread awareness about the issue.

[Beacher]

Went for a week and ended up staying for less than a day. An amazing disappointment!

Edited October 27, 2009 by Beacher

[Samuian]

It happens in a rather similiar pattern almost everywhere else...

Goa, Parvati Valley, Kathmandu, Gomera Island, Kos, Santorini...

name it... it's greed combined with ignorance = human manure - human nature!

[chrgrims]

hi guys, great thread. I was really wanting to go to ko chang for a vaction with snorkeling on corals, but i dont know now. What do you guys think? Are there better places on the east coast? where? if you were to go snorkeling on ko chang, on a resort that is environmentally responsible, where would you go?

[chriswatson]

I can't believe a poster is blaming the island for being too "hilly". LOL. It is what it is!

I've been to KC about 3 or 4 times (first time was just after Christmas Day of the tsunami-year), and yeah it's changed but it is way, way, way, way better than Phuket and Samui in terms of shoddy over-development. It might not be going in the right direction, which I think is the meaning of the OP, but come on, it's far from being a tourist-swamped dump like most of the other two islands mentioned have become. Let's hope it can be stopped.

BTW, it is my consistent experience that residents of Pattaya, for some reason, will inevitably "hate" and slate the place. Probably something to do with it being the antithesis of whence they came...

[Changian]

hi guys, great thread. I was really wanting to go to ko chang for a vaction with snorkeling on corals, but i dont know now. What do you guys think? Are there better places on the east coast? where? if you were to go snorkeling on ko chang, on a resort that is environmentally responsible, where would you go?

You wont fing great snorkelling off the beaches on Koh Chang - as they are sandy with no coral. But you will if you take a snorkelling trip to the islands to the south. Some very good snorkelling there. You'll see loads of fish guaranteed.

+++

I live on the west coast and have 500 metres of undeveloped beach at the back of my house - 2 minutes walk through the mangroves and coconut field. And at the front, a river estuary, where people canoe and the couple of restaurants and one resort on the river paddle their guests down the river by old style wooden gondola.

Some places on the island are pretty crap - White Sand Beach for example, and there is a lot of construction of ugly shop units - the latest being a row of 40+ small units near Klong Prao Resort. But I guess the people who say Koh Chang is too developed and built up didnt explore even the west coast that much, let alone the east coast.

BTW - you are allowed to cut down trees here if they are on your land, so seeing a truck load of tree trunks - whilst not a common site, isnt indication of encroachment. More likely, and less sensationally for TV readers, it probably means someone has cut down the trees on their land, not NP land, which you are allowed to do, same as anywhere else in Thailand.

[Sherlocke]

So if you encroach onto the national park and then claim it's your land, you can cut down trees - right?

[Changian]

So if you encroach onto the national park and then claim it's your land, you can cut down trees - right?

Of course you can't and I didn't imply that you could. Obviously not named 'Sherlocke' after the great detective. So, I will try to simplify things and write short sentences.

Land owners are allowed to cut down trees on their land. i.e. Land they own. Land they have a title deed for. Land not in the National Park. (Yes some species are protected, but most aren't and so can be cleared for building.)

[Sherlocke]

So when was the last time you saw land on KC for forestry?

PS - you're not much of a "Sherlock" yourself - look at the spelling.

Edited October 31, 2009 by Sherlocke

[Changian]

There is no man made forest on Koh Chang. The National Park is jungle - I'm looking at it right now as I type this. Outside the NP there are trees which people can cut down if they are on their land. Simple. Maybe an alien concept to some though.

[chrgrims]

changian,

Do you mean islands like ko wai and ko lao ya? how far is it to these islands? is it possible to live there?

[Changian]

You cant live on Koh Wai and Koh Laoya. Laoya is privately owned and there are only four small resorts Koh Wai, no shop, no road, and I have only ever seen one plot of land for sale there for a very high price.

Koh Chang or Koh Mak are your choices for living here. Possibly Koh Kood if you can find any small plots of land with title deeds - but these are very rare there.

[chrgrims]

You say ko wai has some resorts. how far is it from ko chang with speedboat?

[Changian]

Under 15 minutes. Only 2 resorts with AC - Pakarang Resort and Koh Wai Beach Resort, others are basic fan huts

[chriswatson]

I stayed on Ko Wai for a few nights a few years back.

I'm not a diver, so cannot comment on how good it is, but I have to say that after the first couple of nights I yearned for the "big lights" of Koh Chang and was glad to get back. Each to their own and all that.

I guess what I'm saying is you might like to consider, if you intend to pre-book, to reserve only a few nights to make sure you like it first, and if you, extend your stay.

I can't imagine spending a week or more there, myself. It's also very easy/inexpensive to reach from Koh Chang, so you might want to consider making day trips. Evenings there were very boring.

[cecco]

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!

Hello:

I am looking for a nice place to escape. I live in Pai (Mae Hong Song Province) between CM and MHS. Can you recommend a place that can give me some peace and tranquility, quiet, and beauty and charm?

Thanks.

[ThaiPauly]

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!

Hello:

I am looking for a nice place to escape. I live in Pai (Mae Hong Song Province) between CM and MHS. Can you recommend a place that can give me some peace and tranquility, quiet, and beauty and charm?

Thanks.

Try Pattaya

[KarenBravo]

The base cause of degradation of the islands is tourism.

[Pdaz]

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.....

It's buggered.. First time I went there was in 1989.. No road.. you had to catch a longtail along the coast or walk... Bungalows back then went for 30 - 50 baht a night.. Yes.. No A/C just a hammock, and a latern and a fan till the power went off.. It was a wonderful place... Relaxing on the beach, swimming, walking to waterfalls and picking rambutans and mangoes.. Then all the tw*ts that need their city ammenities arrived along with the Italian restos, tailors and other poop that you generally go to island to escape from...

The main attraction of the place was it's unspoilt beauty.. brings to mind a line from an old Joni Mitchell song.. ''They paved paradise and put up a parking lot'' Sooner or later someone in Thailand will realise they are running out of unspoilt beaches.. Then the tourist will head elsewhere.... Plenty of other places already full of condos, resorts, tailors etc why come to Thailand ?

Edited December 4, 2009 by Pdaz

[chriswatson]

I remember when it were all just coconut trees...

Seriously, how can one expect Thailand's "second biggest island after Phuket" to remain a "Paradise" forever?

It's a fact that there are other places in the world less spoilt, but they're full of dragons with acid for breath, or populated by hallucinating aboriginals who - with one hip gyration - use their penis-sheaths to sever the heads from the bodies of their identical-looking neighbours.

It's true! I saw it on the Discovery channel!

You and me baby. We ain't nothin' but mammals.

[BlueTerrace]

Yep, Koh Chang is crap. Garbage, bad beaches, road-side “beer” shacks everywhere. Some of the waterfalls are nice, but hardly worth the effort to visit, and overall Koh Chang will be huge disappointment to anyone that likes clean beaches and clear water. It’s tragic to see place with so much potential get turned into a slum by the sea.

[Sherlocke]

KC - is like Pai-on-Sea!

[chriswatson]

My great grand dad remembers when there were wild elephants on Koh Chang. He used to swim with them from Trat. Now all the elephants are tame and turned into tourist attractions. My grand dad remembers when there was no electricity. Now they use it in the 7/11's. My Dad remembers when there were no roads. Now the place is full of cars. In these western eyes KC has been going downhill for the last 100 years.

Health care, education and wealth has improved for the locals, but so what. Bring back malaria.

[Sherlocke]

My great grand dad remembers when there were wild elephants on Koh Chang. He used to swim with them from Trat. Now all the elephants are tame and turned into tourist attractions. My grand dad remembers when there was no electricity. Now they use it in the 7/11's. My Dad remembers when there were no roads. Now the place is full of cars. In these western eyes KC has been going downhill for the last 100 years.

Health care, education and wealth has improved for the locals, but so what. Bring back malaria.

Firstly Eastern Trat province still has malarial problems - whether itis on the island is up for debate.

Are you suggesting that the link between pollution by traffic and the eradication of disease is inevitable or just the result of bad management?

In general western eyes have only been on KC for the last 3 decades - and it was only really under Thaksin that the green light was given for the massive development that has taken place.

I'm not sure there were EVER wild elephants on Koh Chang - I'm told it's named after it's shape - apparently it's meant to look like an elephant from some viewpoint(??).

THere are of course still elephants o the island used for tourist treks - I presume in the past they were used for logging as well. This is now illegal - an improvement?

[Samuian]

It's buggered.. First time I went there was in 1989.. No road.. you had to catch a longtail along the coast or walk... Bungalows back then went for 30 - 50 baht a night.. Yes.. No A/C just a hammock, and a latern and a fan till the power went off.. It was a wonderful place... Relaxing on the beach, swimming, walking to waterfalls and picking rambutans and mangoes.. Then all the tw*ts that need their city ammenities arrived along with the Italian restos, tailors and other poop that you generally go to island to escape from...

The main attraction of the place was it's unspoilt beauty.. brings to mind a line from an old Joni Mitchell song.. ''They paved paradise and put up a parking lot'' Sooner or later someone in Thailand will realise they are running out of unspoilt beaches.. Then the tourist will head elsewhere.... Plenty of other places already full of condos, resorts, tailors etc why come to Thailand ?

Wishful thinking and dreaming of things that won't happen!

This didn't happen to the Costa Blanca, Costa del Sol in Spain, nor did this happen to Paris, Milan, Rome, Florence, Capri or Rimini, Barcelona, Mallorca, Tenerife, Santorini, Kos, name it, crowds are still flocking to Hikkaduwa, Bentota and Goa... things do change this is the only unchangeable fact - we have to come to grips with it, if we want it or not!

It's just as is... this planet looked a whole lot different only 200 Years ago, think about Europe or southern & northern America, Africa - how many unspoiled places have been flushed down the drain there and anywhere else, say Australia?

We can't fence off the planet and make it a nature reserve, we all and all following generations will have to bear the consequences of our doing, if we want it or not!

How much people, especially those in high places, who could drawn a line for changes, aren't interested at all, defending their sponsors...the latest climate conference has shown all too clear, there is still loads of money to be made....it's all about money, money, money,

money, money,

money, money,

money, money,

money, money,

money, money,

money, money,

money, money,

money, money,

money, money,

money, money,

money, money,

money, money,

money, money,

Get real!

[Sherlocke]

Actually it DID happen in places in Spain - they suffered from collapsing tourist numbers and had to re-invent themselves for different markets - ie folks who really didn't need a beach - Benidorm was a case in point - they had to go for the retiree market - a bit like Pattaya.

It does mean that the enormous numbers of tourists who increasingly get disappointed with the state of beaches throughoutThailand will go elsewhere - taking there money with them.

KC will then have to find an alternative market - as the season there is barely six months - this could be a problem.

It is likely to that future development of Koh Kood will take away from the scene in KC - there is already an increased interest bee sown in this island and a new ferry service reflects this - the island has a much greater area of useable land and is outside the National Park.