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Ko Chang (Thai: เกาะช้าง ), also Koh Chang is the second largest island of Thailand (largest island in the Ko Chang Marine Park archipelago), located on the Thai east coast 310 km away from Bangkok near the border to Cambodia in the Gulf of Thailand. The name means Elephant Island . Ko Chang was named for the elephant shape of its headland, although elephants are not indigenous to the island. At present, there are 8 villages in total. It is a mountainous island and Khao Salak Phet is the highest peak of all at 744 metres. Visitors are also met with several waterfalls, splendid reefs and rainforests. The island has an area of approximately 217 square kilometers. Ko Chang was previously an unsettled island but it is now important as a harbour for ships to escape from the monsoon, and dietary or fresh water resources, especially at Ao Salak Phet or Ao Salat which is well known to pirates, Hai Lam Chinese and Vietnamese.
The island is part of the Mu Ko Chang Marine National Park. During World War II, when Thailand was occupied by the Japanese, Ko Chang was the scene of a naval battle between the reluctant Royal Thai Navy and a Vichy France squadron, in which the Thais were decisively beaten.
Until the mid-1980s the infrastructure on the island was undeveloped, but tourism has increased significantly since then. Around the year 2000, malaria was eradicated, the area became a national park (and began charging entry fees). The island now receives 655,000 visitors annually, about two thirds of them Thai. Ko Chang is one of the few places with virgin forest, but the mad rush to cash in on tourism has had a heavy toll on its virgin forests. Land prices have skyrocketed, there are also beautiful if not high end resorts now popping up all over the island.
Slogan
With no less than 50 offshore isles, it also boasts the finest red gems, sweet Rakam fruits, indigenous dogs, the historic Ko Chang Naval engagement, the eastern-most province.
History
Prior to World War II, Ko Chang was little known by anyone. During this period, the few families there made a living growing coconuts and fruit on the mainland. In January 1941, during the Japanese occupation, the Thai Navy fought the French in a battle in the waters to the south-east of Ko Chang. It was the French who were the victors after the Thai naval ship was sunk.
Nothing else happened to Ko Chang until the first backpacker foreigners started arriving on the back of local fishing boats in the mid-1970s. In 1982, Ko Chang along with surrounding area became part of the protected Mu Chang Marine. Only very recently, in less than ten years, Ko Chang has turned itself in to a major tourist destination in Thailand, both for foreigners and local Thais.
This sudden tourism boom however, has been thwart with controversy concerning land encroachment etcetera.
Geography
Koh Chang. The topography contains high mountains and complex stone cliffs.
The island is about 30 km long and almost 14 km wide, totaling 217 km². The national marine park covers of 650 km² of which 70 % is offshore. The interior of the island is mountainous, covered by tropical rain forest. The highest elevation measuring 743m is Khao Salak Phet. There are plenty of sandy beaches on the island, dotted with hotels and resorts.
The west coast settlements of Hat Sai Khao, Hat Kai Mook and Hat Ta Nam attract most of the tourists. The village of Laem Bang Bao on the south coast is also a favored destination. There is a single road linking the west coast. The remaining roads on the west coast have a high gradient, while the topography of the east coast prohibits roads. Most buildings are wooden stilt houses. The island is mostly reached by a ferry departing from Laem Ngop near Trat.
Administration
The island forms a district ( Amphoe ) in the province of Trat. It was formed on April 30 1994, when it was split off from Laem Ngop district, at first being a minor district ( King Amphoe ).
Following a decision of the Thai government on May 15 2007, all of the 81 minor districts were to be upgraded to full districts. With the publishing in the Royal Gazette on August 24 the upgrade became official .
The district is subdivided into two subdistricts ( tambon ), which are further subdivided into 9 villages ( muban ). There are no municipal ( thesaban ) areas, and 2 Tambon administrative organizations (TAO).
Koh Chang Island consists of the following villages:
- Salakpetch
- Salakkork
- Jekbare
- Baan Danmai
- Klong Son
- Klong Praw
- Klong Nonsri
Boundary
Ko Chang is surrounded by 51 islands. To the east of the area lies Cambodia and to the west, the Thai province of Chanthaburi.
Climate
Ko Chang has three seasons, they are:
- Cool season (Nov-Feb)
- Hot season (March-May)
- Rainy season ( June-Oct
Due to its location and being an island, Ko Chang does get more than its fair share of rain, 4,000 mm. per year.
Transportation
Air
Ko Chang has no airport. The nearest airport is in Amphoe Muang Trat on the mainland. Koh Chang Air Taxi however, does offer scenic seaplane service.
Roads
There are only two main roads on Ko Chang, one on the east coast and one on the west coast. Both roads start at Ao Sapparot in the north near the ferry piers. The two main roads run the entirety of the coastlines. There are also shorter roads which branch out to Ploytalay Resort and Keereephet, Klong Neung and Klong Phu Waterfalls.
Ferry Boat
At Laem Ngob in Trat Town opposite Ko Chang there are 3 piers offering ferry service to Ko Chang.
- Located at Ao Thammachat, the ferries depart daily at Ao Sapraros pier.
- Located at Center Point Pier, ferries are hourly to Dan Kao Pier.
- Laem Ngob Pier has less frequent ferries.
Motorbike
These can be either hired or taxied out. The island is full of both motorbike rental places and motorbike-taxi drivers.
Songthaew (public passenger pick-up vehicle)
These run up and down the two main roads and can either be used as public transport or privately hired.
Long-tail Boat
Tourists enjoy hiring long-tail boats to take them to nearby islands.
Tourism
The recent success of Ko Chang as a serious tourist destination has been quite phenomenal. But it remains a lot more peaceful and less developed than islands like Samui and Phuket. It's some 5 hours from Bangkok by bus and there's no airport on the island yet so it should remain more tranquil than Samui or Phuket. Ko Chang too is one of Thailand most beautiful islands with some white sandy beaches, some half deserted. Some of the beaches are rocky in parts though so it doesn't have ideal swimming beaches like Phuket. The island is also home to a wide range of wildlife, including a good selection of birds, snakes, deer and a number of elephants. The island and its vicinity are great places for snorkeling, diving and jungle hiking.
Some critics however, worry that the Ko Chang tourism boom won’t survive as they believe that ‘gross over-development will only, over time, frighten off tourists to one of the other more unspoilt islands nearby. Investors though, claim that what they are now doing in Ko Chang is nothing on the scale of the likes of Samui. With the development of Ko Kong in Cambodia as a casino resort, it makes Ko Chang even more of an ideal place for a stop-over between the two islands.
This so called tourism boom is relative to a small base. Tourist numbers are a lot less than Samui or Phuket and approx 2/3 of the visitors are Thai.
Sights
Main article: Mu Ko Chang Marine National ParkIn 1982 the island together with 51 more surrounding small islands was protected as the Mu Ko Chang Marine National Park. About 85% of the island is part of the national park, mostly the rain forest in the interior of the island. Nearby coral reefs are also contained within the National Park. Notable animals in the park include the stump-tailed Macaque, the small Indian Civet, the Javan Mongoose, and 61 resident bird species. The Koh Chang Wart Frog ( Limnonectes kohchangae ) was originally thought to be an endemic species, but has now been found on the mainland as well.
For any accommodation at .
Klong Plu (น้ำตกคลองพลู) - the most popular, and the only one on the west side of the island. Namtok Khlong Phlu is a large and most breathtaking waterfall on Ko Chang with water cascading down 3 tiers of the cliff to a basin, with an entrance located 3 km. from Ao Khlong Phrao.
- Klong Nonsi - on the east side of the island
- Klong Nueng - said to be the most breathtaking
- Khiri Petch - medium sized, about 3 kilometers from Salak Petch village
- Kongoi - 5 waterfalls near Bangbao
- The Thanmayom - near Thanmayom pier
Ban Salak Phet (บ้านสลักเพชร) the largest and oldest community on Ko Chang located in the southern part. The villagers
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