Ko Tao

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Ko Tao ( Thai: เกาะ เต่า ) is an island ( Thai: เกาะ - Co ) located in the Gulf of Thailand about 70 kilometers east of the Isthmus of Kra and 45 km north of Koh Phangan off the southeast coast of Thailand. The island belongs to the province of Surat Thani.

Geography

Ko Tao is the third largest island of the, named after about 60 km to the south island of Samui, Samui Archipelago ( Mu Ko Samui), which includes still about another 60 islands; including Koh Phangan, the 40 islands of the Ang Thong National Park and Ko Tao directly small offshore island group Nang Yuan.

The name of Ko Tao means " Turtle Island " and comes from a time when the sea around the island was inhabited by a large number of sea turtles. In collaboration with the Thai Fisheries Department turtles and mussels are on the island today again raised, which can be later exposed on the reefs again. Another environmental project is the " Biorock Project 2008 ", where an artificial reef off the beach was created by Sairee.

On the northwest coast of Koh Taos upstream, small island group Nang Yuan is a privately owned resort with diving school. Ko Tao is 21 square kilometers large

History

Ko Tao has long been uninhabited and was only sometimes driven by fishermen to seek protection from bad weather or raise fresh freshwater.

On June 18, 1899 visited King Chulalongkorn ( Rama V ) the island and left behind, as well as on the neighboring island of Koh Phangan, his monogram on a rock in the Jor Por Ror bay.

From 1933 Koh Tao was used because of its relatively large distance from the mainland as a prison island. Above all, political prisoners were sent here. Only when Prime Minister Kuang Abhayawongse 1947 petitioned the king for an amnesty for the prisoners, they were brought back to the mainland and set the prison operation. For a short time the island was once again uninhabited.

That same year, the brothers Khun Khun Oh TLM and Ko Phangan crossed and settled in the Sairee Bay. Their families followed after, and they began to cultivate the land. How were everywhere in the region, in addition to the fishing, coconut and vegetable cultivation, the main agricultural sources of income.

Only in the mid -1980s came to the hitherto single residents, first holiday guests added. Young travelers who had previously visited already Samui, Phangan later, "discovered" Ko Tao as an island, which was untouched by international tourism have been detected. And as before, with the larger neighboring islands was followed by the first visitors more soon. In particular, divers were attracted by the rich underwater world around the island.

The number of tourists increased steadily since then and Ko Tao is now considered one of the best diving areas in Southeast Asia. At the same time the tourist infrastructure grew, tourist center is the West Coast. In addition, especially the bays of Chalok Baan Kao and Tanote developed. Around the island there are often only in the off-road vehicle or boat taxis, actually longtail fishing boats, accessible bays usually a variety of simple bungalows and cottages in pile design. Especially at the largest and most easily accessible bays on the west coast, the main town of Mae Hat, where to create all -addressing the island ferries, and on the adjacent Sairee Bay, a number of bungalow resorts and several hotels were built. The needs of beginning especially diving guests traveling accordingly, also a large number of centers was established.

Since the early 2000s, tourism is the main source of income had grown to around 4000 people population of the island. The vast majority of the guests are still backpackers. With the now faster boat to mainland Europe and the more developed touristic neighboring islands in the south is also a growing number of guests from the rest of the tourist spectrum. The appropriate infrastructure such as restaurants, banks and shops can be found mainly in the capital of Mae Haad, in Chalok baan Kao and Sairee. With the increase of cash vigorous tourists, as previously increasingly being replaced already on Samui and Phangan, the older wooden bungalows by buildings that are designed to provide more comfort.

Impressions of Ko Tao

Ao Lang Kaay

Divers in a swarm barracuda

In the interior of the island of Koh Tao