The Complete Idiot's Guide to Koh Chang, Thailand.

(The A-Z has moved to a new home here.  Any updates will be on the new page,  not this one.  I have kept this page on the site as quite a few people have linked to it already.)

If you cant be bothered reading the rest of this site, you should find most of what you need to know here.

A

Acupressure.  The effective, low cost cure all is available at Sima Massage, Klong Prao.  (Near Chang Chutiman elephant camp and the turning for Tropicana)  I haven't had it done to me as I tend to steer clear of quacks and voodoo medicine but a few people who've stayed at our place have been there and swear by it. 

Aerial Photography.  Rather than pay someone to take aerial photos, you can now do it yourself.   Head to Klong Prao Airport, talk to Captain Nimit, and he'll take you up in an ultralight - a two seat glider with a large fan motor stuck on the back.  You'll be safe enough he's been flying these planes for over 15 years. Prices from 1700 baht for a 15 minute flight.   Some photos here.

Airport.  The nearest airport is Bangkok Airway's private landing strip in Trat which was built for oversize Cessnas & holidaymakers for whom the 5-hour drive from Bangkok would be too time consuming and affords far too many opportunities for coming in contact with regular Thais.  Bangkok Airways Trat customer call service centre/office/ticket booth  can apparently be reached on 039 525 299-30 providing someone's home and you don't call at lunchtime or when there's an interesting game show on TV.  First  time visitors have reported being a bit alarmed when the plane lands then does a U-turn and starts taxing back along the runway it just landed on and not a slip road, but fear not, there are only a handful of flights per day.  In high season there are 3 flights per day each way.

Apartments.  If you're looking to stay long term there are a couple of apartment blocks.  One small and pricey, the other large and pretty good value.  At the south end of White Sand Beach, opposite Plaloma Resort, you'll find a small apartment block where a concrete box can be yours for 7,000 baht/month.  However, the rooms here will almost certainly all be rented out.  Nearby, Paddy's Palms 'Resort' has apartments for rent behind the Irish pub on a long term basis.   Away from White Sand Beach, a better bet is VJ Apartments, VJ Plaza, Klong Prao.  Around 90 rooms at the rear of a rather uninspiring shopping plaza, the saving grace being the excellent supermarket.  6,000 baht/month high season with no deposit to pay.  It's a bit dark & dingy and the places tends to attract a strange mix of alcoholic expats saving their beer money and Thai staff from banks, the international clinic etc.

ATMs.  There are now ATMs pretty much everywhere along the west coast - in Klong Son, White Sand Beach, Klong Prao, Kai Bae and several all within 20 metres of each other in Bangbao.  But you won't find any on the East Coast of the island yet. What's more, some of them actually work most of the time.  They all take, and will usually return, overseas issued credit cards and global ATM cards i.e. any card bearing a 'Cirrus' or 'Plus' logo.  

ATVs.  Great fun if you've got acres of rugged farmland on which to play but a liability if you're using them on the road, as a few locals with a bit of cash seem to do.  Personally, I don't see the point in buying a 250cc machine for the cost of a small pick-up truck, which does 30 mph on the flat and then having nowhere to use it.  The 2007-08 high season saw a boom in ATV rental places on the island.  There are now four, one on Pearl beach, two in the Chai Chet area, just north of Klong Prao and one at Klong Prao Airport   The increased competition means that prices are from 500 baht an hour upto around 950 baht/hour for an ATV buggy with rollbars. 

If you've got teenage sons then this is about as much fun as they can have on the island - unless you want to hit the bars on White Sand Beach and get them a hooker as an early 18th birthday gift. You'll also still find a couple of bars & restaurants renting out ATVs these should be avoided as they aren't street legal in Thailand. (It may appear cool to be seen scooting around on them but as they aren't allowed on roads, guess who gets all the bills if you have an accident.) 

B

Backpackers. (Or 'Travellers' to be politically correct.) Love 'em or loathe 'em but you can't avoid 'em.  You'll be sitting in a beachfront restaurant enjoying your steamed sea bass, a large plate of prawns and cool Heineken and from somewhere behind you you'll overhear a voice ordering a fried rice and bottle of water and an extra plate so Ms. Backpacker can share. 20 minutes later the voice will be heard again complaining that he has been charged 10 baht for the water when it only costs 5 baht in the 7-11.  100% mark-up, rip off or what??? And then outrage as their threats of an irate posting on the Lonely Planet discussion board "I'm a close personal friend of Joe Cummins, you know!" go ignored by the waitress.  

Having done the backpacking thing (my trip consisted of riding my bicycle around a large chunk of the world over a decade ago) I'm regularly less than impressed by the lack of travelling many travellers do - remaining in one spot for a month or so is just plain boring and hardly opens your eyes to a new country & culture. 

No, taking in full moon parties on different islands doesn't really count as an adventure. Fortunately, there are  a new breed of backpacker, those who don't mind budgeting $20/ day for living expenses and can therefore afford the extortionate rates local laundries charge (30 baht/kilo).  Roll on the day when means testing is introduced at border crossings.

Bank Accounts.  If you plan on moving to the island or  working here then having a Thai bank account certainly helps when it comes to having a place to deposit any hard earned cash or to transfer monies into.  Unfortunately, Thailand now has an annoying rule which prohibits anyone who doesn't have a work permit from having opening a bank account.  As least that's the theory

Some banks on Koh Chang adhere to this rule, other's don't really care so long as you've got some cash to deposit. Fortunately, Siam City Bank on White Sand Beach, opposite Baan Thai Hotel, will open an account, with ATM card for you in a matter of minutes.  Either they're just very nice folks or are desperate for new accounts. Kasikorn Bank is a better option and they will also open an account and even get a member of staff to fill in all the forms for you.  They'd be a better best especially if you want an internet banking option.  Bangkok Bank are also flexible as they opened their branch after most people who needed bank accounts had already got one.  Get to know the staff and call in at the weekend for the best chance of opening an account if you don't have  a Work Permit.  

Bars.  Koh Chang has only one brand-name bar 'Sabay Bar', on White Sand Beach, which is relatively well-known off the island and boasts a mock rock cliff face as a frontage, a Balinese themed interior and prices higher than many city centre Bangkok bars. There's a very nice beach bar on White Sand Beach, just south of Sabay Bar in front of Tantawan bungalows called 'Tapas Bar', situated under a large tree and is cheap, quiet and serves very nice snacks & nibbles.  An antidote the to fire twirling and loud music from most beachfront places  'Vitamine Club' on Lonely Beach, is where you'll meet chilling backpackers, head up the road 100 metres to 'Lemon Bar' if you want to meet gay chilling backpackers., walk another 50 meters to 'Magic Garden' to meet mellow chilling backpackers.  Both  Kai Bae and Lonely Beach both have their share of roadside & beachside bars all offering the same leafed roof, late night, Bob Marley, cheap vodka-redbull bucketed ambience that discerning travellers favour.  Worth singling out as a nice spot for a sunset beer is 'Barracuda' beach bar, just north of the Panviman Hotel, Klong Prao.  Very good food, friendly owner & staff and nice empty stretch of beach. 

Bar names.  Maybe it's just me but I have an aversion to western owned bars/restaurants/resorts named after the owner or the owner's girlfriend.  It shows lack of imagination and a desire to run the business as a boost either your or your totty's ego plus the lack of imagination and thought in naming the place is carried over when dealing with customers who aren't on first name terms with either of the owners.  (I'll give purely Thai owned places a break here as it's not always easy to think of a good Thai name that's translatable into a good English name backpackers can pronounce but farangs should know better.)  Shoot me if you see me in a place called Leks, Noi's, Oui's, Nui's, Nok's, Moo's etc and if, in years to come,  I'm the owner, remind me it's time to take the cyanide capsule.

Baht - The correct way to spell the name of the Thai currency in English.

Bakeries.  Not much in the way of fresh bread available on the island if you don't fancy sliced bread or sweet Thai bread.  However, the saving grace is 'Crust' located in Klong Prao village opposite the temple.  Run by Paul, a German baker with over 30 years experience, the bread and pastries here are as good as you'll find anywhere.  Many of the luxury hotels now use his services as it's the only place on the island where you can get real bread and croissants baked the way they should be. Go there, you won't be sorry.  You can then also suggest to the manager of your hotel that they change the limp toast and tasteless white bread rolls they offer at breakfast for something much better.  In Kai Bae, Pap's Deli do some nice bakery items too - including good crusty baguettes - ideal for foot long sandwiches.

Bart. - Microsoft Word's spellchecker's suggestion for the correct spelling of the name of Thai currency.

Bath. - The way to spell the name of the Thai currency in English if you're Thai.

Beaches.
Klong Prao Beach
A very long long sandy beach and, unlike most other beaches it actually has sand along it's entire length. As with most beaches on the island it only slopes gently into the sea which means you have to wade a hundred metres out in order to swim. No where near as many resorts here as the other beaches - the main places to stay being a handful of up-market resorts and KP Huts, Tiger Bungalows and Thale Bungalows - three backpacker hangouts for backpackers who don't want to mix with too many other backpackers and who don't require an internet cafe and Frozen Caramel Macchiato in order to be happy..

Kai Bae Beach
A popular beach has about a dozen places to stay on the seafront which are often full during high season and very good value in the low season.  These are mainly in the mid-price range - no wooden shacks here with the exception of Holiday Beach and the long standing Porn's bungalows. All the usual necessities (internet / coffee shop / bars / dive shops / 7-eleven minimarts / ATMs etc) are on the stretch of road behind the beach.  The beach isn't as good as others on the island but does have some very nice views - especially from Coral Bungalows in the centre of the beach.  

Lonely Beach
The backpackers' mecca . . . unless of course you're a Muslim backpacker.  Until a few years ago it  was quite desolate and then the powers that be extended the road, put in electricity and the chances of finding peace and quiet evaporated overnight.  Still the place to be seen for any self respecting world traveller and the place to avoid for everyone else.  Nice, clean beach & 'Nature Rocks' is a great place to hangout and people watch. The north end of the beach is one of the better places to swim along the west coast but resorts here are quickly going upmarket and more and more package tourists are invading.

White Sand Beach
The  first beach you will come to after hopping off the ferry and therefore the busiest and first to be developed.  The central stretch of beach has featureless concrete bungalows crammed and mid-price package tour hotels crammed as closely together as possible.  The far northern end is sandy, quiet and has a similar vibe to Lonely Beach, the southern end is devoid of sand, on the plus side it is nearer the beer bars and the only decent Italian restaurant on the island. Good swimming and very good sand at the very north end, loads of stones at the south.

East coast beaches
There aren't any. Or at least nothing that can be called a beach - only a few patches of reddish brown sand that appear at high tide.  Head to the west coast if beach-life is important.  However, one notable exception is Long Beach in the far south-east of the island - a very nice crescent bay with sunset views but not easily reached with a basic bungalow resort 'Treehouse', a branch of the Lonely beach bungalows with the same name that opened in mid-2005.

Beach Access. All beaches in Thailand are in the public domain, however what you often find is that this means nothing if you can't actually get to the beach. 

Thais tend to enjoy going to beach resorts where the beach and the hotels are separated by a road, this allows easy access to the beach for both somtam vendors and tourists. Foreign tourists prefer to stay as close to the beach as possible, leading to the land next to the beach being private property which is occupied by a resort.  Koh Chang's beaches are of the farang style, great if you are staying on them but getting to the sand can be a hassle if you're not. 

On White Sand Beach the National Park office designated three spots as public  walkways down to the beach so visitors could avoid having to wander through a resort car park or past bungalows to get to the sand. That's the good news.  The bad news is that two of these walkways were washed away in the great floods of October 2006 i.e. they weren't built to withstand heavy rain.  One, at the northern end of the beach, adjacent to the 7-eleven, has since been rebuilt and now also serves as an open sewer; the one in the centre of the beach near BanPu Resort is a pile of rubble and also serves as an open sewer and the one that the authorities didn't really do anything to - except put a sign up saying 'Publics Access Beach' next to an existing alleyway is still there and can be found next to Baan Thai Resort at the southern end of the beach.

There's only oneo obvious way to get from the road to the beach on Klong Prao, which is good as it helps keep the beach much quieter than Kai Bae or White Sand Beach. A public walkway to the beach was constructed at the end of 2005.  It's located midway between Klong Prao Resort and Koh Chang Resort and was built as you'd expect, meaning that the builders didn't anticipate the lack of foundations would have an adverse effect on the longevity of the structure, and , you guessed it, it collapsed when the tide came in too far.  But it can still be used with care.  Alternatively, to see the middle of the beach - take the track leading to KP Hut & Panviman Hotel, take any of the rough tracks that lead off to the left after you pass KP Huts. (There are a couple between KP Huts & Panviman and three or four others after you pass Panviman)

To reach the sand on Kai Bae, it's easy to park a bike beachside at the informal campsite past Gajapuri Resort & Ploy Scuba BBQ, alternatively just follow the road signposted to KB Hut and you'll find you end up in a car/boat park next to the beach, from here it's easy to walk along the southern stretch of beach.

To reach the sandy areas of Lonely Beach you have to go through one of the bungalow resorts on the beach itself or walk from the  Treehouse.  Siam Beach is a but posh but Nature Beach or Siam Hut are better bets to park your motorbike or car wanted down to the sand.

Bailan Bay is a bit of a hassle to get down to, and, as the only real beach is the artificial one outside the new Dusit Princess Resort you may not want to bother.  But if you head down to Bailan Hut you'll see a narrow, slightly stony beach nearby.

Klong kloi Beach is by far the easiest to reach, go past the Bangbao turn off and just park by the roadside after you go round a sharp right hand turn, you'll see the beach in front of you.  Walk over  a rickety wooden footbridge and onto the sand.

Beachwear shops.  One word to describe them 'identical'.  There must be forty or fifty small shops on Koh Chang that sell identical souvenir t-shirts, sarongs, fisherman's trousers and bikinis.  A bit of variety wouldn't go amiss, that's for sure but I guess there are still some people on the planet for whom the 'McShit' t-shirt is a 'must have' item of clothing.  If you're buying from these shops, do like the Thais and haggle.  Thanks to my girlfriend's extensive research into  shopping on Koh Chang we've discovered that Lonely Beach is the place where you're most likely to be asked to pay way over the odds for clothing, the shops in Bangbao seem most willing to discount to normal Thai market prices and the vendors on White Sand Beach would rather sell their first born child than discount more than 10 baht from the asking price of a t-shirt (Although you might get  a discount on their child).  I buy my sandals at the local markets, for 200 baht you get well made Thai brands that will easily last 6-12  months without requiring constant use of superglue to hold them together.

Beer.  There's only one place you can get a pint of draught beer on Koh Chang and that's the 'Oirish' Pub - Paddy's Palms on White Sand Beach.  Ok, so it's about as Irish as the staff who work there and has all the ambience of two knocked together shophouses - which coincidentally it is, but they are the only place that has Guinness and Kilkenny on tap and beggars can't be choosers.

For imported German beers with names ending in '-brau' head to Upper Crust, opposite Klong Prao temple and for  a wider choice, try the Wine Gallery, by the roadside in the centre of Kai Bae.  V-mart supermarket in Klong Prao also has a few Germanic style beers from microbreweries in Thailand.

Beer Bars.  The main Pattaya-esque beer bar enclave is situated at southern end of White Sand Beach, just past the 7-eleven and is known by the highly original name of 'Little Pattaya'.  As with the big motorbikes that are available for rent nearby the girls are Pattaya rejects, the majority of whom have had several previous owners, have seen better days but are still good fun to rent for a day or two.   For a real eye opener drive by the small roadside bars in Chai Chet during daylight hours where even the most ardent feminist would struggle not to agree with the diplomatic assessment that the girls are "more than a bit rough". (But there's always an overweight, lobster red tourist propping up the bar, proof indeed that beauty is in the eye of the beholder . . . or should that be 'beer holder'?)

In Oct 2006 the new 'Koh Chang Entertainment Plaza' opened in Chai-Chet just north of Klong Prao. A load of beer bars, each adorned with more fairy lights than an Oxford Street window display at Christmas, in what used to be a covered market. Worth a visit to see if there really are more bars than there are customers.

Wander around the centre of Kai Bae and you'll find a few dimly lit roadside bars with bored looking girls perched on stools just dying to engage you in a debate on  world affairs and the current state of Thai politics or, if you're not in the mood for some mental stimulation, maybe just a game of Connect 4 and a friendly chat about the respective sizes of your willy and your wallet. 

Bird Flu.  No outbreaks were reported in Trat or on Koh Chang.  You'll be fine, it's old news now and everyone has more important things to worry about such as falling house prices and rising gasoline costs.  A few dead birds is the least of anyone's worries.  Just avoid exchanging bodily fluids with any strange wildfowl or accepting offers from natives of the northeast of Thailand to vacation at their free-range chicken farms.

Bookshops.  A couple of minimarts on White Sand Beach have new English language novels for sale direct from Asia Books in Bangkok, as does VJ Supermarket in VJ Plaza, Klong Prao.  Imported books are pricey in Thailand so if something to keep you busy on the beach or whilst waiting for your girlfriend to get herself tarted up for a night out is what you're after then a visit to a second hand bookshop is in order. If you're staying in or passing through Lonely Beach then a stop at Lonely Books at Nature Beach bungalows, is a must.  This is the best you'll find on the island, a very well stocked used book shop with something for all tastes. Lonely Books also have a branch opposite Chang Park Resort in Kai Bae. Tantawan restaurant on White Sand Beach save you the expense of buying a book by having a library service which is worth making use of if you can read quickly.  Other options include the second hand bookshop opposite Ban Pu hotel, White Sand Beach or Kai Bae where a couple of internet cafes also have books for sale.  Reckon on 140 - 200 baht/book.  

Booking accommodation in advance.  In brief. Something simple to do if you're staying in a large 4,000 baht/night resort.  Something nigh on impossible if you're staying in a small family run resort or a 150 baht/night flophouse.  Small places aren't geared up for the information age, as dealing with walk in guests is far easier than figuring out how to register with Paypal and far less hassle than and expense than signing up for a e-commerce package from a bank.  You'll find that small resorts with websites rarely answer emails as the person designated to answer emails doesn't know how to or doesn't have good English skills, therefore any emails containing anything other than an amusing flash animation of a cartoon kitten dancing to the latest hit from some Korean boy band will end up in the Junk folder. 

In high season book in advance if you can, and you'll almost certainly save yourself a lot of hassle finding a room once you get here as many of the places mentioned in guidebooks will be booked up already.  Advance booking, in the case of some hotels six months in advance, is essential for any beachfront resort from Christmas to mid-February, when the island is at it's busiest. On the plus side, there are plenty of new resorts on the island which aren't in guidebooks yet, and so will welcome your custom.  Many of these are off the beach, by the roadside, but some do offer much better value of money as they have to compete on price and not location for guests.

Booze.  If you start to tire of having to choose between Singha, Chang, Heineken and over priced table wine every evening, take a look at Koh Chang Wine Gallery in Kai Bae.  They have a large stocks of imported beers, wines and spirits in all price ranges, the majority of which are unavailable anywhere else on the island.  Many restaurants and resorts on the island buy their wine from here. V-Mart supermarket in Klong Prao also have a good choice with some recognisable Aussie red wines for 500 - 1,000 baht a bottle, they also now sell Thai-brewed San Miguel which tastes as good as the real thing. Upper Crust, Klong Prao have a small selection of good quality, mainly Italian & German wines. Avoid any wine bottle with 'Koh Chang wine' on the label and a picture of a bunch of grapes.  Read the small print, it's fruit wine and tastes like your Grandfather's home brew. If you are a wine afficionado then bring your own to Thailand as you'll be shocked by the prices - wines that cost a couple of Euros in Europe sells for nearer 10 Euros here.  All due to the high tax on wine - both domestically produced and imported.  It's a drink for the rich.

Boring Facts.  If you've been doing a bit of searching for Koh Chang related information you'll have found that the main page of virtually every site mentions that it's the second largest island in Thailand, and many will even give you the area in square kilometres and population.  Who cares? Or are there really people out there saying:
"Ooooohhh Bob, let's go to Koh Chang.  It's the second largest island in Thailand with a population of approximately 6,000 according to the 2000 census."
"Yes, dear.  And it's part of the 52-island Mu Koh Chang Marine Park archipelago to boot. Status that was granted as long ago as 1982. Now, where's my Visa card?" 

If you really want to bore people to death at dinner parties, on the subway or in the pub you'll be pleased to know that there are a total of 1,757 registered addresses on Koh Chang. You probably knew that already . . .but did you know that, according to the National Statistical Office website there are 28 people aged 85 or older, of which 23 are women and 5 are men?  Why not see if you can spot them whilst on the island?  Spot all five, take their photos, email them to me and you could win a prize.  (Or you could have just wasted your vacation.)

Builders.  (For anyone reading this site because they plan on living or doing business on Koh Chang there's a section on building stuff.)  There are a lot on the island.  Some are locals, some from the Trat area and many from elsewhere in Thailand.  Prices for building work vary a lot depending on who you speak to, by a lot I mean 50 - 75%. In addition to finding someone to do the work for you at a good price it also helps to find a builder who specialises in the type of work you want doing. 

If you want a two story concrete construction then you don't hire a guy who makes his living putting up wooden huts - his workers won't have the experience needed to do a good job of finishing concrete etc.  Likewise if you're planning on using wood then you'll need to do some research first on the types of construction materials available and find a builder who can talk knowledgeably about his trade, for example the benefits/drawbacks of using different types of wood; and can estimate prices without having to be on the phone to the builders' merchant for half an hour. 

Bungalows.  If you're Thai then you'll probably check into a dimly lit, concrete, airconditioned hotel room or  bungalow, the darker and colder the better.  If you're not Thai then the notion of doing that seems a mite bizarre.  Aircon is more of a luxury than a necessity if you have a good sea breeze.  Nights are usually quite cool, except in summer - March / April / May - and a good fan is all that's needed.  But all fan rooms are not created equal. 

To been honest I'm surprised by the number of travellers who are happy to stay in rooms which are barely big enough to swing a cat in.  Yes, they're cheap.  Of course they're cheap, they have no windows, bamboo mat walls a plywood floor, a 40 watt light bulb and ceiling fan that does little more than constantly rattle all night.  Why not spend 100 baht/night more and staying in a room with windows, a bed, mozzie nets, running water and space to swing a cat should you desire? 

Buses.  None on the island, but you can buy tickets at most hotels, bungalows etc for minibuses to Bangkok, Pattaya, Koh Samet etc.  Alternatively make your way to Trat from where you can take a full size bus.  Minibuses are quicker but unless you're Douglas Bader or a fully fledged, card carrying dwarf you'll find the lack of legroom  stifling.  The best deal on getting to & from back Bangkok is the government run bus service which runs between Ekkamai Bus Station in Bangkok to/from Koh Chang Ferry and Centrepoint piers on the mainland.  Cost is 250 baht/person.  Both routes run services leaving Bangkok at 7.45am & 9.45am with returns back to Bkk, leaving at 2pm & 4pm (and there's also a return 12pm service from Koh Chang Ferry pier going to Hualampong Railway Station & Khao San Road, Bangkok)

Buying Land.   Unlike other large islands such as Phuket and Samui the vast majority of land on Koh Chang lies within National Park boundaries and as such is off limits to developers . . . . unless they happen to be: a) rich b) related to members of parliament or c) both a) + b) in which case flattening a few thousand trees to make way for concrete can easily be overlooked.  For us mere mortals the lack of available land on Koh Chang means that if you're looking to buy land then you'll have to dig deep into your pocket, especially if you're relying on adverts in English or fellow farangs that you meet in bars to help you with your land search.  

Speak to the local noodle stall owner, the guy in the hammock who sells overpriced litre bottles of petrol to passing motorcyclists and anyone else who doesn't appear to be awash with cash - that's how to find the cheap land.  Better still get a Thai  friend, (not a bar girl, as even the most buxom will invariably fall into the 'breast size larger than IQ' segment of the populace) to help you and steer clear of the Bangkok businessmen who ask for key money.  One final thing to remember is to choose your friends, don't let them choose you.  Word quickly spreads and if people know you are looking for land you'll find yourself with lots of new friends all eager to show you the same plots of land.  It pays to be cautious.

C

Cable TV.  The Koh Chang Television company are the sole purveyors of fine cable content on Koh Chang.  Most hotels are connected up to their 50 channel service which includes news & movie channels,  a few of which are in English.  Subscription fees are 500 baht/month.   Sign up at their HQ in White Sand beach. For your amusement there are also adverts from local businesses, 90% of which are voiced by a former producer at the station and who fortunately possesses one of those gravely movie trailer type of voices and not a high pitched squeak.  Their website is www.kohchangtv.com - my favourite ad is for the Klong Son carwash, closely followed by the commercial for Angels Bar which is a lesson in ways to diplomatically say a hooker bar isn't a hooker bar but still imply that it is.

Cambodian Border Crossing.  The border crossing is around an hour and fifteen minutes drive by minivan from Trat town.  Take a minivan from outside Trat central market. This crossing is far removed from the hectic activity at the far busier Aranyaprathet / Poipet crossing which anyone travelling from Bangkok - Siem Reap overland will go through.  Had Lek / Cham Yeam border post is a far more laid back affair with no queues and formalities taking 10 minutes maximum.

Get your stamp out of Thailand at the small office on the right of the checkpoint barrier, then walk 100 metres to the Cambodian Immigration office - the first building you see on the left. (Look to the right and you'll see the entrance to Koh Kong Casino Resort).  Refuse all offers of help from the guys who will approach you.  If you've made it this far you can fill in a simple form in English without their assistance.  If you don't already have a Cambodian visa, head to the open door of the visa office.  The office looks as though it has been recently looted, with only an empty wooden table, couple of chairs and no information or adornment of any kind on the unpainted concrete walls, other than a decade old map and a photo of the Cambodian King trying his best to look as un-gay as possible. 

The Immigration guys will probably playing cards in the back.  They know why you're here and you'll be given a simple visa application form to complete, you'll also need to supply one passport photo.  You'll also need around 1,100 baht for the visa.  When the hand of cards is over a guy will come and check the form, another will appear with a key and unlock a draw containing a book of blank visas, the visa takes up a full page of your passport, and a third will sigh, pick up his pen, fill out the blank visa stick it in your passport, call the guy who's job it is to stamp visas, wait for him to do his official duty, then hand your  passport back and you'll be on your way. 

Not very far though, only to the 'Arrivals' window immediately to your right as you exit the visa section.  Here you'll have to fill in the usual arrivals/departure card and get your passport stamped with arrival date etc, again ignore the annoying locals who will have these cards in their hands, take one from them and you'll be pestered for a tip incessantly.  Once your passport is stamped you can wander off, pursued by a rag-tag band of locals all wanting to escort you to a guesthouse, carry your bag or sell you cigarettes; and catch a motorbike taxi to Koh Kong village a few kilometres away.   From here on the website www.talesofasia.com will provide you with all you need to know about Cambodia.

If you plan on staying longterm on an unlimited number of consecutive free 30 day visas, you'll have problems as from 1 Oct 2006 onwards as a new regulation means you're limited to three 30-day visas in any 6 month period.

Canoes.  Most resorts rent out sea canoes for visitors who wish to paddle around the shoreline.  If you're going to hire a canoe then it's worth making the effort to paddle to somewhere rather than just going round in circles 50 metres offshore for an hour or two.  From White Sand Beach you can head north, past the headland and onto Klong Son Bay - the bay with relatively little development, palm fringed shoreline, shallow waters and mountain backdrop looks seriously nice when photographed from the sea plus there's some snorkelling off the northern tip of the island. If you rent a canoe from Kai Bae, southern Klong Prao or Lonely Beach then you'll find that paddling out to the islands offshore make for a good day out.  From southern Klong Prao beach the nearest island, Koh Rom, is less than 30 mins away, lazy buggers may prefer to rent a canoe at the southern tip of Kai Bae where the nearest island, Koh Man Nai, is less than 10 mins away across  waters which are wade-able at low tide. 

See some photos of the inshore islands here.

Unlike the southern Thai islands there isnt much in the way of canoe tours yet.  However good mangrove canoeing is available, the downside is that the two best areas to head for Salakkok & Salakphet are both in the south east of the island  - i.e. 40-50km away from the areas where most visitors stay.  You can rent canoes at a couple of places in and around Salakphet from where you can explore the bay, see the fishing village and visit the islands in the centre of the bay.  The Koh Chang Discovery Club, run by the guy who owns Baan Kwan Chang elephant camp, started kayak rental in an easily accessible mangrove forest in Salakkok.  It's a very nice way to spend an hour or so if you are in this part of the island.  No public transport here though, so head to Salakkok on your rental scooter and follow the signs the 'Salakkok Kayak Station'.  100 baht/hour to rent the kayaks.  Follow a numbered trail through the mangroves and you cant really get lost.  At the far south east of the island, at the end of the road past Long Beach, lies Sea Breeze restaurant - rent a kayak here for 250 baht / day and you can paddle to Koh Ngam - lovely beach, Koh Mai See Yai - large island only a couple of  sea gypsy villages on it, Koh Laoya - private island with small beach or even down to Koh Wai if you wanted to.  Koh Wai and back is around 14km, easily done in a day but check the weather first.

An easier alternative is to rent a canoe from any Klong Prao beach resort - (another blatant advert for us, as we're the cheapest place to rent from in the area) and paddle down the nearby river estuary.  You can go around a kilometre up either of two rivers which feed the estuary.

Charoen Pokphand (CP) Company.  Mention CP to any local or small businessman and they'll more often than not shake their heads in a mixture of envy and sadness.  Before it was announced that the government had big plans for Koh Chang, CP went on a buying spree and locals, not realising that a big boost for tourism was on the way sold out to the big generous buyer.  However, when land prices shot up almost  overnight following the government's announcement, local landowners saw that they had sold out far too cheaply.  At the moment CP's developments/interests/close friends include the 7-11s, Changburi Resort, Seaview Hotel and Koh Sai Khao - a private island in Salakphet Bay.  In addition, most of the useable land around Klong Prao belongs to them.  Oh yes, and they control access to the island in the form of the largest ferry company. 

Chang Cruise.  Unfortunately no longer in use - but still in the A to Z for novelty value. Originally a car ferry, then a snorkelling tour boat with a capacity of 300 and finally  used for romantic dinner cruises. It's owners failed in all three ventures. The snorkelling idea didn't really take off as, for some reason, tourists didn't leap at the prospect of travelling by car ferry to the small protected dive sites. It  was then bedecked with fairy lights and moored off White Sand beach.  Phuket and Samui have dinner cruises in everything from old Chinese junks to purpose built yachts, only Koh Chang offered an old car ferry as the ultimate in romantic dining experiences.

Chinese Temple. Between the ferry piers and Klong Son the road winds up a small hill, on the right you'll see 'Chao Po Koh Chang' which translates as the  'Godfather of Koh Chang'.  (Whether he actually bore a resemblance to Marlon Brando isn't documented.) Apparently when fishermen found themselves facing a strong monsoon or a farmers a poor harvest, they would seek guidance from the Chao Po Koh Chang. Cynics will be disappointed to learn that prayers have been known to be answered.  You'll hear Thai drivers beeping their horns three times when they pass to say hello to the spirits.    

Climate.  Either hot & fairly dry or even hotter and very wet; depending on whether you visit during November - April or May - October.

Coffee.  One of the reasons our first plan was to open a coffee shop was that we couldn't find a decent place to buy the stuff when we first came here.  'Earthlink' on White Sand Beach is pretty good but almost Bangkokian in it's pricing.  The 'Rock Inn' in Bailan also serves up coffee that tastes like coffee which is a rarity in itself on Koh Chang as anyone who has had the misfortune of sampling Uncle Dee's coffee will testify.  Lots of places use the extremely average 'Uncle Dee' brand simply because the Uncle Dee Co. offer a free coffee machine to coffee bean buyers.  Save money and buy 'cafe boran' the traditional strong, sweet Thai iced coffee served to go in a plastic bag for 10 baht from a market stall.  A few of the upmarket restaurants also now sell 'Illy' coffee and the 'Senseo' brand of coffee machines are also appearing, to appeal to people who like their coffee to come out of little coffee pods.  

'Moccachino', a  coffee shop that opened in Feb 2006, appears to be the saviour of those looking for good coffee, very nice surroundings plus internet access on Macs or PCs.  But the coffee is nearing the Starbucks price range.  Located roadside in Kai Bae Plaza, not far from KB Hut / KB Resort etc.

Cookery classes.  Another popular way to kill time away from the beach on Koh Chang is to learn how to cook your favourite Thai dishes.  'Blue Lagoon' & 'Ka-Ti Culinary' - both in Klong Prao are two of the most popular places to spend an afternoon choking on chili fumes. The format of most cookery classes is pretty straightforward.  A chat about Thai food in general, an introduction to some of the more exotic ingredients, then hands on experience making  common or garden Thai food  - Tom Yam Gung, Pad Thai, Green Curry etc, followed by eating your creations.   You'll quickly learn that virtually all Thai recipes include adding liberal amounts of sugar, oyster sauce, fish sauce, mysterious seasoning sauce and soy sauce to enhance the flavour. (Adding a couple of spoonfuls of MSG while no-one's looking doesn't hurt either.)  You will have fun, you will learn a lot and you will be too full to eat dinner. Figure on around 1000 baht per person for class, with a maximum of 6 people per class.

Cookie's Restaurant. The most popular place for Thais and farangs to eat on White Sand Beach.  And deservedly so.  Good food and good sized portions at sensible prices.  If you want to eat cheaply simply avoid the seafood. Our dog gets free sausages when he comes with us, we don't.  But we'll get served by a small army of waiters all eager to play with the dog. Maybe not as good as it once was, in which case try Bamboo Restaurant to the south or Beach Terrace at Sangtawan Bungalows, 100 metres to the north.  Both a re also very good.

Contacting hotels from abroad.  You plan to book your hotel with your local travel agent but have a few questions that you'd like to ask the hotel management before you do so.  Not  a problem you think as you've got the hotel's website URL and all the contact info you could wish for is listed.

First, of all stick to the tried and trusted methods - start with a Fax.  You dial, then nothing, or at best a voice in Thai telling you that the number was discontinued years before the hotel was ever built.  Ok, the phone.  You dial and get a confused receptionist, you then enter into a 15 minute conversation during which you repeat the following at least a dozen times each: "Hello, can you hear me?", "Hello, are you there?".  You put down the phone  when the line mysteriously goes dead and all subsequent calls to the same number are met with an engaged tone. 

Finally, thank God for email.  Your message isn't bounced back as undeliverable and you think you're on a roll.  You spend the next day eagerly awaiting the reply, and then you spend the following day eagerly awaiting the reply, and the next, and the next until it dawns on you that perhaps a follow-up email is in order.  A week later you'll then email me and ask me why you can't contact your hotel of choice. Other than the fact there's usually only one person in each 3 or 4 star hotel who knows enough English to answer a fax, call or email correctly (and if they're off sick or too busy then you're screwed), I have no idea.  But it's a very common problem.  A simple rule to remember is that Thais and email seldom mix well. 

Cynical. That's what this site has been called.  Good luck to those people who are happy to live on, work on or visit their own rose tinted version of Koh Chang but this site is for people who have outgrown travel brochure nonsense, appreciate a more realistic view and don't enjoy reading sycophantic muse written entirely to plug advertisers business ventures. Phew, got that of my chest.

D

Dentists. There is one dental clinic, called 'Baan More Fun' on Koh Chang, (opened in Feb 2006), Koh Chang Dental Clinic ( www.kohchangdental.com ) is located roadside near the Amari Emerald Cove Resort.  It's run by Dr Itsakpong and a couple of other dentists who have had their own private clinic in Trat for around 10 years.  The equipment all comes from overseas - mainly USA & Germany and the place is spotlessly clean.  Get your teeth cleaned for under 1,000 baht or a have them whitened and return home with a movie star smile for 10,000 baht.  Just remember, just because a gleaming smile looks good on Tom Cruise or Julia Roberts, doesn't mean it will suit you.)

Diving companies.  The number of dive schools has increased annually since 2001, and with good reason, although the business has high expenses there are very good profit margins to be made.  The ubiquitous Ploy Scuba leads the way.  Virtually every surface on Koh Chang has had a Ploy Scuba sticker stuck on it at some time.  Not far behind in making a mess of lamp posts are The Dive Adventure.  Scubadive Thailand, based in  Bangbao, is a dive school with a good reputation. 2007 saw a trend for smaller dive companies offering more specialised courses 'Scuba Dreams' in Kai Bae and 'Tec Evolution' in White Sand Beach being two of the new arrivals.   I also keep hearing good things about BB Divers, based in Bangbao and with a training pool & accommodation for divers in Lonely Beach.  They're unique on Koh Chang in that it's female-run, which would seem to indicate that not only will they be organised and  efficient, but that there's far less chance of bumping into one of the owners at 2am in Sabay bar trying to pick up a hooker.

Dive Instructors.  The lure of becoming a diving instructor isn't simply the about getting paid to work in exotic locations.  There's learning about marine flora and fauna and the thrill of passing on your knowledge and experience to others who may one day become passionate about protecting the planet's undersea beauty for generations to come.  On second thoughts, bollocks to it, it's all about shagging as many of your students and local female population as possible.  As work in exotic overseas locations goes, it's either teaching English or teaching diving for the majority of Western 20somethings, and, trust me, English teachers aren't on many girls 'must-shag-when-drunk' list.

Dive Sites.  Let's be honest, any one with a real zest for a diving holiday is going to head straight for the Andaman sea and the world class dive sites around the Similan islands or heading straight to Koh Tao where virtually everyone visiting the island is there for the diving, Koh Chang won't be on the shortlist.  But if you're new to diving or simply want to dive in Thailand at a location within easy reach of Bangkok then Koh Chang is it.   The main undersea attractions are the underwater rock pinnacles which range from about 5 - 30 metres in depth.  Whale sharks have been sighted though. Visibility is usually in the 10-20 metre range. There used to be a huge vertical wreck, of a gas tanker, however mother nature took over in early 2002, the ship refloated, drifted into shipping lanes and was re-sunk by the Thai navy.  It's now a mere horizontal wreck in 35 metre waters somewhere between Koh Samet and Koh Chang. There are a handful of wreck dives, mainly small boats and one warship.

Dodgy Construction Work.  Local government staff, more specifically, those in the planning department, don't work weekends.  Therefore, you'll often see large trucks shifting dirt from one location to another on a Saturday or Sunday.  Why?  Because, more likely than not, the work that they are doing is best completed without nosey officials getting in the way.  Once something has been built it's far harder to have it removed than it is to either stop it being built during the planning approval phase or during construction.  Therefore, don't get plans approved and don't let anyone catch you building it.  Job done, but over a period of several weekends.

Dolphins.  Around Koh Chang, there's probably more chance of seeing dolphin on a menu than in the sea, which is why any  'Swim with the Dolphins' tours you see advertised will head to Oasis Sea World at Chantaburi rather than the open seas.  The dolphinarium is only an hour's drive from the ferry pier and you'll have the chance to see a dolphin show and also swim with the dolphins.  (Read the small print, actually swimming with the dolphins  - which is what everyone wants to do - is always an extra on top of the tour fee which only includes a dolphin show.)

On the tour you'll probably also be taken to a gem shop or two and a run-of-the-mill Thai temple, and even Robinson's  department store, as your guide will want to make sure you spend the whole day having your wallet emptied.  Returning home with nothing but photos and fond memories of frolicking with the dolphins isn't the aim, arriving back at your hotel loaded down with shopping and bargain gems is.  But I'd recommend the experience as a way to take a break from Koh Chang and Chantaburi is quite a nice town, it's the centre of Thailand's gem industry, there's quite a lot of French influence - as they controlled this area of Thailand for a while, plus a load of Vietnamese immigrants made it home a century ago and the largest Catholic church in Thailand is here.  Although, as it isn't in the vicinity of Robinson's department store or the Dolphin Show, you probably won't see it. 

With your own transport you can also visit the nearby mangrove forests, there are mountain bike trails along the quiet roads along the shoreline.  These are the real highlight of Chantaburi.  If only someone would build an out of town shopping mall or gem shop nearby, you might be able to see the on a guided tour.

After going completely off topic for the past couple of paragraphs, and to get to the poijnt, there is one place where you do have a good chance of seeing a pod of dolphins.  Head right round the the south east of the island to the end of the road, past Long Beach.  In the channel between Koh Ngam and Koh Chang dolphins  regularly make an appearance early in the morning, that's sunrise early and not 9am early.

E

Elephant Camps.  There are now four camps on the island, two of which I don't have a great deal of time for and one where I go regularly.   To me an elephant's natural habitat is in the jungle and not tethered a few metres from the roadside.  Whilst I'm sure that 'Baan Chang Thai', 'Chang Chutiman' and 'Ban Chang Klong Plu' camps ensure the mahouts look after their elephants well the idea of roadside, drive-in elephant camps just doesn't appeal to me.  These three camps are all in the same area of central Klong Prao.

Infinitely better is 'Ban Kwan Chang', a camp run by K. Pittaya, who is in change of the Asian Elephant Foundation. This camp is located in a valley about 3km from Klong Son village in the north of the island.  There are 9 or 10 elephants of varying ages and personalities.  A couple of the mahouts speak some English and there is quite a lot of written info available about the history of elephant handling in Thailand etc at the camp.  What you wont find though ar.  Even if you aren't up for a ride on an elephant you can buy some bananas, feed them and just enjoy the jungle scenery.  Go there, you'll like it.

Elephant Island.  As you'll probably have discovered - from reading the first sentence on most hotels websites, the name 'Koh Chang' means Elephant Island in Thai.  Surely, Koh Chang was called 'Koh Chang' well before the island was accurately surveyed or photographed from the air so the name coming from the shape of the island viewed from above seems a non starter.  And you'd have to be smoking something stronger than menthol cigarettes to believe that the silhouette of the island resembles that of a reclining elephant.

This is the local folklore, I've abridged it but kept the important parts . . .

Locals believe that long time ago a Buddhist saint came to Koh Chang and raised a herd of elephants on the island. He employed an old couple to look  after the herd. The old lady was called 'Yai Mom'.

One day an elephant called 'Petch' escaped from the herd onto the forest, met a  wild elephant and had three baby elephants out of wedlock.

The saint found out about the matter and sent the old couple to look for the elephant and its babies. The old man went up north. The old lady went down south.

With the pachyderm equivalent of a cry of "You'll never take me alive!" , Petch the elephant ran to north coast, leapt into the sea and doggy paddled to the mainland where she landed at the present day Ban Thamamchat. Being an unfit mother, Petch forgot that her kids couldn't swim or at least not far enough to complete the 6 or more kilometres to the mainland. The three babies drowned and were transformed into 2 piles of rock at the head of Klong Son bay. Today, the Thai name is 'Three Elephants Rock'. (Why three elephants were transformed into only two piles isn't clear.)

Talking of transformations, whilst swimming to the mainland 'Petch', the elephant, needed a toilet break.  Her bowel movements were also transformed into a rocky outcrop, now known as  'Hin Kee Chang' in Thai a.k.a. 'Elephant Shit Rock' - you'll see this from Centrepoint Ferry. (Obviously, Petch was extremely fortunate that her bowel movements turned to stone after it exited her body and not before.)

But that wasn't the end of the totally unexplained transformations, the old lady followed the elephant onto the mainland, but fell into a mud pool and died.  Her body transformed into a rock called 'Hin Yai Mom'. Her hat fell on a rock at the end of the cape where there is now a lighthouse. The cape has since been known as 'Laem Ngob' (Hat Cape) and is now the departure point for passenger ferries to Koh Chang. 

The saint expecting that 'Petch' would come back onto the island, asked for tenders for a project to build a large trap in the south of the islands the southern coast on the area that is now called 'Ban Salakkok'. (This is one of the first recorded examples of a pointless project costing an  obscene amount of money being instigated by an individual in a position of power who is the only real beneficiary is the person who commissioned the project in the first place.  There are plenty of latter day examples on Koh Chang.)

Petch the elephant did return to the island, but being streetwise and spotting what must have been a rather obvious, kilometre long, trap strung between two islands went into different direction.  The saint therefore sent his men to catch the elephant.

In the end, the saint got so fed up with the hassle caused by 'Petch' that he cursed the island to prevent an elephant from ever living there again. Since that day, there has been no elephant living on the island.  (Until the advent of elephant camps for the tourists.)

To see a mural depicting the events above, go to Centrepoint Ferry pier on the mainland.  Then drive east about 500 metres - in the direction of Trat - and you'll see the entrance to a small temple on the left side of the road.  Look at the old mural that is painted on the temple gateway by the main road. 

F

Fire Department.  In case you were wondering what happens if there is a fire at your hotel, fear not.  Koh Chang has a fire department and they own a fire tender.  (Note the singular.)  This is based in Dan Mai, on the east coast, a mere 30 - 45 minute scenic drive from most hotels on the west coast.  With that in mind, best to make yourself aware of where your hotel's fire extinguishers are when you check in - as you'll be helping the staff to put any blaze in your room out.

Fire Shows.  In 'B' for 'Bars' I mentioned 'Sabay' bar. This bar gained it's popularity from the nightly fire shows that it's staff put on.  If the sight of sweaty young Thai guys swinging balls of fire round their heads is new to you then be sure to stroll past at about 8.30pm every evening.  Of course the fire show's popularity has ensured that virtually every beach bar on the island now has a fire show of a varying degree of mediocrity and danger to spectators.  The job of 'Fireshow Guy' now seems to be top of the career aspirations of local teenagers who, rightly, see this as their one shot at getting off with a farang backpacker chick.   And judging by the number of bikini clad babes seen practicing and taking private lessons the odds of that happening don't seem to be too bad.  Down at 'Barracuda Bar' on Klong Prao beach a father and son team whirl fire around their heads. Don't blame Dad for being a bad influence, it was his schoolboy son  that taught him the moves.  So, the next time you think about telling your kids not to play with fire, remember you may be harming their future employment prospects. 

Fireflies tour.  A tour offered by a few of the agencies on the island is a nighttime one to see the fireflies at play in the mangroves.  'Iyara' restaurant in Klong Prao,  combine a meal in their riverside restaurant with a free guided, 30 minute trip to see the fireflies by old style gondola.  Near by, 'Phu Talay' restaurant also offer their diners a free trip after their meal. The number of fireflies you actually see varies a great deal so it's a bit hit and miss - but if you're lucky then you'll usually see several trees lit up with a constantly moving mass of lights. That coupled with the eerie surroundings of pitch black mangrove makes for an experience accurately described as "neat" by one American friend.  Our house is a 10 minute canoe paddle from firefly central so we often get lost fireflies making their way into the house at night - the little buggers send the dog crazy as they zig-zag across a darkened room.  You can also see fireflies in the Klong Son mangroves, contact the Grand Orchid hotel in Klong Son for info on their firefly tour.  The largest mangrove forests are in the south-east of the island.  If you are in Salakphet or Salakkok after nightfall you can see fireflies in the mangrove forests there by canoe or on foot, along the public walkways. 

Fishing.  In the late afternoon it's common to see young locals and construction workers sitting on pier or riverbanks with their rods in hand, having a ball. Fishing isn't simply a matter of drowning worms for fun, it's free food  - which if you're earning less than 150 baht a day and spending half of that on a large Beer Chang & 20 ciggies, is something which helps appease the wife.  After seeing a few decent sized, edible fish in the estuary outside our front door I was almost tempted to borrow a fishing rod but was stopped by one of our builders who assured me that he knew a far less time consuming, and guaranteed successful way of catching fish. 

It's simple, highly effective and, as I later learnt, also illegal - so don't try this, unless you want a bucketful of fish in less than 30 minutes.  Take one 10 metre length of electric cable, throw one end in the water in an area where fish like to congregate and hold the other near a plug socket.  Watch and wait.  When a six inch fish swims within a metre radius of the end of the underwater cable, make a quick connection with the plug socket.  This results in the fish slowly freaking out on the surface of the water thus enabling it to be scooped out with a net or by hand.  If you're lucky and fish are in close formation, you can snare five or six fish in one zap.  Beats watching fish ignore your bait time and again.  (The reason it's illegal is that all small marine life gets fried indiscriminately when you power up - a situation marine biologists describe as being "not a  good thing".)

If you are into your angling, Blue Lagoon have two fishing tackle shops, in Klong Prao  and Chai Chet areas, these stock numerous rods, reels, lures and lines.  Everything you need to spend the day away from the rest of your family. A cheap rod is  only a couple of hundred baht. Sea Fishing tours are available for around 1,200 baht/day, double what a snorkelling trip costs, but that's partly due to far fewer people being interested in drowning worms whilst on holiday.  More seriously, we've had a few guests go on sea fishing trips with a company called 'Sea Hunter' and they've all loved it.  All report that the staff are organised and efficient, the equipment is good quality and the guys on the boat know their stuff when it comes to fishing.  In the day time expect to catch Grouper and Snapper.  At night Squid and Barracuda.

Footwear.  Need a new pair of sandals . . no problem.  You'll be quoted 350 baht for a 99 baht pair of flip-flops that started life by being hastily stuck  together in a Cambodian backwater by pre-teen workers.  Be sure to buy a tube of superglue, you'll need it if you plan to wear them for more than a week.  If you want to buy crap, then haggle the price down to nearer 100 baht.  Fake Crocs should be around 150 baht for adult sizes and are surprisingly durable.

Next option is to head to one of the markets and buy from the sandal vendors.  They sell decent enough quality Thai brand sandals e.g. 'Kito' and 'Adda',  for 200 - 250 baht.  They're comfortable and will easily last 6 months or more with no worries, I will usually lose one of a pair well before they fall to bits.

If you want brandname footwear, forget it. There were a couple of shops selling Danish 'Ecco' brand shoes and sandals, at prices cheaper than in Europe - as the shoes are made here in Thailand.  However, no one bought them and the shops closed after a year.  

Foreign exchange.  Everyone knows that they get a very disadvantageous exchange rate when they change money at their hotel or guesthouse.  So why do it?  Laziness, that's why.  Get yourself to one of the forex offices run by Thai banks where Traveller's Cheques and hard currency, i.e. not your stash of Lao Kip and Nepali Rupees, can be changed at the usual bank rates.  There are exchange offices on White Sand Beach; at VJ Plaza in Klong Prao; near the northernmost 7-eleven in Kai Bae; and near the 7-eleven in Bangbao.

G

Golden Retrievers.  We've got one and they're one of the more popular breeds on the island, if unloved, unwanted beach and street dogs are discounted.  Or at least they are popular when they are puppies but many owners forget they grow and need plenty of exercise.  You'll see a couple of unwanted, stray, retrievers on the island now.  Sad, but that what happens when guys buy dogs for their girlfriend's, forgetting that the odds of the dog outliving their relationship ie. to making it to 12 months, are extremely high.

Green Club.  A 'Koh Chang Green Club' was in existence a few years ago.  At the time I was pretty sceptical about it.  My scepticism is based on the only people I've seen wearing the Green Club t-shirts are prominent businessmen & resort owners on the island; one of whom we met whilst he was overseeing construction of a small luxury development in the south-east of the island.  A project he was happy to admit had to be completed quickly, he was aiming to build two teak wood houses in under two weeks, so as to avoid being told to stop by planning authorities.  Talking much later with the one guy in the original 'Green Club' that was actually into doing something to protect the environment, he admitted that his initial project had pretty much been hijacked by people wanting to promote themselves using the idea of being 'eco friendly' as a selling point. 

The 'Koh Chang Discovery Club', run by K. Pittaya,  is now the leader in projects that hep protect the environment but still provide jobs and income for locals.  They operate a couple of projects in Salakphet and Salakok.  The mangrove kayaking and restaurant in Salakkok is owned as a collective by members of the local community.  They all have a stake in running the business, some put in a little money, others donate their time or work there.  But all share in the profits.  This project won an award for involving the local community in eco tourism development at the 2007 Tourist Authority of Thailand awards.

Graffiti.  You don't see much graffiti in Thailand but Koh Chang is home to a little bit of the royal variety.  Head to Tham Mayom waterfall to see the spot where King Rama IV and, a few years later, King Rama V carved their names into the stone.  It's probably best not to ask the park rangers if you too can carve your name there or enquire as to whether this type of royal vandalism should be promoted as a tourist attraction.  In 2007-08, the graffiti actually became noticeable on the island with many street signs, some corrugated iron walls around construction sites and concrete walls in out of the way locations all getting disfigured by amateurish spray 'artists'.  

Guidebooks.  The expat-run White Sands Publications churn out a free quarterly guide to Koh Chang and the surrounding islands which includes good maps and lots of bland, non-controversial, useful & sensible tourist info and seems to be the most widely available guide on the island.  Expect regurgitated facts and plugs for advertisers rather than an exciting read. 

The company behind www.koh-chang.com, a touristy website aimed at getting you to book your hotel room online with them, also produce a free 'ultimate guide'   However, this guide appears to be targeted at potential clients for a few of the big hotels and seafood restaurants on the island and is therefore full of lengthy outdated prose on the enchanting beauty of the island and phrases such as 'Join with us to come to experience the only one natural of Koh Chang.'

It's possible to lay your hands on free island maps of varying degrees of usefulness and accuracy or you could lay out some cash and buy a fold out map from most minimarts in tourist areas.  But even these maps exist more to make money from selling advertising spaces to bungalows and restaurants on the island, rather than they do to provide any useful, accurate information.  The latest free map, is one of the worst I've seen and is a testament more to the salesman who managed to sell so much advertising space on a map that's of so little use to anyone who picks it up.  

'Siam East' is a pocket guide worth checking out if you are interested in the mainland too.  Quite a lot of info on Chantaburi and Trat areas.  This mag also occasionally has some pretty humourous articles and interviews obviously written by a native English speaker who realises how dull his basic subject matter is and that it needs livening up a little.

'Koh Chang & Beyond' - an advertorial filled free magazine which includes maps & general info guide to the island and Koh Mak & Koh Kood. I occasionally write some stuff for it.  But more often than not I have to write in a tourist mag style which means keeping a thesaurus handy and lots of references to 'paradise island', 'stunning vistas' and 'palm trees swaying in cool tropical zephyr ' and so on, so take it for what it is.

Gym.  After working up a sweat by simply walking around, head over to Koh Chang's first gym, namely 'Koh Chang Gym' located at the southern end of White Sand beach near Bangkok-Trat International Clinic.  It's a shop unit as full of as many free weights as can possibly be packed into 24 square metres of floor space .  A much larger gym, also named 'Koh Chang Gym' is located at one of the ferry piers on the east of the island.  They have a large selection of weights machines and barbells, dumb bells etc.  Next to the passenger ferry pier, Dan Kao pier, south of the two car ferry piers is the biggest & best equipped gym on the island.  Loads of free weight machines and sweaty Thai guys.  Weekly, monthly an annual memberships are available.

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Health.  Every resort on the island has at least one  female member of staff who will dish out oversweet tea, sympathy and a handful of paracetamol to anyone who stays out in the sun too long or falls off their rented scooter.  If your medical needs require more specialised help then you can head to the new large, international clinic, run by the Bangkok Hospital group, at the southern end of White Sand Beach, Tel: 01 863 3609 - it's open 24 hours for emergencies & and takes credit cards.  Expect to pay 3,000 baht to see a doctor, so maybe not the best place to go if you need cream for a mozzie bite. Another option is to visit Koh Chang's hospital on the east of the island a few km past the ferry terminals which will save you an arm and a leg . . . both metaphorically and literally.   A couple of doctors speak  a bit of English. 

More hit and miss diagnoses and medication are also available at pharmacies & small clinics in Klong Son, Kai Bae, Dan Mai, Salakphet, Jek Bae, Klong Prao and Bang Bao who'll all be  happy to let you tell them what drugs you require.  The local clinics are dirt cheap and if it's obvious what's wrong with you i.e. cuts, insect bites etc then don't worry about going there. 

But if you need to explain your symptoms then it's better not to take too many shortcuts in order to save a few baht. There are a couple of good clinics with English speaking doctors.   Try 'PP Inter Clinic', on the main road opposite the turning for the Amari Emerald Cove hotel is your best bet for a friendly, English speaking doctor.  Dr Peeraphan used to work for a well known private hospital and is a qualified plastic surgeon as well as MD.  Same quality as the International clinic at half the cost.  See www.ppclinicinter.com for info.  Another good private clinic with English speaking female doctor is 'KP Clinic' opposite the gasoline station in Klong Prao village.  There is also another clinic ' Kai Bae Clinic' 100 metres north of Cliff Beach Resort, again some English spoken but doesn't appear to be in the sale league as the two aforementioned private clinics.

Herbal Sauna.  The original herbal sauna is locate in Bailan.  This adobe style building quickly caught the eye of backpakcers who headed there to 'chill out' prior to a night partying.  Build a room, build a fire, throw on some camphor oil  - how hard could it be? Not very assume a growing number of backpacker resort owners who now have their own herbal saunas.  You'll find small hebal saunas in lonely Beach and also Klong Prao.

Homestays.  If sleeping in a fisherman's spare room,  waking up to the sound of Granny hacking up phlegm, realising you aren't flexible enough to use a squat toilet properly and then sharing a Beer Chang for breakfast with Dad's chums -  "Hey you! Manchester United, very good.", "You like Thai girls?" -  is your idea of a holiday then several locals in the beautiful Salakphet bay area welcome travellers into their humble abodes for a small fee. (You pay them, they don't pay you.)

Hongtaews.  You won't know the word but you'll know what they are.  When you're travelling around the island you'll notice row upon row of new, non-descript shop units, usually home to collections of t-shirts, beachwear or souvenir junk.  This type of unit is called a 'hongtaew'.  Local developers have realised that there are plenty of people willing to pay a few thousand baht a month to rent 16-20 square metres of roadside space, so it's easy money.  The downside is that most of the hongtaews are real eyesores and if the government was serious in developing Koh Chang as a high end destination they'd bulldoze the lot of them and build landscaped public gardens, complete with rockery, water features and gazebo in their place.

Horse Riding.   In Hua Hin, on the opposite side of the Gulf of Thailand, horseback riding along the beach has long been a popular pastime.  Here on Koh Chang, elephant riding (trekking) is the thing to be seen doing.  Therefore, it wasn't surprising that the one attempt to open equestrian centre, i.e. a couple of horses that would plod around  a 200 metre oval track, failed to take off and it closed in 2006.

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Ice Cream.  Forget Walls, Nestle and the shockingly poor but very cheap 'Cremo'.  Look for the the middle aged man & woman on motorbikes selling coconut ice cream.  They come over from Trat daily and ride motorbikes with a blue sign bearing the memorable slogan 'Coconut Ice Cream' and a picture of a palm tree on them. No awards for originality  but this 'brand' is delicious and a small plastic cup full only costs 10 baht. Far better than other locally produced stuff which tend to combine a crushed ice texture with a crushed ice taste to produce an overall taste sensation closely resembling that of crushed ice.

Internet Access.  Land lines now cover pretty much all of Koh Chang.  So getting a phone line installed doesn't usually necessitate a three to six month wait.  This means that anyone can easily set up an internet cafe, but nowadays the profit margin aren't so high and so fewer new ones are being opened.  More small resorts are also now offering in room internet or wi-fi, options that many larger resorts still dont offer or charge a crazy price for. You'll also find some bars and restaurants are now also offering free internet usage to their patrons. Most internet cafes use ADSL services supplied by TOT or CAT, two government telecom companies. This means that internet access on the island should in theory be the same as the cost on the mainland i.e. around 20 - 30 baht an hour.  It isn't of course because you people are tourists and tourists pay more.  So expect to pay 1 baht per minute for internet access here. However, you'll also see daily deals - e.g. 'Unlimited use for 100 baht a day' which is good but only if you plan to live in the internet cafe.

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Jah Bar. Closed in late 2003. Get over it stoners, life moves on.

Jek Bae.  A hamlet on the eastern shore of Salakphet Bay.  Home to several bungalow resorts hat get the occasional Thai tour group staying at the weekend, and a local clinic and that's pretty much it.  No reason for to you go there, you'll pas through it on the way to Long Beach or Hat Yuthanavy, if you venture to this part of the island.

Jintara.  The playful, artistic elephant at Baan Kwan Chang Elephant Camp.  Feed her some banana's tell her I said "Hi".  Look into her bright, lively eyes, you can tell she's one hell of an happy, intelligent  pachyderm.

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Kai Bae.  This area was the site of the first backpacker bungalow resorts on Koh Chang.  One family here was the first to recognise the potential in opening their houses up to scruffy hippies in the eighties.  Now, 20 years on and  they're coining it in.  Interestingly, years ago the family elders divided their land between the sons and daughters.  The sons, of course, got all the good land, that which was bet for farming fruit. The daughters got the scraps with poor soil where only coconut tree would grow.  So, it's the daughters and descendents, that now own the beachfront resorts whereas the sons' families still have their fruit farms. 

Karaoke.  Question: What beach holiday wouldn't be complete without a night spent in a karaoke bar?  Answer: All of them, if you're Thai.  None of them, if you're a farang. 

Cultural differences you see, it's these little things that make travel to countries poorer than your own so interesting.  Stay here too long and you'll be putting ice in your beer too.

If you feel the urge to make a twat out of yourself in public then you can find a dozen or so places, Klong Prao area is a good place to look, that offer cheap food, beer and a karaoke jukebox - don't expect many songs in English but most Thai songs have transliterated English subtitles.  There aren't any upmarket places that offer karaoke and hostesses in an airconditioned environment. (Not that most readers care, but I do get the odd visitor to the site from Korea or Japan.)

Kicking Ass.  Is a beach vacation too laid back for you?  Do you feel the need to learn how to 'whoop ass' in a divine manner?  Look no further i high season you'll often find impromptu classes in various martial arts on offer from travellers eager to find the finances required to linger longer on Koh Chang. So, keep an eye out for classes in 'Antique Tibetan Kung Fu in the Dragon style'. (It was never going to be in the 'fluffy bunny' or 'duckling' style, was it?) 

Backpacker activity credibility checklist:

• Gives a nod to an oppressed nation? - Yep. 

• Got a bit of tradition? - Sure, it says Antique. 

• Is violent, but in a spiritual and therefore acceptable manner? - Heck, it's Kung Fu - don't you remember the 1970s David Carradine TV show?

There's still nowhere that offers Muay Thai courses or training on the island. 

Koh.  The Thai word for island.  For the sake of credibility, and also accuracy, pronounce it the same as you would the first two letters of the word 'got' and not to rhyme with the word 'go'.

Koh Chang Television.  Koh Chang has it's own TV station which has proved to be very popular with hotels and bungalow resorts as they can now offer a multitude of international TV channels for their guests at hardly any cost to themselves.  Before you get too excited, bear in mind that if you aren't Chinese, Indian, Indonesian or Filipino then the number of channels you'll want to watch is limited to roughly zero, or one if you include Fox News, plus a movie channel showing a DVD.    Imagine your disappointment when the advertised live football on a Saturday night isn't Bundesliga or Premier League, but the Malaysian Super League featuring a mid table clash between Teranganu and Petaling Jaya, live from a near empty university playing field.  Highlights of KCTV also include some locally made content in the form of camcorder made infomercials for tourist attractions and hotels complete with cheesy soundtrack and less than subtle editing.  The ad for Klong Son carwash is a particular favourite of mine. 

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Laundry.  The going rate for laundry services on the island is about 30 - 40 baht per kilo.  Plenty of good laundry services are available so no need to pay hotel rtes if you don't want to. If you plan on staying a while a better bet is to keep an eye out for coin operated washing machines, you can find the in out of the way shops tucked down alleyways on all the main beaches.  These usually cost around 30-40 baht for a full load.  All you need is to buy a 5 baht bag of washing powder and give up an hour of your valuable time to wait for the machine to complete its wash, rinse & spin cycle.  Laundry dries within 30 minutes with a bit of sun and sea breeze.  Don't worry about not having your clothes ironed wearing slightly crinkly t-shirt won't kill you or embarrass everyone you have ever met,  regardless of what your mother may have taught you in the past.

Lawyers.  Whether you've been busted for the pigs for a crime you didn't commit or wrecked your rental motorbike and are now facing a ridiculous demand for damages, you may think about obtaining the services of a lawyer.  There's one small law office on Koh Chang, in VJ Plaza.  However, this is staffed by a clerk and not a 'real' lawyer - he's in Pattaya where the main business is.  Another is in Kai Bae adjacent to Chang Park Resort.  Plus you'll see signs on small offices for legal services roadside in White Sand Beach & Klong Prao

If you need a lawyer for any reason, especially one that involves the exchange of money or property then avoid any based on Koh Chang for the simple reason that you have no way of knowing that they will represent your best interests.  Get a lawyer from Pattaya or, better still, from a well known law firm in Bangkok.  They'll cost more but they wont screw up your life.

Learning Thai.  Koh Chang's first language school opened it's doors in July '06 and as with most ideas that don't involve selling junk to tourists, closed a year later.  It's now a profitable restaurant 'Meals and More' rather than an unprofitable place to learn Thai or English.  You'll find a few freelance Thai teachers on the island. But no organised classes available.  Thais who want t learn English will head to the mainland where they can study in large groups for a very low cost.  The benefits of paying slightly more for a far smaller class size aren't apparent.

Lifejackets.  These are provided, in varying degrees of quality and quantity on ferries and all speedboats and tour boats.  But rather than being designed to keep you floating face up in the water, they are more designed so that non swimmers can snorkel whilst wearing them, and therefore are great if you want to float face down in the water.  The average Thai citizen's unnerving reliance on lifejackets as the only thing standing between the wearer and certain death whilst on or near water is something just waiting to have a PhD. thesis written on.  

Most farangs who travel and take boat trips or snorkelling tours can swim or at least have the ability to float and also understand that the odds of the boat sinking are comparatively minimal.  Thais, for whatever reason, aren't naturally buoyant and therefore feel the need to don a day-glo orange life preserver at the mere mention of open water.   Of course, taking non-swimming grandparents and young children snorkelling and then  relying on lifejackets to keep the dangers of the ocean currents at bay isn't one of the greatest ideas ever.

Locals.  The local population falls into two camps, those who cashed in on the land price boom too soon, and those with a brain. 

The former group sold their land as soon as a nice man from Bangkok came to their door and offered them a couple of hundred thousand baht plus a second hand pick-up truck for their acres of useless beachfront coconut palms.  The latter group, rent out their land but periodically sell small plots when they are offered huge sums of un-taxable cash.  You'll also notice that there are only a handful of families on the island and that everyone in a certain area has similar features.  Pretty much everyone is related to everyone else.  Don't mention inbreeding.

Lonely Beach. - see 'Beaches'.    Sure the beach is excellent but now that everyone and their dog has built small bars and dirt cheap huts it reminds me too much of Koh Phi-phi (pre-tsunami) and it's shanty town, cash-in-quick commercialism. And like Phi-phi (post-tsunami) levelling the place in order to build something a little more upmarket isn't such a bad idea.  In fact, the process is already well underway with Siam Beach resort doing away with their backpacker bungalows to provide rooms suitable for families and US$300 a night pool villas plus the Bhumiyama, a good 3 star, opened in 2005 sandwiched between two backpacker hut places. On a smaller scale the small 'Kachapura' and 'Warapura' resorts both provide travellers who are looking for a bit more comfort but without the hotel ambience very good value accommodations in the heart of the nigthlife area.

Lonely Planet Guidebook. A new 'Thailand' edition was published in mid-2007, the problem with listings for places such as Koh Chang which are developing so fast is that by the time the book is published the information is at least 18 months out of date.   The current guide was researched in October 2006.   So use it to get an idea, but don't expect prices for transportation to be anywhere near accurate and also note that so many resorts and restaurants have opened on Koh Chang in the past couple of years that just because one isn't in the LP, it doesn't mean that it's not worth dining at.  

Longtail boats.  You wont see any of the type used in southern Thailand, narrow, 6 metre long boats with a truck engine mounted on the back.  Here locals use smaller 4 metre fiberglass boats with 6 - 13 HP Honda engines.  These are dirt cheap to run and also well worth buying if you plan to be on the island for a while, the only thing you need is somewhere to moor it.  The cost, including delivery for a boat and engine which is ready to go is around 55 - 60,000 baht, get one in Trat town.  The one proper longtail belongs to Panviman Resort and is used to take their guests on short trips to the islands in Klong Prao bay.

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Malaria. Judging from the emails I receive and from speaking to guests who stay at our place, most people are a bit worried about the odds of catching malaria.  Google 'malaria' and 'Koh Chang' and you'll find plenty of health related websites which have Thailand's borders with Cambodia and Burma plus Koh Chang coloured red. Red meaning, as Guns n' Roses once said "Welcome to the jungle, you're gonna die!".

In boring old reality, there's only a chance of catching malaria if you plan on spending a few weeks camping out in the jungle during the rainy season.  If  you're planning on staying in a beachfront hotel then I wouldn't worry.  Locals don't worry or even give malaria a second thought nowadays. (The local government launched an eradication program well over 10 years ago).  I've asked a couple of neighbours if they remember anyone catching it and in the past few years - since the advent of mass tourism there haven't been any cases that stick in the mind.  In the two and a half years I've been here I haven't heard of any cases or even rumours of cases.

Take the obvious precautions, wear long sleeved shirts and light trousers in the evening and bring a good mosquito repellent, something with a high percentage of DEET in it as mozzies can sometimes be a nuisance. Natural, citronella based repellents, may make you feel as though you're saving the ozone layer or whatever, but when it comes to deterring mozzies; coating yourself with DEET or, any Agent Orange derivative, is the only way to go.

It's also interesting to note that whilst I've had loads of emails from people worrying about catching malaria, not one person has shown any concern  about contracting Dengue Fever. This is odd as Dengue is far more prevalent throughout Thailand, has no cure and kills a lot more people than Malaria every year in this part of the world.  You'll find that most expats who've lived in Thailand for a while have either contracted Dengue or have a good friend who has, whereas none of them will know anyone who caught Malaria.  (I caught it in Bangkok a few years ago - it isn't a fun virus to have - as the main symptoms, of the milder form, are a week of the worst migraine headache you can imagine combined with all your joints aching at the slightest movement.)

Mangroves.  As mangroves have a habit of blocking beach access most of those on the west coast have long been cut down already.  But you can still hire a canoe and paddle down the Klong Prao river estuary to see mangrove lined riverbanks. A really beautiful mangrove forest can be found in Salakkok, in the south-east of the island.  Sea canoe is the best way to visit.  However, a newly constructed concrete walkway enables lazy-arsed visitors to walk about 800 metres through the mangroves.  An experience that leaves you marveling at the poor construction on the concrete walkway for which huge tracts of mangroves were obviously cut down to enable it to be built.  For  a nicer mangrove forest experience, head to the head of the bay in Salakphet, turn left as you pass the temple in the village and follow the road to the end.  Here a wooden walkway through the mangroves awaits you. Very peaceful down here.  There are a few sings with information about the mangroves, but nothing in Engish. 

Marine life.  Whilst the seas around Koh Chang may not offer Andaman-esque crystal clear waters they do offer a wide variety of marine life for snorkellers and divers alike.  Rays, eels, turtles, groupers plus the very occasional whale shark can all be seen in addition to the usual multicoloured reef fish.  The most interesting things I've seen are a couple of small sea snakes in the water off Klong Prao beach and big turtles near Koh Rang.

Markets.  There are an increasing number of afternoon / evening markets on Koh Chang.  Vacant plots of land are rented to traders who set up at varioud places on different days of the week.   The same stall holders put in appearances at all the markets which generally kick off mid-afternoon.  From 2pm onwards you'll see people putting up stalls and by 5pm things are usually in full swing.  Not a great deal that you would want to buy but interesting enough to look around. If you're anorexic you may find some cheap clothes that fit but otherwise seasonal fruit, deep fried meat by-products on sticks, tattoos, second hand TVs and a wide range of plastic items in primary colours remain the worthwhile purchases.  

Massage. You'll find massage ladies on the beach, in your resort, lurking in hole in the wall shops everywhere on the island.  Finding one isn't a problem, finding a good one is far harder. Cost is about 250 - 350 baht for a beach massage lasting an hour or so.  A good way to unwind after a day's swimming/canoeing/elephant riding/snorkelling etc.  The vast majority are 'traditional Thai massage only' so, guys, if you're in need of some form of 'special' massage for your dangly bits you'll need to shop around - preferably discreetly.  Getting  a stiffy whilst enjoying a beach massage is considered impolite, and the odds are the massage girl won't be impressed as she's probably seen bigger & better in her time.  For a good value, proper massage away from the beach in well decorated, clean surroundings try Sima Massage, Klong Prao - near Chang Chutiman elephant camp. I know lots of people who have been there and they will get all the knots out of your muscles.  Your body will feel like jelly by the time they finish with you.

Missing the ferry.  One of the common fears anyone arriving on Bangkok Airways evening flight is "What happens if we miss the last ferry and are stranded at the pier?" Don't worry, that hasn't happened yet and unless flights are delayed a by a couple of hours or so it's unlikely to be a problem.  Trat airport is an informal place, you'll be out of there 15 minutes after your plane lands and then it's only another 15-20 minute drive to the ferry pier.  The ferry waits for passengers who are on the airport minibus shuttles to the island.  It won't leave without you. Anyone heading to Koh Chang by bus should leave Bangkok before 12pm to make sure that they can get to Laem Ngop or Centrepoint piers in time for the 7pm ferry.  

Mobile Phones.  It's handy to have a mobile if you are spending a bit of time in Thailand.  No need to use your SIM from home, just buy a Thai SIM card for between 50 - 300 baht and use that.  They will work with most European phones. The main service providers are AIS, DTAC and True. The price of the SIM card also includes a credit for phone calls.  Buy a 300 baht SIM and you probably won't have to refill it at all during a 2 week holiday.  Pre-paid refill cards are available from just about any mini-mart in the country.  There are a handful of mobile phone shops on Koh Chang, these sell both second hand and new phones.  As of mid 2008, the cheapest new Nokia is 1,200 baht.  No frills, but it makes calls, SMSs, has an alarm clock and you won't care if you lose or drop it.

Monkey Show.  This wouldn't be Thailand unless some poor dumb creatures were being exploited.  The dumb creatures in question being the visitors who head to see 'attractions' such as this one.  Animal rights activists and anyone who's sense of humour has developed further than guffawing over the sight of a leashed monkey dancing to Britney Spears' latest offering should steer clear.  "Look, Mummy, the monkey can walk around on two legs!", "So could you dear if I held you up by a noose around your neck."  If you haven't already visited Koh Chang, then you have now missed your chance to see this as the monkeys have all graduated and so the school is now closed.

Monks.  There's a monastery in Klong Prao and one of the perks seems to be that off duty monks are free to lurk around the beach near KP Huts trying to work their devout Buddhist charm on female backpackers.  There are also  couple of monk retreats (basically monk campsites ) in the jungle.  Other monks can easily be spotted in Bangbao, Klong Son, Dan Mai and Salakphet where there are wander out of their temples early in the morning to receive alms from the locals. If you're up around 6-7am you'll see Thai business owners, workers and locals giving alms to monks by the main road in White Sand Beach, Klong Prao, Kai Bae etc. 

Motorbikes. 100-125cc bikes are available to rent from virtually any hotel, guesthouse, hotel, noodle stall and street corner.  Cost is 200 Baht for 24 hours rental which usually drops to 150 baht in low season.  Expect to leave your passport or some form of photo ID as a security deposit.  Most bikes are new and many are now automatic - which makes life far easier for inexperienced riders trying to navigate Koh Chang's hilly west coast road.  These will take two regular sized tourists, or four Thais,  up the steepest of hills.  You should be given a helmet as they are mandatory, although 95% of people don't wear them.  Koh Chang isn't  a good place to learn to ride a scooter. They are easy enough to control but if there is any danger or a novice rider panics then a winding, hilly road isn't the best place to come off in the middle of the road. Big bikes and dirtbikes are also available to rent from a couple of shops for anyone wanting to display their manliness by wrestling a V-Max around a few hairpin bends or going off-road in their resort car parks.  Visit Koh Chang Choppers, at the southern end of white Sand Beach, just past the International Clinic, for Honda chopper rentals from around 600 baht/day. Avoid renting ATVs, they're not road legal in Thailand, so you're screwed if you have an accident.

Motorcyclists. There are two kinds of riders on K.C.  The bad farang riders and the bad Thai riders.  Their traits differ however, the Thai rider will more often than not be a danger to other road users because he places all his faith in not having an accident in a small amulet his grandfather gave him rather than following any rules of the road.  This amulet gives him superhuman powers and makes him indestructible.  Think about it, how fast would you ride if you thought you had eternal life?  Farang riders pose an equal threat, not through speed, more through lack of it.  Lobster tanned couples wobbling around on a 100cc scooter and eventually stalling and falling underneath the wheels of  a pick-up when attempting to climb a hill are an all too common cause of tailbacks.  The best attitude to have whilst riding a motorbike is that everyone else on the road wants to kill you.  If you bear this in mind you will be cautious.  Also, don't drive at night.  If you do, assume that not only is every other road user is out to kill you but that they are also drunk  

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Naval Memorial.  Don't mention the war.  Or more specifically, the naval battle off the southeast of Koh Chang in January 1941 when the French navy opened a can of nautical whoop ass on the Thai navy.  Or as local historians prefer to recall, after a hard fought battle the French retreated.  Err, yes, after they'd sunk all the Thai ships, they did indeed head off, in the direction of Bangkok.  It was down to the Japanese to bang some heads together and tell the warring parties to stop the infighting.  You could almost sense the Japanese commanders thinking "Who chose these guys to be our allies?" Regardless of who won or lost, the battle and the Thai sailors who lost their lives are commemorated in a ceremony on the mainland and also a smaller one at Hat Yuthanavy in the south east of Koh Chang every January 17-19.

Newspapers. Since late 2005 V-Mart branches in White Sand Beach and Klong Prao have been selling newspapers for face value - no mark up!!!  What's even more surprising is that the days of only being able to buy yesterday's newspaper today are now gone.  Visit V-Mart after mid-morning and you can get the day's Bangkok Post.  Life is good.  It is also possible to subscribe to The Nation (Thailand's English language news-free newspaper ) or The Bangkok Post and get them delivered to your door every morning.  Another, more expensive option, are Newspapers Direct.  The Koh Chang franchise of this newspaper company prints out the day's newspapers from pretty much any country in the world.  If you want to read your local paper the day it comes out, you can whilst here on holiday.  Figure of 180 - 220 baht for most newspapers.

New Year Gala Dinners.  Yet another pet hate of mine  are the compulsory 'gala dinners' which guests staying at larger resorts and hotels over New Year, and often Xmas have to pay . . . along with inflated room rates.  I'm not sure who coined the phrase 'gala dinner' but I'm sure that it wasn't originally used to describe a mediocre buffet and entertainment that consists entirely of the male hotel staff dressing up as women and lip synching Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey's greatest hits - plus "I will survive" for the finale, whilst guests, who attend only to avoid wasting the 1,500 - 2,000 baht they've prepaid, down litres of free 'punch' in a desperate attempt to get in a party mood. 

Nightlife. If it's a full on full moon experience you're after, heading to the islands south, rather than east, of Bangkok is a better bet.  There's a couple of nightspots that fall into the 'nightclub' category - Sky Bay Pub on Pearl Beach - which caters for a 99% Thai crowd and the newly opened 'Backsound' club on Lonely Beach - which caters for a 99% farang backpacker crowd who still haven't realised than dance music is dead.  Elsewhere you'll find plenty of bars which will stay open until the last customer leaves or passes out, whichever is sooner.

Nonsi waterfall.  Don't bother unless it's been raining a hell of a lot in the previous 24 hours as this is a minor attraction if ever there was one - a small fall at the end of a washed out 800 metre long track. Although the nearby restaurants are supposed to be good so it'd make a pleasant enough stop on an east coast trip if you happened to get a puncture nearby.

Novels featuring Koh Chang.  Pick up  a copy of 'Thai Girl' by Andrew Hicks at the airport or any good bookshop in Bangkok.  Since being published in 2004 it's been the best selling English language novel in Thailand.  Part of the story is set on Koh Chang and reviews in the local press were uniformly positive, making it ideal for a poolside read.  Especially if you need an alternative to violent thrillers or want to stand out from the 'DaVinci Code' or Andy McNabb reading herds.

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Old People.  The oldest person on the island and she may also be the oldest in Thailand, is the matriarch of the clan that own most of Kai Bae.  She thinks she is 108, family members aren't so sure but agree that she is definitely over 100.   She's lived on the island all her life and attributes her longevity to daily shots of Thai whisky.  You'll see her pottering around KB Hut resort in Kai Bae.

Other Islands.  Adventurous souls will head off to discover one of the other islands in the Koh Chang archipelago e.g. Koh Kham, Koh Laoya, Koh Rayang, Koh Mak, Koh Wai or Koh Kood.  Unfortunately you will find that you have been beaten to it by large groups of Thai package tourists and students if you travel over  weekends during the high season. One of whom, in the next bungalow, will have brought his guitar and will play The Scorpions' 'Winds of Change' repeatedly until daybreak.  If you're really unlucky a murdered version of 'Hotel California' will be thrown in for good measure.  You'll also find that with a few exceptions the cost of accommodation and food is higher than on Koh Chang.  Thankfully ferry services now run several times daily between the main destinations of Koh Chang - Koh Wai and Koh Mak so island hopping is easy to do and more accommodation in the 300 - 1500 baht range is opening up.  For a real tropical island getaway take a look at Koh Rayang - www.rayang-island.com or Koh Kham www.kohkhamisland.com , two small islands just off Koh Mak each with a single wooden hut resort. (More detailed info on the islands.)

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Phones.  Most numbers for agencies, bungalows are mobile phone numbers.  A number beginning '039' is a Trat province land line number.   Blue public coin phones can be found in most small hamlets on the road around the island.  Using these will be way cheaper than calling from a guesthouse/hotel.  To make cheap calls elsewhere in Thailand just dial '1234' before you dial the Thai number.  Costs around 1.5 baht minute.  So the next time a tour agent charges you 50 baht for a 30 second call to reconfirm an airline booking with an airline office in Bangkok you know you're being ripped off.  Most payphones can also be used to make international calls.  They have info in English about how to do this and if you use a '007', '008' or '009' prefix instead of the usual '001', you'll get much cheaper call rates - sometimes as low as 6 or 7 baht/minute to many Western countries.

Photo developing.  For those people stuck firmly in the 20th century shops in White Sand Beach, Koh Chang Plaza - Klong Prao and Kai Bae offer 35mm. photo processing.  Digicam users can burn CDs of their pics in most internet cafes however prices vary from the extortionate (e.g. Friends.net branches) to dirt cheap, be sure you shop around.  The Kodak shops in White Sand Beach print pics from digital memory but the price is 100% higher than in Bangkok at 10 baht/print compared to the usual 3 or 5 baht mainland price.

Pizza.  There are now several places offering homemade pizzas and an accompanying delivery service.  Baan Nuna were the first and were followed in mid-2004 by Invito restaurant who deliver for free in White Sand Beach and for an additional 30 baht in Klong Prao & Kai Bae.  If you're in Kai Bae then try the pizzas from Kai Bae Marina, located nowhere near the sea, but near the southernmost 7-eleven mini-mart and very tasty.  

Planning Laws.  On paper, very strict.  In practice you can build what you want if you are rich enough and even if you aren't you can ignore the local planning officers as the only power they really have is to stick a sign up telling offenders to stop building . . . . please . . . . otherwise they will come back and stick up another notice.  Which of course will be  ignored and once something's built it's extremely hard to get a court to convict someone of building something illegally on their own land and force them to tear it down. 

Plazas.  Tourists like to go shopping - that much we know.  But who told the Thai developers that the plaza layout was one that would attract custom?  Perhaps they don't care as the units in Koh Chang's handful of shopping plazas are virtually all rented out. Problem is that most people don't walk to the back of a U-shaped plaza, they linger at the front, near the roadside.  Which means that those who have rented units at the back have a hard time attracting any business other than that which comes from regular customers i.e. other shop/restaurant/bar owners whose businesses are also located at the back of the plaza and therefore have plenty of time on their hands. 

Police.  A pretty laid back bunch.  Most appear to be more interested in spending time on their outside business interests, which usually involve running bungalows, bars, acting as land & building agents etc than actual police work. Although I'm sure they're fully committed to protecting & serving during shit hours. Many newcomers interested in setting up a business and on the lookout for help and advice often opt for assistance from the local men in brown.  If you can't trust the Thai police to help you out, then who can you trust? 

When boredom sets in, as it does with all of us, police uniforms are donned and fun is had by setting up checkpoints and seeing who can pull over the most farang motorcyclists who aren't wearing helmets.  You'll need 100 - 200 baht in your wallet unless you want to walk home and explain to the bike rental place how you were hauled in for a grilling by the fuzz.  Don't expect sympathy, expect to have to fork out a few more baht in way of a surcharge.

There are police boxes roadside on all the main beaches.  I'm not quite sure of the purpose as the one time I needed some help.  I just wanted a brief report, in Thai, to say I had reported my phone as being lost, which would enable me to get a new SIM with the same number form the mobile phone company.  But I was told that this couldn't be issued at the police box.  So I  had to go 30 kilometres to the main police HQ in Dan Mai where, after hanging around for half an hour, a guy whipped out a pad of paper and hand wrote a five-line report for me . . .and it was free.

Posh hotels.  Encouraged by the Thai government's plans for Koh Chang as an island for nice, middle-class tourist couples who like nature and not loud bars and partying, developers have knocked up some pretty decent resorts.  As the forseen masses haven't yet descended on Koh Chang this means there are some very good deals to be had at the larger resort hotels.  These usually have the best beach access, pool, large rooms - some with indoor & outdoor bathrooms, satellite TV and an overpriced restaurant which you swear you won't use but you will as you'll be too lazy to wander out of the confines of your hotel when nightfall comes. Note that staff remembering your name isn't just a sign of good service, it's also a sign of how few guests they have. Tropicana, Ramayama, Bhumiyama, Panviman, Aiyapura, Aana, Grand Orchid and Amari Emerald Cove can all be booked at the fringes of high season for the same cost as a night in an English B&B.

Postcards.  You'll find plenty of scenic view type postcards for sale island wide.  However, if you want something a little different take a look at Curlykez Gallery's (www.curlykez.com) collection of postcards.  You can find these at their shop just past Bangbao or more easily in VJ Supermarket, VJ Plaza, Klong Prao.  Some very nice arty photos and designs that make a refreshing change from the usual deserted beach, palm trees and sea view photos

Post Office.  There is a new one, by the roadside in Pearl Beach. It offers all services of the postal variety as you'd expect from a post office.  For some unknown reason the powers that be have installed a postbox shaped like Flash Gordon's rocketship at was once a scenic viewpoint overlooking Kai Bae beach.  I added a photo here. For another unknown reason this was quickly removed and replaced with a more traditional postbox.

Power Cuts.  The electrical supply tends to go off at least once every couple of weeks.  Usually these outages only last a few minutes, however during the rainy season you can have several hours without power.  If you're in  a resort then they will have their own generator and so you wont be affected.  But all small businesses will have the lights out until power comes back. Longer power cuts are usually the result of branches or entire trees falling on the lines.  In addition, it isn't unknown for skinflint backpacker hut operators to cut the power during daytime to save a few baht. 

Q

Queen's Cup Kayak event.  March 11 was the date of this annual event in 2006 and it's on April 20-22 in 2007. 2008's event was cancelled due to lack of interest. The event is designed to raise funds for Thai elephants, the idea is good but seems secondary to a back slapping session for sponsors and second tier local government officials. The original un-tourist friendly format was teams of three people paddling for 3 days around the island, then a better one day format with teams of 2 paddling from Bangbao - Koh Mak and for 2007 it's back to the three day format with teams of two paddling. 

R

Radio Stations.  Local radio arrived on Koh Chang in mid-2005 with the launch of the 'poptastic' Koh Chang Tourist Radio which broadcasts a daily smorgasboard of someone's favourite tunes on 98.25FM.  From my  listening experiences the output consists of 70% Issan hits from the 80s, 25% advertising for laundries, noodle shops and motorbike repair centres (adverts in English come courtesy of two guys with French & German accents, which, when you hear interspersed with crap Thai pop, sets the surreal tone perfectly.)  and 5% Bee Gees, Whitney Houston, Michael  Bolton and an hourly playing of 'Hotel California' and other easy listening favourites etc - which is for you . . .the foreign visitors. Tip: Make a mental note to pack your Ipod.  For the 2006-07 season the station was re-branded as SEA FM, I have no idea if it's any good or not as I've never listened to it. 

Rain. When it rains it really does piss down with a vengeance.  For anyone, myself included who is used to Bangkok's rainy season weather i.e. a storm then a couple of days sunshine followed by another storm and so on, the rain on Koh Chang will come as a bit of a shock.  It can rain solidly for a week or more.  This means all your clothes are permanently damp, there's no-one on the streets, half the shops are shut and everyone is complaining about how boring the rain is.  Trips to Koh Chang's waterfalls can kill a day but after that your best bet is to check into a rainproof hut and get hold of a few good paperbacks.

The main rainy season is from June - October.  During this time it will rain during your stay on the island.  Just how much is down purely to luck.  With luck on your side, they'll be  a shower in the morning , clouds will clear and the afternoons will be sunny.  Unlucky, and you'll be huddled in your hut for a week.

Real Estate Agents.  None of the large firms that operate in the busy tourist destinations such as Phuket, Samui or Pattaya have an office based in Koh Chang yet.  There are a few small offices all of which seem to have pretty much the same selection of land for sale.  But they all face the same problem of a lack of small plots of titled land that are affordable and suitable for housing.  Also for most, selling land etc is secondary to selling tickets for snorkelling or elephant trekking trips to tourists.  So it's unlikely that the staff can give you any additional information other than what's written on a piece of paper in front of them.

Renting land/property.  Anyone making a quick visit to Koh Chang in the hope of snapping up a nice plot of land or property to rent easily will probably be in for a disappointment unless they are happy to pay over the odds.  Virtually all rentable real estate isn't advertised anywhere in Thai or English and the stuff that is is often overpriced and/or not worth renting in the first place.  As with buying land, the best way to find out what's available in your preferred area is to put in a lot of leg work and ask around.  The most recent, laughable attempt to price a resort for rent resulted in an asking price of 4,500,000 baht annual rent for a newly constructed resort in one of the quietest areas of the island . . . and yet they found someone to lease it. (More in the Real Estate section.)

Resort Owners.   Anyone thinking that people who stay in large hotels are putting cash in the hands of big corporations whilst those who stay in backpacker huts are putting cash in the hands of locals are deluding themselves on the second point.  Businessmen have long realised that backpackers are a good source of cash, sure they don't spend as much on a daily basis but it's far easier & cheaper to knock up a few wood huts than it is to build a 4*.  For example, one of the most popular places to stay on Lonely Beach is owned by a well-known politician.  Many of the other nearby bungalows are owned by one of Thailand's largest conglomerates. A few locals, however, have refused the blank cheques offered by businessmen - the prime examples  being the family that owns most of the Kai Bae beachfront properties and the old guy who owns the land on which Thale bungalows, Klong Prao is located - a prime site for a luxury resort if ever there was one.

Restaurants.   I've never got round to reviewing restaurants for the simple reason no-one's yet offered me a free meal for doing so.  The places mentioned all serve predominantly Thai food and seafood.  I'm not a fan of the vast majority of western food served up on Thai islands as it tends to be crap and if I'm paying a few hundred baht for a steak I'd like to know that the guy cooking it knows the difference between 'rare' and 'well-done' at a minimum.

Therefore, in no particular order here are a few places that I've tried and quite like:

Cookies, White Sand Beach - On the beach and very popular, good food, good prices and good size servings. Popular with Thais too.  Not a gourmet experience but with so many options you'll be bale to keep even the fussiest of family members happy and well fed.

Sangtawan Resort, White Sand Beach - Just north of Cookie, almost as good and prices are low.  If you're staying in a beachfront resort, don't feel compelled to eat there.  Choose a beachfront restaurant which might not be as fancy but will serve food with some flavour and not the 'toned down to the point of being tasteless' crap that I've had at a couple of large resort restaurants in this area.

Texas Steakhouse, White Sand Beach - A place to go to when you get bored of seafood and need red meat, carbohydrates, starch and a few pieces of salad or veggies to make you feel as though you're eating healthily. The Danish chef ensures you get western food the way western food should be cooked and well trained Thai staff provide the service in this small, 30 seat rooftop restaurant.  Limited menu but with all the dishes a meat eater will want.

Invito, White Sand Beach - By the time you visit Koh Chang they should have relocated to a quieter spot not far from the international Clinic on White Sand beach.  Currently they are adjacent to a dozen small beer bars. Very good Italian food and good place to go if you're celebrating something.  But current location far too noisy to make it a place for a romantic meal.

Bamboo Restaurant, Bamboo bungalows, White Sand Beach.  Pretty good Thai food and a 'better than you'd expect' Italian menu too.  OK, so it's not as good as the best Thai & seafood resturants and it's not as good as the best Italain restaurants on the island.  But prices are good and the Italian food that I've had there is much better than average. Another place to go if you want to eat Thai or seafood but your partner / fussy kids want pizza or pasta.  Or better still just combine the options and have a four cheese pizza with your green curry and BBQ snapper.

Somtam shop, White Sand Beach - Located just south of KCTV on the sloping road leading south out of out White Sand Beach.  It has a name but I can't remember it off the top of my head and there's no sign in English anyway.  Not much of  a menu in English either.  But it's easy enough to order Somtam and sticky rice and point to chicken or pork on the BBQ.  The somtam is the best you'll find and they do very nice BBQ marinated pork in sesame seeds ' Moo Det Diaow'.  Really good.  Always gets full of Thais from Bangkok at the weekends and high season. 

Yummy Hut, Klong Prao - About 50 metres north of  the turning for Tropicana Resort, but on the opposite side of the road.  Run by Rak and her husband.  They've both got years of experience in the restaurant business and speak very good English. Their dishes are usually a little different to the regular Thai food, they like to experiment a little and substitute ingredients which makes their food stand a out from the host of other similar restaurants in the area who serve generic Thai dishes.  If you're staying at Tropicana or Barali Resorts, then this is a place well worth visiting.

Sassi italian, Amari Emerald Cove Resort, Klong Prao.  If you want to impress someone for whatever reason and you know that they are the type of person who wants not only good food, but good service as well then this is the place to go.  Great Italian food, fairly forma ambience but with staff as good as you'll find anywhere.  One restaurant where your dessert definitely wont arrive before your main course.

Barracuda Beach Bar, Klong Prao - 100 metres north of the Panviman hotel, right on the beach.  This is the nearest eaterie to our place, as such virtually everyone who stays with us will head there for for a meal or two during their stay.  The comments I hear are uniformly excellent.  If you're already paying for a room in one of Klong Prao's luxury resorts, then there's no reason why you should pay crazy prices for an average meal when for half the cost you can eat far better food here.  Well worth a visit for the food, the atmosphere, the father & son fireshow, and the quiet beachfront location.

P' Nid's Restaurant, Kai Bae - No signs in English, other than one that says 'Thai Food 25 baht' this is the place to go for 25 - 30 baht meals. They have a small menu in English but if you know your Thai food they'll make pretty much anything.  Staff and owner, who's from Koh Chang, don't speak much English but you wont care when you eat the food.  We've been going there for over 4 years and have yet to have a bad meal and guests at our place who I've sent there to eat have all come back singing the praises of the food. Located about 50 metres south of the 7-11 but on the opposite side of the road.  Look for the phone booth roadside, which is in front of the restaurant.

Pak Pao Noodles, Kai Bae - Midway between the two 7-elevens, near LaLuna guesthouse.  A standalone building set back from the road with plenty of parking.  Khun Anne, the middle-aged owner speaks excellent English and attracts Thai in droves with a franchise for  noodles from the north of Thailand.  The secret is in the way the meat is prepared and the spiciness of the chilies.  But they can make it milder. On the face of it all they sell is variations on this one type of pork noodle soup.  But they do have other food and regular Thai food as well. 

KB Hut Noodle Shop, Kai Bae.  Take the turning signposted to KB Hut,opposite the southernmost 7-eleven in Kai Bae.  Head 50 metres down and you cant miss the large open sided restaurant on your left.  Menu in English.  Very good noodles and all Thai dishes for around 30 baht / plate.  Always busy. 

KB Bungalows & Kai Bae Beach Restaurants, Kai Bae - You cant really go wrong at either of these places.  More expensive than the places I mentioned on White Sand Beach but serving consistently good food.  The resorts are next door to each other so easy to try both places during your stay.  KB Bungalows win marks for presentation and use of coordinated tableware.  KB Beach has a restaurant right on the shoreline and every dish will arrive in a totally mismatched plate or bowl. 

Treehouse, Lonely beach.  Spend a night hanging with the travellers.  Sit on the open deck by the sea, eat surprisingly good dirt cheap food which is not as toned down as you might expect in a place catering solely to young western palates.  Wash it down with a bucket of your favourite cocktail

The Bay, Bangbao - On the pier. 'The Bay' differs from other seafood restaurants in that the owners know what appeals to western visitors.  Meaning that they serve 40-50 baht single plate meals at lunchtime, the decor is bright, modern and clean.  The kitchen is open, a lot of thought has gone into the design and the staff don't look like they're sulky kids being forced to work in their parent's or uncle's restaurant when they'd rather be sleeping.  They also have a friendly, fat Labrador who'll happily jump in the sea at your request.

If you now have too many options, I'll keep it simple for you.  The two restaurants that you shouldn't miss eating at while you are on Koh Chang are:

1) Kati Culinary, Klong Prao.  On the main road 100 metres before Chang Chutiman Elephant Camp, 50 metres north of the turning for Tropicana Resort.  "AwesomeŁ, "Excellent", "Best food we've had in Thailand", "A taste explosion."  Comments just from some of the people who've stayed at our place and who have been there.  Run by a mother and daughter, using the mother's recipes.  I haven't had any Thai food that is better than this on Koh Chang. Only around 8 tables, so arrive early or call them to book a table in high season.  One thing to remember is that everything is made fresh to order and so don't expect a fish to arrive at your table in 10 minutes, figure on nearer 30 minutes - the time it takes to prepare and cook from scratch.   (In the day time they run a cooking school here, so only open for dinner.) 

2) Saffron on the Sea, Pearl Beach.  Take the signposted turn towards the beach, just north of the Post Office.  Another small place where you feel like you are eating in someone's home rather than in a restaurant.  The resort only has a handful of bungalows and the restaurant consists of even fewer tables in a very nice garden setting by the sea.  Ideal spot for a romantic meal with no music from karaoke, fire juggling shows or traffic noise, just the sound of the waves.  As with Kati, everything is prepared from scratch, so you will have to wait a while for your food to arrive. But the wait is well worth it - guaranteed.

Roads.  An asphalt road almost circles the island. Around the east coast the road is flat, on the west coast there's a very step climb between Kong Son & White Sand Beach, from there it's flat road until you leave Kai Bae and the road becomes a mini rollercoaster until you reach Bailan.  The 10.157km (according to the sign) between Salakphet and Bangbao is a dangerous, narrow gravel topped road for motorbikes and bicycles only . . . or it would be if the central section had actually been completed.  As it is, the road just stops in a dead end in the jungle after a couple of kilometres.   You can go along the southeastern stretch  to a beach called Wai Check, which is very nice - but only by motorbike as bridges are now washed out.

A lot of complaints are made about the roads on Koh Chang being too narrow but plans have been approved to add footpaths and widen the road in certain places on the west coast.  In early 2005, there were a lot of surveyors out on the west coast roads, apparently deciding where to put footpaths . . .I don't need a troglodyte to know that adjacent to the road would be a good place to start.  By mid-2006 the fruits of their labour were evident and the road was widened from White Sand Beach down to Kai Bae to include an additional footpath / bicycle lane / parking area / area for setting up market stalls which runs along the beach side of the road.

The road widening continued in 2007/08 with a 100 metre long section in Klong Son village being widened to remove a kink in the road that caused drivers to have to slwo down in their rush to get to the ferry.  With the road wider and straighter there's no need to change down into second gear when you pass through the village.  At he southern end of White Sand beach the hill section was widened in mid 2008. Again to allow trucks and minivans to get more speed up as they hurtle down hill towards the busiest beach on the island.

Romantic Restaurant.  Go back and read the 'Restaurant' section above.  'Saffron on the Sea' is the place to be for great food, intimate atmosphere by the sea or if you want aircon, a multitude of knives and forks and extensive wine selection then 'Sassi' at the Amari Emerald Cove is for you.  

S

Sailing.  Salakphet Bay is where all the yachties hangout. There are no sailing schools on the west coast but if you want to charter a yacht or learn to sail this can be done at 'Gulf Charters', located at Island View Pier in the village of Baan Rong Thian on the western shore of the bay.  Also, 'Sunsail' has a fleet of eight yachts moored at Koh Chang Marina a kilometre to the north. Private yachts can also be moored at both Island View and Koh Chang Marina. Both places also offer accommodation on land in good value bungalows and apartments.  The area is getting increasingly popular with sailors.  If you enjoy a bit of adventure and don't want to moor alongside a dozen other boats every night, charter a yacht and head down to Koh Kood and surrounding  islands for a week. 

Salakkok.  More a strip of a couple of dozen fisherman's houses on the shore of a large inlet than a village.  Not often visited, but try to make the effort as there are some great views of mangrove forest. The view across the bay from the eastern shore is one of the best anywhere on the island. In this area you'll find The Spa - a very nice place to stay for a week if you enjoy daily colonic irrigations; and also Salakkok Kayak Station, where you can rent a canoe to paddle through the mangroves.  Good fun and something unique to this area.  Locals also run dinner cruises aboard traditional wooden gondoliers.  You are paddled out into the centre of the bay where you can enjoy a meal aboard your boat under the stars.  On a clear night it's like dining in a planetarium.

Salakphet.  Small relatively uncommercialised fishing village on the south east of the island. No resorts in the village but there are a few homestays.  It's a long motorbike ride to get there but worth it for the views of the bay.  In the village, kayaks can be rented for 100 baht/first hour plus 50 baht for subsequent hours - hire one, paddle out to the nearby islands in the bay and enjoy the view of the mountains behind you and islands to the south of Koh Chang in front of you.  You'll also see the local fishermen with boats tied outside their houses, something that you wont see if you just drive through the village. 

Sandflies.  These 2mm long insects are more of a pain than mozzies.  You can hear a mozzie but you cant hear a Sandfly.  You'll feel something bite you and when you look all you will see is what appears to be a small piece of dirt or cigarette ash - about 2mm long, half black and half white.  This is a Sandfly.  If you're lucky the itching from the bite will go in 5 minutes, if you're allergic to them then you'll end up with one centimetre diameter red circles on your skin.  It'll look like you have measles.  An they will itch a lot.  Go to the nearest clinic or pharmacy and get some cortisone cream and you'll be fine. Bear in mind that most mozzie repellent doesn't work with sandflies, but you can buy stuff that keeps them away.  

Satellite Views.  Google Earth has just (late 2007) expanded their high resolution coverage of the west coast of Koh Chang, so if you know where you are staying you'll be able to get  a satellite view of your hotel.  In the 'Maps' section of this site, I've got some Google maps where you can find your resort and see what the surrounding area looks like from above.  Also take a look at www.pointasia.com  - for a Thai version of Google Earth but with better resolution of all the island and outlying islands - especially Koh Mak and Koh Wai.

Schools.  There are five small schools on the island in Dan Mai, Klong Son, Klong Prao, Salakphet and Bangbao.  All are abysmal.  Islanders with common sense send their kids to school in Trat, which entails the kids getting up at 5am and getting home around 7pm which isn't a good thing though - still it beats juvenile delinquency.  The school in Klong Son occasionally has a signboard up in the village appealing for volunteer English teachers.  If you want to do some good, and thus avoid reincarnation as a lower life form,  then kid yourself that spending a hour having a one sided conversation with a class of 40 bemused 7 to 10 year olds is one means to this particular end.

Seafood Restaurants.  A seafood BBQ is another item on the 'must do' list of most visitors to Koh Chang. Judging by the signs outside all the large restaurants have been featured on one or more Thai TV shows at some time in the past.  Prices don't vary too much providing you steer clear of the fancy hotel restaurants.  Don't automatically rush to the beachfront places.  Consider places such as 'JE Seafood', just past the waterfall turnoff in Klong Prao.  This unremarkable looking seafood restaurant hardly gets any foreign visitors.  But pass by in the evening and it's more often than not you'll see cars and minivans lining the street.  This restaurant is well known amongst Thai visitors for the low price & high quality of the seafood. A similar place is 'Mam Seafood', another couple of kilometres south, 200 metres past 'Big Elk' steakhouse.  They are a wholesaler but will also cook your seafood for you in a variety of styles.  Eat it there or take away. 

If you have any access to your own BBQ then you should stop off at one of the wholesale places in the Klong Prao area - just look for the very large red and blue plastic cool boxes piled up.  This is where most of the resorts buy their seafood.  80 baht will buy you a decent size snapper, 200 baht for a couple of crabs, another 150 or so for half a kilo of good size prawns, 50 baht for half kilo of squid and finally 20 baht for another half kilo of mussels. 

7-Elevens.  In early 2003 there weren't any 7-11s on the island, by early 2004 there were three.  Two on White Sand Beach, at either end of  the beach and one in the centre of Kai Bae. In late 2004 another was added in Bangbao.  April 2005 and Klong Son now has one too. March 2006, Kai Bae now has two. Jan 2008 and White Sand Beach now has three of them.

Say what you like about big corporations making the island too touristy, but having a 7-11 nearby means that all visitors to the island no longer have to pay inflated local minimart prices for a bag of ice and that's got to be a good thing - unless you happen to own a minimart near a 7-11 in which case you're screwed.  Or rather, you would be screwed in any country other than Thailand.  In reality a minimart can still get away with charging 10 baht for a bag of ice that is sold for 5 baht in the 7-11 even if your shop is only 5 minutes walk away from it.  The exploitation of human laziness knows no boundaries other than the laziness of human beings.

Shipping Containers.  Why let illegal Chinese immigrants have all the fun? On Koh Chang there are two resorts constructed entirely of shipping containers.  Check out 'Cabin Resort' on White Sand Beach and 'Charmed Resort' - formerly known as 'Container Staid' (Yes, really) on Pearl Beach.  To be fair, they do have door and windows and 'Charmed Resort' even go as far as to put a few pieces of wood on the exterior to give the appearance of a gigantic coffin . . . again, in keeping with the illegal immigrant experience.

Slums.  Not in the rat infested, Rio de Janeiro type sense but more the style of building that seems to be preferred by many shops, restaurants and karaoke bars.  Bang together a few sheets of corrugated iron and supporting poles and Bob's your uncle - an open walled multi-use shack.  On the main road these are now being replaced with concrete shop units and shophouses.  But if you've ever wondered where all the workers live on Koh Chang then head to Klong Plu waterfall, Klong Prao.  By the roadside, about 400 metres from the entrance to the waterfall is a mini shantytown for construction workers.  Or head into Klong Prao village, take the dirt track inland just after the gas station and motorbike repair shop.  This is the kind of area where the folks that live here keep wild boar running around their homes which are amongst the rubber trees. Continuing the poverty tour, head another 800 metres or so south, over the river and take the dirt track inland immediately after the sharp right hand bend.  You'll find loads of Cambodian workers living down here in the type of conditions you expect someone earning 100 baht a day to be living in.

Snorkelling.  A day spent on a snorkelling trip is a day well spent providing you aren't unfortunate enough to be sharing the boat with Thai snorkellers who in the main tend to be non-swimmers who love nothing more than standing on coral in order to pose for photos.  Moving on . . .the visibility is usually good and you should be able to see  wider variety of fish than in Krabi / Trang for example - at least that's what I've found.  If possible try to avoid going on one of the large boats.  Not that there's anything wrong with travelling with  group of fifty other people but if I was a fish I'd piss off and hide somewhere quick as soon as fifty large land mammals leapt into the water outside my front door.  Try to take a small boat, the price is the same or cheaper,  but finding one is harder - you'll have to head down to Bangbao and look around.  Day trips should be 600 baht/person, unless you want to go on Thai Fun, Kon Tiki or other fancier converted fishing boats with western buffets that charge 1250 - 1500 baht/person.

Snorkelling Sites off Koh Chang.  There are a couple of average sites for snorkelling near the shoreline on Koh Chang.  If you're staying near Pearl beach then get hold of a mask and snorkel and swim out from the shore a little way, here you'll see living coral and a variety of fish.  An alternative is Chai Chet Cape, at the northern end of Klong Prao beach, swim out and around the rocky cape and you should see quite a few fish, but no coral.  Just off Koh Chang the islands offshore from Klong Prao / Kai Bae beach have some snorkelling possibilities, usually very clear water and some fish always on display, but you'll need a sea kayak to get there or have to get someone to take you out in their boat. 

Somtam.  The best somtam to be had is probably at the shop which sits at the entrance to 'Giant Bungalows' on the road heading south out of White Sand beach.  No signs in English, pretty much opposite is Para Resort & seafood,  but it's good enough to have a reputation in Bangkok as the place to go for somtam on Koh Chang.  The BBQ chicken is also good as is the deep friend sun dried pork 'Moo Det Diow'.   In second place is the stall in Klong Son, opposite the 7-eleven which sells dirt cheap fried chicken and excellent somtam.  However, for the real Thai experience you need to head to the somtam & chicken restaurants at the entrance to Klong Plu waterfall.  There appears to be more than one restaurant but in reality they are the same place run by different members of the same family, so prices & quality are the same. When thais travel in large groups they will often head to a somtam & BBQ chicken place as you can feed everyone easily.  A dozen plates of spicy somtam, couple of tubs of sticky rice, a chicken or two, coke for the kids and beer for the adults - easy. You can even sit near the river in the shade.

Speedboats.  If you want to take  a look at some of the other islands around Koh Chang, the best way is to travel by speedboat as the distances involved are pretty big.   However, as speedboat hire starts at 6 or 7,000 baht/day for an 85HP boat, more for a larger boat with 200HP outboard, you really need to get a group together for the cost vs. convenience argument to swing in the speedboat's favour. 

If you're Thai this isn't  a problem as it's odds-on you'll be travelling with at least a dozen of your best mates/co-workers.  If you're farang then you'll have to resort to attempting to organise something will fellow guests at your bungalows and, as anyone who has ever attempted to organise a disparate group of backpackers knows, this is a nigh on impossible feat.  Come the morning of the planned trip, the Japanese guy will have got lost somewhere, the hippy chick has  signed up for a journey of self discovery via a meditation class on the beach, the two unfeasibly chiseled Swedish guys will have got off with local girls and the Brits will be too hungover to find the boat let alone be allowed anywhere near open water.  Thus leaving Joe and Melinda, the tanned, enthusiastic American couple  who organised the multinational event, wondering WTF happened to their coalition of the willing.

Spirit House Graveyard.  At the top of the hill between White Sand Beach and Klong Son you'll notice a collection of discarded spirit houses lining a 20 metre long stretch of road.  Virtually all Thai houses and businesses have a spirit house outside them, the owner will make an offering to the spirits of the land every morning and ask them to help make their business profitable etc.  (This is a hangover from pre-Buddhist times)  When the time comes to get a new spirit house, you can't simply trash the old one.  It has to be taken to a spot where it can be with other spirit houses - don't ask me why.  So, that accounts for the couple of dozen spirit houses you'll see by this short stretch of road.

Squid Fishing.  Boat operators have come to realise that tourists will pay good money to see how squid - or more accurately cuttlefish - are caught. For a sum of 400 - 600 baht, the same as you'd pay for a full day snorkelling trip, you can go out at night for 2-3 hours and try your hand at culling the cuttlefish population.  Providing you have brought your own beer with you and the conditions are right for catching squiddies it's actually quite good fun.  To tell if conditions are right, simply look out to sea at nighttime - if you can see literally dozens of boats with their lights on then conditions are right as these lights are from the professional squid fishermen's boats.  Squid are attracted to the light, meaning that so long as there are actually some of them in the vicinity of your boat catching them is relatively simple.  On the boat you'll be given a razor sharp, upturned mini-chandelier of barbs for use as a hook.  This is attached to a length of line, throw the hook over the side when you get to the fishing area and slowly move it up & down - that's about all there is to it.  One of the crew will BBQ the squid for you to eat as you fish and get pissed.

Suzuki Cariban.  Suzuki, a company that has the ability to produce engineering marvels such as the Hayabusa, a 200mph motorbike, is also able to turn out some of the worst vehicles ever to come out of Japan. A case in point is the Suzuki Cariban. Although retro styling is now in vogue, the Beetle, Mini, Fiat 500 for example, the Cariban is based on the classic 'brick' shape and is an example of designers simply not be arsed to attempt to design a car. Automotive folklore has it that it's based on an extremely unlifelike sketch of a real 'Jeep' drawn by 4-year old Noriko Yamazaki, Suzuki Motor's Chief Designer's youngest child.

From the unsprung seats to the oversprung suspension everything about this offroader is wrong. (The offroader tag applies to the amount of time it  spends in the repair shop.) And if responsive means the steering wheel does a 180 degree turn when going over the smallest of undulations then ,yes, put a tick in the 'Responsive Steering' box.   The makers saw fit not to include any mechanics inside the gearbox with the car, instead you get one that appears to be jelly filled. First, neutral, reverse, fourth . . . it's night on impossible to guess what gear your in simply by looking at the six inches of wildly vibrating black plastic beside your left knee.

0-100km/h acceleration takes long enough for no-one to have ever successfully managed it. You're more likely to run out of fuel before hitting top speed on the flat. Part of the problem stems from the aerodynamics which are akin to those of a breeze block.

However, if you feel a cramped ride with tractor like performance will enhance your Koh Chang vacation please mention me when you rent one.  (I cant afford morals when it comes to commission.)

T

Tailors.  You're going to be surprised by the number of tailors on Koh Chang, in 2004 there were half a dozen, now there are somewhere around 50 tailors shops! There is a simple reason for this increase, many of them have relocated from tsunami hit areas of the south and were attracted to Koh Chang by the relatively cheap rental price of shop units. I've no idea which are the good ones and which aren't as they all seem to be recommend by various tour agencies etc.  So some will provide you with a perfectly fitted Armani copy for a fraction of the price of an original, and others will sell you an ill-fitting version of the same for the price of an original.

No island would be the same without a few Indian or Nepalese run tailor shops offering genuine 'Hugh Boss' and 'Giani Armani' creations.  I can't imagine how many visitors decide they really need a double breasted three piece suit, two Oxford knit cotton shirts and free silk tie for $99, but quite a few must do judging by the number of shops offering this service.  (Bear in mind, no-one has ever walked out of a tailor's with a suit and only paid $99.  You'll always upgrade to a better fabric, different style etc Plus you'll probably want it to fit you.)

Keep a look out for the patented 'Tailor's Walk' . . . as all tailors have the same demeanour.  Tailors are usually portly and of Indian origin.  Their natural habitat is the territory around the frontage of their shop and are only rarely spotted skulking behind a pile of stock or chatting on their mobile like the common or garden Thai stallholder.  Clad in their own bespoke creations they strut around their neighbourhood, hands clasped behind their backs offering a cheery "Hello" to their neighbours and a rather optimistic "Excuse me sir, would you like a tailored lightweight linen suit in a pastel shade, as popularised in the hit TV show  'Miami Vice' twenty years ago?" to sunburned tourists.  In some areas you'll feel as though you're being stalked as they'll be tailors approaching you with flyers, business cards and the promises of wondrous offers and discounts.

If you're easily amused you can see a tailor's called 'Chamois Collection' in VJ Plaza.  No idea why it'd be named after the rag you use to polish your car - but they are apparently one of the better tailors on the island.  A stone's throw away another tailor's offers 'Cumtom tailoring' and they swear they'll pay as much attention to your fitting as they did to the wording of their sign.  Another strangely named tailor but recommended, by people I've met, is 'Morrissey'  - opposite the turning for Amari Emerald Cove Resort, southern Klong Prao.  Named after an Aussie designer and not The Smith's former frontman.

More seriously - a couple of things you should be aware of. Always negotiate a good discount - tailors pay big commissions to hotels, bar owners etc, hence the number of people you'll meet who seem keen to recommend a trip to the tailors as a 'must do' on Koh Chang.  So, if you walk into a tailor's on your own, then that should be 10-20% off any price immediately.  Average profit margins on a suit are 50-70%, therefore don't feel bad about haggling hard.  Also, bear in mind that no tailoring actually goes on in a tailor's shop, there is no backroom with machinists hard at work.  It's all outsourced to a small handful of overworked, underpaid guys sitting at sewing machines in run down shacks.  (See the small shop units, below road level, on the beach side of the road, ad about 500 metres south of Klong Prao Resort. The quality of your suit also depends more on how busy these guys as well as which shop you buy from.

Tattoos.  When I was  a lad only bikers, only Motorhead and the Village People had tattoos, now it seems everyone has got a tribal motif of some kind on their right shoulder.  I'm never sure if the tribal tattoo is designed to set you apart from the crowd or show you are part of the crowd. But, if you haven't got yours yet, then what better place to get it done than lying on a sandy  beach towel outside a  hut on Koh Chang?  There are several tattooists on White Sand Beach, Kai Bae and Lonely Beach who will stick a sterilised needle tipped with sandy ink into your body in return for a few hundred baht.  Corporate types and twelve year old girls may prefer the henna tattoos on sale by beach vendors, they wash off after a couple of weeks so no bollocking by your boss or teacher when you get home.  If you want to get ink done, speak to Keow - at Sabaiporn Restaurant, roadside in Klong Prao - opposite the turning for Panviman resort.  He was trained by a German tattooist in Koh Pa-Ngan a few years ago.  Prices from a few hundred baht for a small one.

Temples.  There are no prime examples worthy of a visit on architectural grounds on Koh Chang so unless you're cremating a close friend or relative they don't really merit a  visit.  There are a couple of Buddhist temples in Klong Son, Salakphet & Klong Prao and the hill between the ferry piers and Klong Son is home to a small Chinese temple but that's the lot.  Klong Son temple dates from over 120 years ago, nearby, built on a sandbar, is a stupa that greets fishermen as they return home.

A couple of times a year, in low season, the temples hold fairs which are fun to see.  Temple fairs have long been a way for the temple to raise money.  Expect to see lots of stuff to buy & eat, an old, classic Thai movie being shown on a projector from the 1950s, a mini-disco where the young and young at heart can get down and boogie to disposable pop from the past, never-ending games of bingo with a variety of plastic items up for grabs and form of gambling involving a frog. 

Tide Tables. About as much use to you as a chocolate teapot if you're a landlubber, but essential if you plan on being out on the water. Printed tide tables for Laem Ngop ( on the mainland) are available from the Marine Department office which is on Laem Ngop pier.  Online, you can get pretty good, free, 7-Day forecasts which include wind direction etc as well as tides,  from a couple of sites.  Buoyweather.com has tides, wave heights etc from a spot not far from Salakphet in the south-east of Koh Chang and the British Govt.'s Hydrographic Office, has an excellent service for yachties,  'EasyTide' with a free 7-day sailing forecast from places around the world - select 'Koh Mak' for the nearest spot to Koh Chang.  Another useful site for sailors is Wind Guru, which if your boat has sails will help you figure out just how slowly you are going to get to wherever you want to go. Expert use of the data from these sites, plus holding a finger in the air should ensure you make it back to port safely.

Tourist Figures. How many people visit Koh Chang annually?  This is something that no supposedly informed source ever agrees with another equally 'reliable' source.  Counting ferry tickets is the easiest thing to do, but that requires obtaining accurate figures from the ferry companies.  Plus, how do you discriminate between locals and market traders from the mainland regularly using the ferry, Thai tourists, overseas visitors, Thais visiting on business, etc etc.  The TAT use the number of visitors staying at their registered accommodation, which again relies on accurate reporting and doesn't take into account the large number of places that aren't listed with the TAT

The, 'straight out of the hat' figure I've heard is 1 million visitors for 2004 - 05.  That's roughly what Samui also claims and so is obviously nonsense.  If Koh Chang has around 3,000 rooms in bungalows and resorts then occupancy must be 100% for the three busiest months, and 50% for 6 months either side.  Rainy season the number of guests in most resorts can be counted on one hand.  That's very optimistic and what you see on the ground doesn't reflect that level of occupancy.  At the end of the day, does anyone re ally care?  As a visitor, all you need to know is that even in high season, Koh Chang is nowhere as busy as any of the better known Thai tourist destinations.  It is still possible to escape high season crowds here. Officially, TAT say, there were just over 100,000 foreign visitors to Koh Chang in 2004.  To put this in perspective, the number of Chinese visitors to Phuket  was just over 120,000 during the same period. 

Since then the number of visitors has increased, there's nothing like  tsunami on the opposite side of the country to increase visitor numbers.  2007s visitor stats from the TAT show that over 200,000 foreign tourists now visit Koh Chang annually.  This  includes an ever increasing number of Russians who didn't figure on the stats until 2005. 

A few of 2007's highlights - Foreign visitors to Koh Chang in 2007 were 228,000 up 18% on 2006.  Foreign visitors to Koh Mak were up 111% in 2007.  March, April & May, were the months with highest room occupancy rates on Koh Chang. ( These are Thai holiday months.)  In 2007, more Russians than British stayed at the most expensive resorts. The country with the most visitors to Koh Chang in 2007 was Sweden, with just over 30,000 visitors - a whopping 85% increase on 2006. The number of over 55's  - often those who like their comforts and stay at the better resorts, decreased by a whopping 61%, from nearly 50,000 in 2006 to 17,500 in 2007.

Tourist Police.  As of mid 2006, the Tourist Police have been based on Koh Chang.  You'll recognise them as they get a real police car complete with lights & a siren, to drive around in rather than an old motorbike.  They're currently based in a Portacabin at the viewpoint overlooking SeaView Hotel, Kai Bae.  If you have any problems, these are the people to call rather than the local police.  Emergency number is: 1155

Typical tourists.  About 60 - 70% of the visitors to the island are Thai.  However, the majority of resorts would prefer to get the majority of their income from Western guests for a couple of reasons.  (Note, this doesn't mean that owners feel that they can charge foreigners more than Thais it's more down to what each group expects.)

Thais usually travel as a family or in  a large group of friends, rather than ones or twos. But they will often still all want to stay in one room.  Foreigners will arrive carrying only a backpack or suitcase. Therefore 99.9% of them won't be carrying a charcoal grill, week's supply of food, 100 liter ice box, gas stove and the contents of their kitchens when they arrive unlike your typical Thai group.  So the resort loses out by having three times as much mess to clean up as the guests will have been cooking in the rooms and also they won't make anything in earnings from the restaurant.

Foreign tourists don't do this, they stay 2 people in a room, eat 2 or 3 meals a day in the restaurant - maybe they aren't as sociable but the real downside is that they aren't always forgiving when things get screwed up and can be demanding but that's life.    

(I wrote this right after pissing off a neighbour who'd bought a Thai group to stay in my guesthouse.  They wanted to stick five adults in an aircon room for 800 baht/night.  Two is fine, three is OK if someone is happy with a makeshift bed on the floor but definitely no more than that - regardless of nationality. So they left grumbling about me.  The Canadian guy who'd just checked in, and was looking forward to a relaxing few days after escaping intact from the Sri Lankan tsunami, breathed a sigh of relief.)

The Treehouse.  Probably the best known of all the Koh Chang hut complexes, a Lonely Beach legend.  Having adverts showing a  cartoon smiley sun, hearts, flowers and cute dolphins can't hurt either.  Very mellow man.  This is a place that managed to blend German efficiency and Thai friendliness, and not vice versa, very successfully.   Unfortunately it's success appears to have proved it's undoing as for the past year there have been stories of it's demise and then reprieve. As of February 2006, it's still there.  Will it actually close? I have no idea and I really don't  care. In June 2005 a new Treehouse, down on Long Beach, which is about as far away from other people as you can get, opened.

Trekking. All backpacker bungalows have a contact who knows a guy who can take people into the jungle for a day's trek.  Some are good, some are the kind of people you wouldn't really want to be alone in the middle of an uninhabited jungle with.  Some can provide a pretty good commentary on what you're seeing and about to be bitten by, other guides simply  smile and point out the obvious "Snake, bad. No touch."

Jungleway, a small out of the way bungalow resort deep in Klong Son valley, not far from Baan Kwan Chang elephant camp, offer guided treks for a few hundred baht/head.  This includes the chance to walk to the top of a nearby mountain for panoramic views over the island.  Overnight treks are also possible. A bit more strenuous than many treks on offer, but a far more interesting experience.  See their website for more info www.jungleway.com

Mogli Trekking, also based in Klong Son, have plenty of signs around the island and appear to be popular.

'Mr Anong' - a one man trekking organisation operates around Klong Prao and takes visitors up into the hills above Klong Plu waterfall.  By all accounts, he offers a very good day out and knows his flora and fauna.  Day treks for 1200 baht/person.

An alternative is the 'Trekkers of Koh Chang Club'.  A group set up by experienced local Thai trekkers to promote eco-friendly trekking on the island.  They conduct several interesting day long treks in the park. The cost is around 690 baht plus 200 baht National Park entrance fee. Two day, one night treks into the mountains around Salakphet go for around 1,540 baht.  Contact by phone: 039 525 029 or 01 578 7513. 

U

UBC.  All self respecting bungalow operators provide UBC satellite TV in their restaurants as it's essential if they want to grab the Premier League / BBC News / repeats of Survivor / MTV watching crowds which make up a large segment of the culture vulture backpacker population.

V

Vets.  There are no vets based on Koh Chang other than Lisa, a sole American woman who runs a small practice more as a community service rather than a money making operation and he fellow vet Carla.  

Lisa is in the process of registering her practice as a charitable foundation 'Koh Chang Animal Foundation'  which would enable her to actively solicit much needed funding from organisations outside Thailand.  If you'd like to contribute cash or vetinary knowledge, she'd be very pleased to hear from you.  Animal lovers should call her on: 089 042 2347 or email: mcalonie@hotmail.com   Any visitors to the island who'd like to make a  donation in person to help her work can call into her house/clinic in Klong Son, 1.5km along the road to Baan Kwan Chang elephant camp.  You can also find all the info you need about the Koh Chang Animal Foundation at www.kohchanganimalfoundation.org

For specialised vetinary care, you'll have to head to Trat or better still Chantaburi or Rayong.  Of the vets in Trat, only one actually graduated from university with a doctorate in vetinary medicine - so I've been told.  The vet in Chantaburi which came recommended by two other dog owners on Koh Chang but was very expensive and ineffective.  We take our dog to a vet in Rayong (and another at Kasetsart University, Bangkok - where the royal family's dogs go), he knows his stuff, is easy to talk to, isn't expensive and won't try to sell you pricey medicine if a cheaper generic equivalent is available.  The only downside is that Rayong is a 180 km drive from Koh Chang. 

Visas.  It all used to be so simple for everyone from backpackers to bar owners to early retirees who wanted to stay on Koh Chang long term.  All that was required was to hop across to Cambodia every 30 days and get  a new 30 day visa.  But as of 1 Oct 2006, border hoppers will only be allowed 3 x 30 days visas in any 6 month period.  One of the businesses that will be most affected are dive schools, the majority of whose instructors have 30 day visas. Anyone wanting to get a 12 month Non Immigrant multiple entry visa can give me a call or email and I'll let you know how it can be done.

W

Water.  Unsurprisingly, there isn't any central water supply on Koh Chang. (Although newspaper reports continue to state that it's a priority and as such mains water is in the plans for late 2003, 2004, 2005 or possibly 2006)

Residents and resort operators are left to their own devices when it comes to securing a source.  The most common way is to dig a bore hole or lay several kilometres of pipe and syphon off water from mountain streams and waterfalls.   As 95% of the rainfall on Koh Chang falls during the rainy season, this means that come January/February time the natural water supplies begin to run low.  Some beaches are affected more than others - if you stay on Lonely Beach don't expect running water in your bathroom during the day as the majority of resorts have to buy water from the owners of boreholes in Bailan or Kai Bae.  As more resorts are built so the water shortage will worsen, as on Koh Samui where even the plush hotels have to ration water.  On Koh Chang large, more remote resorts cope by hiring water tankers to bring water in from other areas of the island on a daily basis.

Waterfalls.  The most visited falls are Klong Plu on the west of the island and Than Mayom on the east.  The first is popular because it's in a touristy area, the second because a couple of Thai kings carved their names in the rocks near the falls whilst on holiday a 100 or more years ago. The tallest falls are down near Salakphet in the south-east.  Waterfalls are great in low season, crap in late high season for the simple reason that they only have a decent amount of water in them during the rainy, i.e. low, season and the notion of paying a 400 baht entrance fee to see a cliff with a dribble of water running down it's face into a rancid mud pool isn't my idea of value for money and shouldn't be yours either.

Weather.  I've only been able to find one weather website that covers Koh Chang, www.quickcast.com.  A five day forecast from them can be found here. Also worth a look is the Thai meteorological department's site www.weather.go.th

Webcams.  There are a couple of live webcams on Koh Chang.  Both set up by Colin from CocoDeeBo Tours.  They are located at their beachfront office at the northern end  of Klong Prao beach.  (Note that they arent always on, especially in the rainy season.)

Welcome Drinks.  You arrive at your resort and the smiling receptionist checks you in, explains how the coupon for breakfast system works and hands you a voucher for your free welcome drink in the bar.  Great, an ice cold beer would go down well - even if it's a small one. Read the small print: "This voucher is valid for non-alcoholic drinks only.  Excluding coke, pepsi, water and any commercially available soft drinks you may have come across during your time on this planet." Therefore, if you're the slightest bit sensitive to 'E-numbers' and/or are diabetic then avoid all welcome drinks.  Mid-afternoon and the bar will be empty,  one of the saddest things in the world is a newly arrived couple sitting in an empty bar sipping on a tumbler of sickly sweet, gooey orange liquid decorated with a slice of pineapple and a purple orchid flower; and grimacing. 

They want to get up and leave but as they're the only two in the bar it's obvious the barman will know who left the unfinished drinks and you don't want to piss him off as you've set your heart on a sunset pina colada served in a hollowed out pineapple.  (Made using 'nature identical' pina colada mix.) So you have to suck the unknown concoction down and just hope the orange pigment now lining the interior of your mouth isn't permanent or will be proved to be carcinogenic by scientists in the coming years. 

Wi-Fi Internet Access. Until recently 'wireless' meant simply not having electric or phone lines.  However, Koh Chang has now leapt forward into the late 20th Century and here are a handful of wi-fi hotspots on the island catering to laptop carrying visitors. 

On White Sand Beach: Earthlink & BanPu Resort. 
Klong Prao; Koh Chang Plaza, Ramayana, Evolution Tour 
Kai Bae: OK Diving, Cliff Beach, Kai Bae Hut, Kai Bae Beach bungalows
Lonely Beach: Dive Point

We've got free wi-fi for laptop carrying customers at our little guesthouse, so if we can afford the 1000baht/month cost for an unlimited use 2MB connection and a couple of thousand baht for a wireless router, you'd have thought that larger resorts and luxury hotels could also provide the same service for their guests.  Seems most still can't.

Wildlife.  A veritable host of wild things inhabit the interior of the island.  70 plus species of bird, about 30 different mammal type things and over 40 reptiles of varying kinds can be found by those looking to get themselves bitten, stung or poisoned.  To simplify matters I now refer to all potentially dangerous forms of wildlife as "Bob" far easier than remembering Thai names for various spiders, jellyfish, snakes, spiders etc although, admittedly, not really threat specific enough for emergency situations and probably not going to gain sympathy with care givers.  Still we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. "I was bitten by Bob, do you think it's serious?", "I've no idea, now piss off and come back when you grow up." 

I've encountered three snakes in my house since I've been living here: my g/f spotted snake one whilst sitting on the toilet, it was sent to reptile heaven with a few whacks of a broom handle, as was snake two which appeared on our balcony. Snake three, however, was a different kettle of fish.  Simply, it was the biggest snake I've ever seen outside a zoo - approx 3 metres long.  It came up out of the river and into our kitchen where it looked around as we, & our neighbour, tried to figure out just how deadly it was.  A moving snake looks a lot different, and a lot larger, than a photo of a carefully positioned stationary snake in the 'Idiot's Guide to Dangerous Reptiles.' We all decided that we were too chicken to take it on and so, using long pieces of wood, we gently ushered it back into the mangroves.

X

Xylophone.  A musical instrument, totally unrelated to this site but Koh Chang 'Xs' have got me stumped.

Y

Yachting.  What better way to explore the Koh Chang archipelago than by sailing boat?  This isn't an option for your average budget traveller though as weekend trips start at about 7,000 baht/head but it is a unique, if not slow, way to see the islands.  Koh Chang Marina near Salakphet can get you sorted with a latter day Captain Pugwash and boat.  In late 2005, SEA Adventures began operating sailing daytrips for 1,200 baht/head on their 13 metre catamaran.  Look for the advertising boards all over the island if you want  a ticket.  Private charters are also available.  A lot of people have mentioned that Sea Adventures is well worth it.  You won't get as much time snorkelling as if you were on a speedboat and you wont get as  far south as you would on a yacht charter from Salakphet, but but they look after you well on board.  Good if you want to enjoy life in the slow lane whilst on holiday.

Gulf Charters have recently relocated their entire fleet to Salakphet and Sunsail are set to start operating out of Koh Chang in 2007.  Charters and sailing classes are available through Gulf Charters, everything from learning the ropes to skippering your own yacht. So, although it's still very early days for sailing in this area, the future's looking rosy for anyone wanting to get involved in yachting in the south-east of Koh Chang.  Meet up with fellow yachties at Island View marina & guesthouse in Salakphet.  Deiter, the owner, first sailed around the area in his own yacht well over  a decade ago.  Good place to stay if you want to do some sailing or sea canoeing and a good place to call in if you're on your own boat. 

But don't expect to find hoards of yachties at the inappropriately named 'Kai Bae Marina', expect to find a roadside restaurant instead.  

Yellow Oil.  This area of Thailand is famed for producing snake oil, a herbal cure all that has been proven to be an effective treatment against everything from insect bites to AIDS, cervical cancer and Bird Flu. This stuff kicks Tiger Balm's ass.  The most popular brand is 'Mae Ang-Ki's', but many of the massage women on Koh Chang sell a locally produced 'no-name' brand which smells like it should do you some good.  Whether it does or not, I have no idea as I don't have a caged chimp or rabbit to do a spot of DIY animal testing on. But I'm sure it's safe enough and if it is carcinogenic, the effects are unlikely to kick in for another 20-30 years or so after first application.

Yellow Pages.  There isn't a specific Koh Chang Yellow Pages full of useful numbers in print.  So, for now, take a look at the list of numbers I've put together here and see if you can find what you're looking for.

Yoga.  At the start of every high season signs for various classes in trendy types of exercise spring up.  One place that's worth a look though is Baan Zen, Klong Prao home of Joelle, a Frenchwoman with years of experience teaching different types of Yoga.  Classes take place in the morning & evening, leaving you with plenty of time to enjoy the beach during the day.  She also teaches introductory classes for Reiki and Tui-Na. More info here. In thr north of the island, Jungleway also run yoga retreats at their small hideaway resort in the valley.

Z

Zzzzzzz.  A quick summary of Koh Chang's nightlife.