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January - July 2005
28 July
 - Koh Chang has been featured
on ITV's (Thai TV channel) early evening news every night this week.
They've been flying their helicopter over all the areas - all in
the southeast of the island - where there have been widely reported
land disputes between locals, the navy & developers. Also been
interviewing local planning, national park officials.
 25 July
- I was enjoying my holiday only to have it interrupted by the
kind of storm in a teacup (similar to the one pictured right) that
bored expats like to stir up when they've got far too much time on
their hands.
It was all due to a piece I write for
the, until now, benign 'Pattaya & Beyond' mag. I wrote an
article about stuff to do during the rainy season.
Three business owners apparently didn't
like the tone . . i.e. it wasn't complimentary enough about the island
or the fun filled activities that are available here. (I even ventured
to suggest that it may rain here during the rainy season.) So they
complained . . . not direct to me of course. I still don't know
exactly what the problem was, but to the Thai guy who runs the
magazine and, in numerous phone calls, to my girlfriend who is about
as responsible for the content of the article as she is for the Iraq
war.
I just feel that when you read a free
tourist guide book - full of glossy adverts and platitudes, you know
it's all bullshit. Therefore, as I know a lot of people enjoy
the style of this site, I decided to challenge the status quo as I'm
sure there's a market for a humourous, piss taking Koh Chang guidebook
that's got all the info you need but will give you a smile & make you
think a little too.
Take a look and see if you reckon it's intended as a something
that should be taken literally or whether it is in fact lighthearted,
although a bit scathing of a couple of attractions I really don't have
any time for (Monkey Schools etc). Alternatively, does it portray me
as a Pattaya-based agent who's sole mission is to deter folks from
visiting Koh Chang? ( Yeah, that was really suggested!!!)
The real irony of it all is that the
only people who have been complaining all run business that I have
been recommending
on this site, or
to folks who email me or in the
listings page I write for 'Farang'
magazine, for quite a while. (Of course, they never realised that
until now as I've never asked for commission etc for recommending
them. I did it purely because they seemed to run good
businesses.)
14 July - Off on holiday until
25 July, so no more updates until then. Therefore, emails may or
may not be answered depending on the weather, boredom threshold, my
mood etc.
From
Travelfish.org - "This out-of-the-way guesthouse is set in one
of the most gorgeous spots on the island." Not one to blow my own
trumpet, but the above quote is from the review of
our guesthouse.
(No, I didn't write it.)
Photos of the new Aana Resort can be
found on their website. Take a look at the colour of the water
in this
photo. I'm sure if you took the scum off the surface you
could bathe in it.
One of the hardest of hard to come by
property deals on Koh Chang is finding a fisherman's house at a
sensible price. But there's one for sale now in Salakphet
village for 1.5 million baht. It's renovated and looks in good
condition, painted the same colour as ours. It's the kind of place you could move into without having to
rebuild first. Price is about a third of what something
comparable would cost in Bangbao.
Koh Chang in early July, David emailed
me with his experience: "Just returned from two weeks on Koh Chang. What can I say? Even in the 'low season', with some overcast days, some rain, if you are looking for a great, *cheap*, place to unwind and get away from it all Koh Chang is the place. Out of 14 days on the island we had two of rain - beats home! Stayed at White Sands Beach Resort and had an amazing time kicking back with a good book and a
Chang beer to while away those lazy days. . . "
9 July - Back off Koh Chang and
in Bangkok again in preparation for a well deserved holiday followed
by a trip to the UK in early August.
If you're interested in a small plot of
cheap, Chanote titled land on which to build a house, then you'll
already know that finding any on the west coast is an impossibility.
But I know of a Thai guy selling 1, 2 or 3 rai of Chanote land in Jek
Bae, on the east coast of Salakphet Bay for 850,000 baht/rai.
Very quiet, loads of shade from mature trees, but no sea view.
However, it's only 10 mins walk down to the shore.
Email me if you're interested
Aana Resort and Spa
has recently opened -opposite our house - and will offer US$200
a night villas in high season. (Good low season deals now
though) Rich folks can look across the river estuary to see our 800
baht/night rooms in all their glory. I'm thinking of putting up
a large banner for visitors who spend this type of crazy money on very
nice rooms 'We can walk to the beach . . . can you?'
Anyone in Bangkok who picked up June's
copy of 'Shakers & Movers' magazine will have seen a big ad for this
website - as I wrote a bit for them on Koh Chang. They'll be another
ad for the site or our guesthouse in August's issue. Have to
write something on upcountry living. Not sure what yet.
One big plus about the rainy season is
that when the clouds lift the visibility is great. From the new
road going to Hat Yuthanavy you can
easily
make out all the islands as far south as Koh Kood. In the high,
dry season the sky is universally hazy.
Last week we ate out at three good
restaurants - obviously someone else was paying. KB Beach was
the cheapest, but let down by only having one guy acting as waiter and
chef. The regular chef having gone back to tend his rice fields
for a couple of months. Still the food was good and it was good
to see that Kai Bae Beach's long standing policy of not having any
items of matching crockery on the table during a meal was still in
full effect. At one time there were at least ten plates
and bowls of assorted sizes and shapes on the table - none of which
belonged to the same set.
As far as presentation went, the
opposite was true at KB Bungalows. Very nicely presented by
staff who had obviously had some training and very good food
too. Cost was just under 1,000 baht for 5 people including a few
beers, several Thai dishes and a dead fish.
Finally, Sand Terrace on White Sand Beach.
(Look for the first tree with lanterns in it north of Sabay Bar.)
Maybe not quite as food food as the other two but worth a look as the
price is good and the Sea Bass in garlic was excellent. Until
Cookie restaurant is rebuilt, this is our White Sand Beach restaurant of
choice.
The day we left Koh Chang I got in the
mud and planted loads of mangrove seed pods around our
house. What's more noteworthy is that I managed to do it without
the presence of a couple of dozen local government officials, TAT staff or PR people and
a large banner proclaiming a 'Grand Mangrove Planting for Nature
Program Opening Ceremony' - or some other crap in badly worded
English.
 Other mangrove related news . . . Koh
Chang Discovery Club are finally doing what I've long said someone should
be doing and that is running kayak trips in the mangrove forests in Salakkok Bay. It's a long way from the west coast but a lovely
area of the island.
Kasikorn Bank have recently opened a
branch in White Sand Beach.
2 July - It's been a while since the last update as
we've been in Bangkok for the last couple of weeks. There's only so much
rain I can take. So a few things of note, for Lena in Sweden, whose been
worrying about the lack of recent updates. . .
Ever had one of those days where you're trying to get the
dog drunk (Swartland Rose winebox -15 Euros for 3 litres) and the cat gets
wrecked instead. That happened the other night when a guest put a small
bowl of the South African 'Best Buy' on the floor. Santa turned his nose up at
it, he's more of a Bordeaux fan, the cat lapped up the lot and spent the night
asleep on his back on the deck. He was still there at 7am next morning,
obviously cats can't take alcohol. You learn something new everyday.
Baan
Kwan Chang elephant camp have now embraced the internet age and put up their
own website.
 In Kai Bae, Koh Chang Wine Gallery have opened up.
At last a good selection of wines, spirits, imported beers at sensible prices.
Aimed mainly at the retail market, but open to all, call in and see Danny if you
have a restaurant, resort etc and need a booze supply from a guy who knows his
wine.
Dive school websites are usually pretty crap. Not much
info and a few pretty pics of fish. Nice to see an exception . . .
Koh-Chang-Divers.com
On the bottom of each page you'll notice a plea for Hob
Nobs. Over the past few months I've had them brought over from various
countries. (Local beers, wines and handmade chocolates have all been gratefully
accepted as substitutes.) Ben didn't make
it to Koh Chang, so he put a couple of packets in the mail from the UK.
Feel free to follow his fine example.
Several large construction projects going on now, so parts
of the west coast now resemble World War One battlefields.
7am today it was raining as usual, but it's been bright
sunshine for the past few hours.
18 June - Not a great deal
happening as we're back in Bangkok again.
8 June - Didn't take the
authorities long to find a scapegoat for the all the fuss caused by the
stories of land disputes and encroachment by big businessmen. Problem
is the guy who brought the compaints, the boss of KC National Park, was the
one that got fired. No more complaints = no more problems.
Story here.
Bangkok hotels info added.
Choose from my picks in various categories: Budget, 2-3 star, Luxury and
Serviced apartments.
Choices of places were made
using my knowledge of Bkk from living there for 6 years, so if you're
finding the choice of possibilities a bit bewildering, this might make your
life easier.
Had an email from the boss of
ekohchang.com (see 25 May update) apologising for ripping off stuff from
this site and blaming the web design company.
6 June - A veritable hatful of
KC news stories from the Bangkok Post.
They're obviously running out of real stories about the island so the dodgy
land deal articles have been replaced by tales of hard done by local folk
being exploited etc i.e. the kind of stuff you could write about any
location in the country.
Coming soon . . . a
selection of Bangkok hotels that can be booked in advance. A dozen or
so options for people spending a couple of days in Bangkok on their way to
or from Koh Chang.
4 June - Lots in the Bangkok
Post about the problems of developing Koh Chang in accordance with the 'masterplan'.
articles added to the 'News' section
Underwater Koh Chang photos,
thanks to
Ploy Scuba, added
to the gallery.
1 June - "What's the
weather like in Koh Chang now?" - an FAQ I get by email and on the
Lonely Planet discussion board a lot. Truth is, I've not a clue as I'm
safe inside a sturdy detached house in a Bangkok suburb, spending some time
keeping out of the incessant rain in shopping malls and dining on delights
from KFC, Pizza Hut and Swensen's. Culinary delights I can only
dream of enjoying in Koh Chang.
25 May - A special 'Retard
of the week' award goes to the girl from
ekohchang.com - a new
site for hotel booking, who emailed me asking me to link to her site.
Thus alerting me to the fact that they've ripped off loads of text & photos
from this site for use on their own - see the 'Beaches' section.
Another example of Thai 'creativity'.
Sick of 199 baht sandals?
At last a 'real' shoe store on Koh Chang. Get your 'farang' sized
loafers, sandals, trekking boots etc at the new branch of
Ecco shoes (a well known, quality Danish
brand) in Sabay Plaza, White Sand Beach.
20 May - Cautionary tale if you plan on
taking a minibus from KC to Pattaya. Double check that it goes direct.
A friend booked a minibus ticket through Evolution Tour the other day, they
"forgot" to tell him that he'd be picked up by a Bangkok bound minibus that
would then take him to Trat where he'd then be put on another minibus to
Pattaya. Thus the tour company not only managed to piss him off but
also the passengers who were heading to Bangkok and presumed they'd be going
there direct and not via scenic Trat town, a 40 minute detour.
17 May - Rain & more rain with
rain on the way is the forecast.
Passenger ferries have now
stopped running hourly from Laem Ngop, expect them to leave every two hours
9am,11am etc until 5pm. From Koh Chang departures are at 8am, 10am and
so on .
11 May - Raining here, so I've been
glued to the Royal Ploughing Ceremony which is live on all TV stations.
The idea is simple enough - Nigel, the sacred bull, & his master a.k.a.
'Lord of the Harvest' predict the harvest and rainfall for the coming year.
I'm going for 'plentiful' on both accounts.
More in the Bangkok Post today about
land encroachment etc.
9 May - The cost of
yesterday's armed forces love in was around 10 million baht, all so the
Environment Minister could personally raid areas where CP Group were
allegedly encroaching on mangroves.
Bangkok Post story.
8 May - Half a dozen
helicopters in the skies, convoys of vans with army & police escorts and
literally dozens of extremely bored boys in brown hanging around Dan Mai on the east coast .
. . looks like some big politicians were on the island today.
4 May - A few
photos of our boat and others built by the
same guy - Pailan Yacht in Trang.
2 May - Been busy trying to
adapt content from this site for the 'Koh Chang & Beyond' magazine.
From sow's ear to silk purse . . .can it be done? (Probably not)
Weather is still good here,
less rain than in Bangkok, and aside from this holiday weekend the place is
deserted.
Couple more KC related
stories from the newspapers. One warning
that when Bangkok's new airport opens Koh Chang will boom and rich
foreigners will buy up all the land. It neglects to mention that the
Thai businessmen who will be selling the land to the foreigners will be
laughing as they'll have 500 - 1000% returns on their investment of a few
years ago.
Had to call a guest at the
Tropicana hotel a couple of days ago, this is my conversation with the
receptionist:
Me: "Room 239 please"
Rec: "One moment . . .
sorry there's no reply."
Me: "OK, I'll try
again later"
Rec: "Are you English?
Don't forget the time difference, 7 hours I think."
Me: (impressed he could
recognise my accent) "Yes, I'm English . . but I live in Klong Prao"
Rec: "Ok, sir.
There's no time difference between here and Klong Prao. It's 4pm here"
Me: "Yes, I know. It's 4 pm here too."
Rec: "But if you call from
England it's 10pm. It's very late."
Me: "Thanks. But it's not
late here."
Rec: "No, but it is
night time in some
countries."
Sensing the only purpose of
this discussion was to provide the receptionist with free conversational
English practice, I then said my goodbyes.
22 Apr - Got 3.5 million baht/year to
spare and you fancy renting a 36 room resort on Koh Chang? Look no
further then the White House in 'any more laid back and it'd be in a coma'
Bailan. Alternatively, fight the temptation for no other reason than
to prove that a fool and his money are not always easily parted . . . unlike
in Bangbao where a Korean guy recently paid 7 million plus for a house over the
water.
21 Apr - Down in Bangbao
'Ocean blue' is a lovely place to stay with great views from their sundeck,
however
this page of info on their website has got to be the dullest copy ever
written about Koh Chang. It's as though all the dull bits from other
websites were cut and paste onto one page.
Enjoyed a free meal at Chowlay
Seafood in Bangbao this evening, an excellent place to dine . . . even more so
if you don't have to pay. Minor celebrity has it's minor privileges.
'Koh Chang & Beyond' a
new monthly expat & tourist guide to KC will be out in June (possibly). I'm
writing most of it so it'll be fun to see what I can get away with in print.
20 Apr - There's very little hilltop
land with panoramic sea views available on the west coast of KC.
This plot would be great for a house
or two.
Centrepoint ferry put their prices up
last week - 50 baht/person one way (up from 30 baht), My missus was told
this was due to the to the increase in cost of fuel. But I don't recall
diesel going up 66% overnight recently.
18 Apr - You have to worry
about some people and their suitability as independent traveller's when you
receive emails like this:
"I'm thinking about going
to Koh Chang in late May/early June and I'd like to know about the clarity of
the water at that time for snorkeling and diving . . . . If I spend all this
money to go there, I want to be able to snorkel/dive in clear water"
No problem, I'll contact the
weather gods, book a few calm, sunny days and also arrange to have the
seas around popular dive sites filtered in advance. Miracle working .
. . it's what separates this site from the others.
15 Apr - Just noticed there
was a story in the paper last week about
illegal logging on KC. This ties in nicely with the large pile of
freshly cut lumber that I found hidden when I was taking the dog for a walk
a few days ago. So if anyone wants any 3 metre long, 12 inch diameter
trunks - let me know.
13 Apr - Signs warning of the perils of
drink driving have been posted in anticipation of Songkran deaths. Why
the signs are in English is anyone's guess - perhaps the police want to
improve the average Thai driver's language skills as well as issuing a
warning. My favourite sign so far is the succinct 'Drink don't drive'.
12 Apr - Another day on KC,
another of the things you don't get back home . . . an elephant with your
name on it.
10 Apr - A friend headed over to the
new Treehouse on Long Beach where 100 baht will get you a no frills mattress
on the floor of a no frills hut. Plenty of 'keep the beach clean'
signs to distract the mellow guests from noticing that a hillside was
leveled to build the car park. Motionless bodies lay in hammocks and
the cause, two large bags of 'herbs', lay nearby on the restaurant tables.
Bit sad, if you have to off your head in order to enjoy your travels.
9 Apr - News of another bar
closure - 'Paris London Cocktail Bar', the classiest roadside watering hole
in all of Pearl Beach, shut up shop recently. Koh Chang's nightlife
will never be the same again . . .thankfully.
The police were out last night
protecting, serving and lightening the wallet of motorists and motorcyclists in the run
up to Songkran. Put your seatbelt on, wear a helmet and keep some small notes handy over the next week or so.
5 Apr - A sad day . . . Cookie
restaurant on White Sand Beach is now closed for total demolition / refurbishment
until October.
30 Mar - How many tailors
shops does one island really need? I've noticed another three
have opened in the last month or so.
Saw something cool this
evening, some kind of eagle (brown with white head) diving for fish off
Klong Prao Beach. I've often seen it hovering over the coconut palms
but this was the first time I'd seen it actually do something eagle-like and dive into the sea
to pluck out an unsuspecting
fish.
29 Mar - Good to see Porn Bar,
Kai Bae doing their bit to help establish Koh Chang as a hedonistic party
zone. The flyer for their recent full moon party made a point of
highlighting the fact that there was 'free fruit' on offer. Make mine
a large mango to go. What will
next month's party bring? A cheese and wine evening perhaps?
28 Mar - Had an interesting
email the other day from the boss of a dive company asking if I could tell
people how great his place was and how crap his competitors were in return
for a bit of cash. Judging by the fact I've posted this info it's safe
to say his offer wasn't nearly enough.
 Something I've never been able
to get my head round . . . what exactly were Chang Park Resort thinking when
they built the 'English House' and the 'French House' on the beachfront? The
other house is yellow - it looks far worse . . . if you can imagine that.
26 Mar - More rain.
22 Mar - The clams were
interesting enough, although you had to be into hugging marine life to
really appreciate the moment. (If you're the owner of a Chinese
restaurant, get in touch as I have a few menu ideas.)
19 Mar - I found out
yesterday, it's giant clams not turtles that will be released to roam freely
off Koh Chang, not sure if that heightens or lessens the 'Wow' factor.
15 Mar - The Queens' cup
Kayaking think, came & went without anyone really noticing. A shame because
it's for a good cause but unfortunately it's not a spectator event or even
one that encourages visitors to participate in.
 More fires, such as the one
above, are being lit (allegedly) by landowners wanting to get mother nature
to do their dirty work for them. So far the count is: Fires starting
roadside on hillsides overlooking the beach = several. Fires in
the hard to reach interior = zero.
Minor Thai royalty are heading
to Koh Chang to release turtles at a resort on Kai Bae Beach next week.
I can't begin to describe the excitement that news is generating . . . so I
wont.
Raining, or more accurately
pissing it down, all day today.
10 Mar - The fires at
White Sand Beach, Chai-chet and Klong Prao show no signs of burning out.
Lots of smoke but no flames as it's the root system is slowly smouldering.
A neighbour, with a friend in the forestry dept., told me the blame for a
couple of the fires has been placed on a resort owner who employed unskilled
workers to burn a patch of hillside land. That fire appeared to go out
- but it was still burning under the surface and spread.
8 Mar - Anyone out there looking for
prime beach front land? 120 Rai on Klong Prao Beach could be yours for
US$15 million.
Jellyfish, such as young Bob pictured
left (photo taken from my deck), are in season now. Luckily they
don't sting .....much. From my own experience it's only a very mild
burn, if anything, and there's no scarring. The worst thing is
brushing up against them when you're swimming. So don't let that put you off
taking a dip in Koh Chang's family friendly, crystal clear waters unless
you're allergic to them or easily freaked out, in which case I'd book a
hotel with a good pool.
7 Mar - Burn baby burn.
Yep, forest fires have been in the Thai news during the last week so
it's only natural that some should break out on Koh Chang. Whether
they're man made or as a result of mother nature playing with fire lighters
is anyone's guess. . . .but two of them have been conveniently located on
hillsides overlooking beaches. A third, larger, fire is currently
burning on a hilltop near White Sand Beach.
"I want to buy a bar or
small resort on Koh Chang. How much will it cost?" I get a
couple of emails a week asking this. As a guide, a well established
bar with around 20 newly built rooms smack in the centre of White Sand Beach beach
recently sold for 42 million baht.
Coming soon - a new monthly
guide to Koh Chang including free classifieds and hopefully a bit more
personality than the current crop of informative but dull print guides.
The Hippo cafe will soon
complete it's relocation from White Sand Beach to Kai Bae, thus giving people
staying here the opportunity to sample the 'food' (for want of a better
word) that passes for bread & cakes in Thailand.
Koh Chang Queens
Cup - which combines, in a uniquely Thai way, an event for tourists with
a total lack of promotion, is taking place from March 11-13. It's a 3 day
kayak 'rally' around Koh Chang, entry fee is 3,000 baht per 3 person team.
For more info, see the website or call the organiser Khun Pittaya: 01 919
3995
1 Mar - Happy Birthday to my
missus. 33 today but we don't mention that at all. A guy from
'The Independent' (UK) newspaper threw a few darts in a world map and
low & behold decided that Koh Chang was one of the planet's top 10 island escapes.
Read how KC stacks up to the
competition.
27 Feb - The murdered woman was a receptionist at Panviman hotel.
Three Cambodian labourers were picked up & later released and police are now
looking for anther member of the hotel's staff who hasn't been seen for the
past couple of days.
26 Feb - Murder on Koh
Chang. This lunchtime the police found the body of a local Thai
woman who had been missing for 2 days. They aren't sure of a motive
yet, but her phone was stolen. Her body had been dumped in long grass near KP Huts, Klong Prao.
Police are apparently looking
for three young Thai guys who a local resident saw acting strangely in the
area a couple of nights ago. This is the first murder that
locals can remember happening.
24 Feb - Went round the island
with a couple of guests from our place - so a
few photos added.
Backpacker's favourite
hangout, the Treehouse, will move to Long Beach in the south east of KC.
A hillside has already been flattened to make a large carpark near the
bungalows. Easiest way to get there for now is by the daily boat
service (150 baht one way) from the Lonely Beach Treehouse.
20 Feb - Quiz time, combined
with more inane sniggering at typographical errors in flyers:
"The
objective is to provide entertainment to tourist and to prevent the noble
breasts from wandering around city streets."
Is this a) from a flyer for
Baan Chang Thai elephant camp or b) from a 'little Pattaya' beer bar?
Should visitors be warned that
thefts by farang gangs posing as tourists is on the rise? That was the
topic of a recent meeting of the Koh Chang Business Club. Half a dozen
laptops went missing from Whitesand's restaurants & resorts in the space of
a week. Many resort owners are apparently of the opinion it's best not to
make tourists aware of potential risks as they might be frightened off
coming here.
14 Feb - Love was in the
air today for one happy couple. If you're on Koh Chang then there's only one
way to say "Marry Me" . . . and that's with an elephant.
See
more photos here.Want an 'elegram' or 'PMS'
(Pachyderm Message Service)?. If you're staying in the Klong Prao area
a personalised elephant can be yours. Just email me to find out how.
5
Feb - The 'Fortune Elephant' was
 moored in Koh Chang the other day.
For those not in super-rich sailing circles, this is a $5 million yacht that
usually hangs around Phuket and is often used by the Thai govt. to entertain
visiting rich folks.
Wonder why they need to use a
Cayman Islands registered hyper-yacht for their wining & dining? (It's owned
by CP Company, apparently.)
A new page . . . 'The Crap
signs of Koh Chang' - coming soon-ish.
 Recommended
place to grab a bite to eat on White Sand Beach . . .the VW van that's parked near
the north end of the beach. Get a chicken, pork, tuna, tofu etc
sandwich, made with loads of salad and a big roll for 30 - 40 baht.
2 Feb - Busy, busy, busy & no
time to mess around with this site recently. If any local business
owners are interested in having a story about their bar, restaurant, hotel
etc in 'Pattaya & Beyond' tourist guide - get in touch as I'll be
writing the Koh Chang stuff for them. (Don't worry, no piss taking,
they'll only be benign advertorials.)
Also . . . coming soon . . Koh
Chang's first real estate website.
29 Jan - A quick rundown of
the govt.'s masterplan for Koh Chang
in the Articles section - it's amazing how little information you can
actually give and still, apparently, keep the public happy.
24 Jan - Interesting bit
of property for sale
at a good price - on the east coast, sheltered & ideal for
mooring a yacht or two.
Been messing around in a boat
today . . . it's the best way to appreciate the island.
I've also got my hands on a
glossy local government brochure detailing the 'big picture' for Koh Chang.
So some interesting reading and the type of nonsense that only Thai
local authorities can come up with will be added to the site soon (ish).
A taster . . . rank these well
known islands in order of desirability. Hawaii, Bali, Maldives, Koh Chang.
(Can you guess which island is head and shoulders above the rest? - Clue:
It's the one in Thailand.)
20 Jan - A death in the family
. . .a little kitten, part
of the cat family that allows us to feed them, fell into the muddy river bed
a couple of days ago. One of our guests heard it meowing, jumped in
and fished it out. The fall screwed up it's hind legs and although it
wasn't in pain it couldn't walk at all. We took it to the vet today
but it had internal injuries so had to be put down. More on
Lisa the vet . . .
'Little Pattaya' - the bar
area of White Sand Beach is booming (comparatively), and has seen an influx of
tarts from Phuket, apparently putting some older, less attractive noses out
of joint in fluffy pink blinkered world bar girls tend to inhabit.
18 Jan - You can now
book your Koh Chang hotel
through this site.
If you're planning on staying
in a resort, have found this site more fun, useful, sarcastic and/or
irreverent than other Koh Chang sites, please shower me in commission
payments by booking your hotel here.
16 Jan - Last night, one of
our guests and I were discussing the downsides of big hotels.
Nothing revolutionary came out of it other than two new additions to the
Koh Chang A-Z, New year Gala Dinners &
Welcome Drinks.
13 Jan - Passenger ferries now
arrive at a different pier on Koh Chang and there's a new bus service direct
to the ferry pier from Bangkok - more info is buried on the 'Getting
Here' page.
12 Jan - More
real estate
added. Also be wary of a certain dive school
operator offering aircon rooms for rent for 1500 baht/night. The real
price is only 500 baht/night. The rooms aren't great but they're clean
and functional. However, hassle is caused when guests talk to each other and
discover some are paying 3 times the real cost - the difference going in the
dive guys pocket. Apparently the dive operator doesn't have a problem
with this.
11 Jan - A big gap between
updates . . . due to Koh Chang being currently packed out with
visitors and me being inundated with emails about accommodation,
buying land, recommendations for decent seafood restaurants etc.
3 Jan -
A-Z updated, 'Typical tourists' info added.
Price wars in Kai Bae!!!
Slashing their price to 29 baht/kilo, Kai Bae laundry have launched an all out assault on the host of
other 30 baht/kilo laundry services in the area. Is 29 baht/kilo sustainable? Will a rival
undercut them to 28 baht/kilo? Is Koh Chang's 'Marketing
Strategy of the Year' award in the bag already? Do they have lots of one
baht coins to give as change or will you find the price has been rounded up?
Watch this space for updates.
1 Jan - Happy New Year!
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