KOH TAO

Koh Tao is an island in Thailand located near the eastern shore of the Gulf of Thailand. It covers an area of about 21 km2. Administratively it forms a tambon within the district (Amphoe) Ko PhaNgan of Surat Thani Province. As of 2006 its official population number in 1382. The main settlement is Ban Mae Hat. The economy of the island is almost exclusively centered on tourism, especially scuba diving.

Koh Tao was named by its first settlers for the island's turtle-like geographic shape. Coincidentally, the island is an important breeding ground for Hawksbill turtles and Green turtles. A breeding program organized in 2004 by the Royal Thai Navy and KT-DOC, a coalition of local scuba diving centers has reintroduced hundreds of juvenile turtles to the island's ecosystem.

Initially the island was not inhabited, there was only the occasional fisherman from the neighboring islands, looking for shelter in a storm or just taking a break before continuing his tiresome journey. On June 18, 1899 King Chulalongkorn visited Koh Tao and left as evidences his monogram on a huge boulder at Jor Por Ror bay next to Sairee Beach. This place is still worshiped today. In 1933 the island started to be used as a political prison. In 1947 Khuang Abhaiwongse, prime minister at that time, pleaded and received a royal pardon for all prisoners on the island. Everybody was taken to the shore of Surat Thani and Koh Tao was abandoned again. In the same year Khun Uaem and his brother Khun Oh reached Koh Tao from the neighboring Koh Phangan by trying out their traditional sail boat, for that time a quite long and dangerous journey. Even though the island was still under royal patronage, it did not stop these pioneers claiming themselves a good part of the land on today's Sairee beach. Having brought their families over, they began to cultivate and harvest the excellent soil, forming the first generation of the present-day community. They lived a simple and tough life harvesting coconuts, fishing and growing vegetables, which were also traded with Koh Phangan.

Despite the difficulties in reaching the island, the population grew steadily. In the 1980s the first travelers discovered Koh Tao and their special backpacker network quickly made it widely known and a popular destination. As a consequence, bigger, faster and safer boats were used to allow easier access to Koh Tao.