Koh Tao: the chilled-out island in the full-moon party archipelago
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Version 0 of 1. It is a part of the world routinely described as paradise. And of the popular Gulf of Thailand islands, this is supposed to be the quiet, laid-back one; a paradise not quite so sullied by tourists. But the calm of Koh Tao island has been shattered by the murder of two British backpackers: David Miller, 24, from Jersey, and Hannah Witheridge, 23, from Great Yarmouth. Conflicting reports have suggested police are hunting for a British man in connection with the murders, but are also focussing on migrant workers. Three months ago I went to Koh Tao. It is a small island, the younger sibling of nearby Koh Samui and Koh Pha Ngan. Koh Samui is the touristy one, Koh Pha Ngan the party one, and Koh Tao – which means turtle island – the chilled-out one. Or so the travel websites will tell you. Koh Tao is a hangout for scuba divers. Dive-centres-cum-hotels line the shores, ferrying groups of tourists out to dive or snorkel the warm, beautiful blue waters. It is a world of dreadlocks, fruit smoothies and $2 gin-and-tonics as the sun sets. Alex Garland’s novel The Beach was set in this part of the world and the hedonistic full-moon parties on neighbouring Koh Pha Ngan are an international event. Koh Tao has less of a hard-partying feel. Bars do line the main beach of Sai Ree, where the British backpackers died, and there are plenty of under-30s on the island (mainly Europeans and Brits). But those looking to cut loose head to Koh Pha Ngan. The few roads the island has are poor, so it is quite hard to get around its 21 sq km. Isolated settlements and resorts pock the coastline. We took a water taxi to our hotel. The road was hard work; coconut shells had been used to fill potholes. There is a laissez-faire approach to planning law; some hotels and bars seem cobbled together from driftwood, leaning out over the water as the waves rumble beneath. Koh Tao felt safe to visit. The biggest concern had been the coup by the Thai military, which took power amid a political mess and widespread allegations of corruption. There were protests against the coup and a curfew, but this has been lifted and the situation seems stable. There will now be fresh concerns for tourism operators that if foreign visitors fear attacks they will stop coming to the island or Thailand itself. “This should not have happened in Thailand. It will affect our image in the eyes of international countries,” the prime minister, General Prayuth Chan-ocha, has said. One factor that may affect the investigation into the deaths of the British backpackers is that Koh Tao island is not easy to get away from. It has no airport and just one port. Ferry trips, which are professionally run, often involve multiple legs and take hours. So anyone who left Koh Tao after the murders may well have been noticed by other passengers, ferry staff or taxi drivers. |