Ko Chang district
- This article is about the island in the Gulf of Thailand. For the smaller island in the Andaman Sea, see Ko Chang (Andaman Sea).
Template:Infobox Amphoe Ko Chang (Thai: เกาะช้าง) is the third-largest island of Thailand, located on the Thai east coast near the border to Cambodia in the Gulf of Thailand. It is a mountainous island with several waterfalls. The island is part of the Mu Ko Chang Marine National Park.
During World War II, Ko Chang was the scene of a naval battle between the Royal Thai Navy and a Vichy France squadron. The Thais were decisively beaten.
Until the mid-1980s the infrastructure on the island was totally undeveloped, but the tourism has significantly increased since then. The island now receives 75,000 visitors annually, about half of them Thai.
Most of the island shore is white sand. The west coast with Hat Sai Khao, Hat Kai Mook und Hat Ta Nam is very much frequented by tourists.
There is basically just one street nearby the shores. The island can not be circled and streets are very steep.
In the South you find a village called Laem Bang Bao. All buildings are wooden stilt houses. The island is mostly reached by a ferry departing from Laem Ngop near Trat.
Geography
The island is about 36 km long and almost 15 km wide. The interior of the island is mountainous and covered with tropical rain forest. The highest elevation is Khao Salak Phet, which is 743 m above sea level. Around the coast of the island are several sandy beaches, most of which have many resorts and hotels nearby.
Administration
The island forms a sub-district (King Amphoe) in the province Trat. The district was formed in 1994, when it was split off from Amphoe Laem Ngop. The district is subdivided into two communes (tambon).
| Nr. | Name | Thai name | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Ko Chang | เกาะช้าง | ||
| 2. | Ko Chang Tai | เกาะช้างใต้ |
National park
In 1982 the island together with 50 surrounding small islands was protected as the Mu Ko Chang Marine National Park. About 85% of the island is part of the national park, mostly the rain forest in the interior of the island. Nearby coral reefs are also contained within the National Park. Notable animals in the park include the stump-tailed Macaque, the small Indian Civet, the Javan Mongoose, 61 resident bird species. The Koh Chang Wart Frog (Limnonectes kohchangae) was originally thought to be an endemic species, but has now been found on the mainland as well.
External links
- Mu Ko Chang National Park
- Koh Chang traveller's guide to Koh Chang from an expat resident.
- IamKohChang.com The independent traveller's guide to Koh Chang from an expat resident.
- Photos from Koh Chang
- More photos from Koh Chang
- Template:Wikitravel