East to Koh Samet

Sunthorn Phu, Thailand's greatest poet based his work, the story of Phra Aphaimani on the Island of Samet. Located 6.5km west of Rayong it is easily accessible from Bangkok by air conditioned bus from Ekemai Bus Station on Sukhumvit Rd, leaving hourly 6pm to 8.30 pm to the pier at Ban Phe. The average joumey time is 3hours and fare B112. Boats leave regularly from the pier for the island with a roundtrip fare of B80. Although a new pier has been built, getting off the boat involves climbing over logs and up rubber tyres and is not recommend for visitors with serious walking difficulties.

Once on the island the only inter beach transport is a basic bus service in the back of open pick up trucks. Visitors are herded onto them until full when they start the bumpy short ride around the various beach resorts, fare B20 or B150 for a private charter.

Koh Samet is now a National Park, under the control of the Forestry Department, and entry to the park is now B20 for both Thais and foreigners, children B 10. Until last year foreigners had to pay B50 five times as much as Thais who only paid B10. By law overnight stays are not allowed. in National Parks but commerciality was stronger and resorts soon fringed the white sandy beaches. All the effort was put into building money making bungalows and restaurants and there appears to have been little or no though gone into the matter of waste management. Logically everything that is consumed on the island arrives like visitors by boat, therefore the refuse should leave like the visitors by boat. This just didn't happen. When the Director of The Forestry Department recently made an inspection visit, he was enraged on a recent inspection visit by the amount of refuse littering the island spoiling its natural beauty. This prompted him to declare that the ban on overnight stays should be enforced to correct the situation.

But by solving one problem would create many new ones. When we recently spoke with one of the bungalow owners said " We would fight any attempt to ban over night stays as we were living here before the island was made into a National Park." He added "The Forestry Department control everything on the island. If I want to make any renovation to my property I first have to apply to them for approval. They can delay as much as they like in granting it" We also asked TAT Head Office in Bangkok for their current position about Koh Samet. A spokesperson said " Visitors are more than welcome to stay overnight on the island."

Clearly the problem facing Koh Samet like many other newly developing tourists resorts in Thailand is one of infrastructure. Koh Samet needs a dust man, now the question is who is going to pay for him. Surely how uses should pay. It would seem logical for as The Forestry Department is custodian for the Island they should arrange the service and collect additional fees to pay for it.

Bungalows on Koh Samet are available to suit all budgets ranging from B150 for a simple bamboo hut on Phutsa Beach beach up to B4,900 for an air conditioned room that sleeps six. on the touristy Sai Kaeo Beach close to the ferry pier. Retail shopping on the island has an enhanced price tag a bottle of Gordon's Gin is B650 compared with B389 on the mainland. B25 is the asking price for the Bangkok Post tagged at B20. Buy as much of what you are likely to consume that you can carry on the mainland. The inconvenience has a considerable saving.

Internet access is available at Saikaew Villa only between 9-10 pm costing B100 for 5mins as the connection is via a cell phone.

Ekamai Bus Station, Sukhumvit Rd, Bangkok 10110, Tel. 66-2-391 9829 (air-con buses), 391 2504 (non air-con buses).