As the closest major island to
Bangkok, Ko Samet is one of the most popular places in
Thailand to watch teal water caress feathery white sand shores. It's not the
kingdom's most picturesque, enchanting or cleanest island, but Samet
consistently draws droves of travellers seeking a quick, easy getaway from the
Thai capital.
One of the very first Thai islands to surface on the foreign traveller radar back in the 1970s, Samet's old days of crashing in hammocks next to beach campfires are long gone. The island now competes with Hua Hin as the weekend beach playground of choice for middle to upper class Thais from Bangkok. This means better Thai food than on some islands, though it also results in bars and resorts that chiefly aim to satisfy middle- to high-end Thai tastes. On weekends, big groups of Thais zoom by on ATVs before congregating around bottles of scotch in the beachside bars (hopefully after returning the ATVs).
The island is famous among Thais as the setting for a story by their most beloved poet, Sunthorn Phu, who was a native of Rayong province. The main character, Phra Arpaimanee, travels with his flute around Thailand until he's captured by a ravenous giantess. After watching her chomp a buffalo's head off, he manages to escape by lulling her to sleep with his entrancing flute music. He then uses his magical flute to win over the heart of a beautiful mermaid. The pair marry and live happily ever after with a son, Tusakorn, who incidentally has the body of a horse and head of a dragon. An imposing statue of the giantess meets all who arrive at Nadan pier, and at the far southern end of Haad Sai Kaew, a photo next to decaying statues of Phra Arpaimanee and the mermaid is obligatory for all Thai visitors.
Given that it's one of Thailand's more developed islands, many are surprised to
learn that Ko Samet is part of Khao Laem Ya Ko Samet National Park,
which also encompasses Khao Laem Ya on the mainland along with various smaller
islands. The only way you'd know you're in a national park is via the
flabbergasting 200 baht entry fee. Tacky resorts have gobbled up every inch of
the most popular beaches, ditches along the main road look like small
landfills, and plastic is regularly burned in the village. With no national
park-maintained hiking trails, campgrounds or other facilities to speak of, you
have to wonder where all of those pricey entry fees end up. We feel that Ko
Samet makes a mockery of the Thai Department of National Parks.
One of the very first Thai islands to surface on the foreign traveller radar back in the 1970s, Samet's old days of crashing in hammocks next to beach campfires are long gone. The island now competes with Hua Hin as the weekend beach playground of choice for middle to upper class Thais from Bangkok. This means better Thai food than on some islands, though it also results in bars and resorts that chiefly aim to satisfy middle- to high-end Thai tastes. On weekends, big groups of Thais zoom by on ATVs before congregating around bottles of scotch in the beachside bars (hopefully after returning the ATVs).
The island is famous among Thais as the setting for a story by their most beloved poet, Sunthorn Phu, who was a native of Rayong province. The main character, Phra Arpaimanee, travels with his flute around Thailand until he's captured by a ravenous giantess. After watching her chomp a buffalo's head off, he manages to escape by lulling her to sleep with his entrancing flute music. He then uses his magical flute to win over the heart of a beautiful mermaid. The pair marry and live happily ever after with a son, Tusakorn, who incidentally has the body of a horse and head of a dragon. An imposing statue of the giantess meets all who arrive at Nadan pier, and at the far southern end of Haad Sai Kaew, a photo next to decaying statues of Phra Arpaimanee and the mermaid is obligatory for all Thai visitors.
Given that it's one of Thailand's more developed islands, many are surprised to
learn that Ko Samet is part of Khao Laem Ya Ko Samet National Park,
which also encompasses Khao Laem Ya on the mainland along with various smaller
islands. The only way you'd know you're in a national park is via the
flabbergasting 200 baht entry fee. Tacky resorts have gobbled up every inch of
the most popular beaches, ditches along the main road look like small
landfills, and plastic is regularly burned in the village. With no national
park-maintained hiking trails, campgrounds or other facilities to speak of, you
have to wonder where all of those pricey entry fees end up. We feel that Ko
Samet makes a mockery of the Thai Department of National Parks. Adding to this not-so-environmentally-conscious image, in July of 2013, 50,000 litres of crude oil gushed into the sea near Samet after a pipeline owned by PTT Global Chemical ruptured. The golden sand of Ao Phrao on Samet's west coast was painted a stinking black by the oil slick, forcing the closure of Ao Phrao's resorts and causing serious damage to the area's already fragile marine life. By September of the same year, Ao Phrao had rebounded surprisingly quickly and only a faint smell of oil remained.
Locals informed us in late 2013 that major plans are underway to widen the island's main road, replacing hastily thrown up structures with "contemporary" two-storey concrete buildings. This is potentially a positive development as it might make way for a streamlined trash removal system, which Samet appears to be in desperate need of. On the other hand, it could just result in more traffic and overpriced hotels. Some stretches of the main road that winds down Samet's long southern tail had already been sealed with concrete during our most recent visit, and we would be surprised if the length of the road from the village down to Ao Thian isn't fully paved by 2015.
Despite Samet's considerable environmental issues, it remains exceedingly popular with Thais, expats and foreign travellers. You can still find idyllic beaches in the sheltered southern bays of Ao Tubtim, Ao Nuan and Ao Wai, and even the most developed beaches still manage to be beautiful -- if you can ignore the jetskis, speedboats and bars. While Samet sees its share of rain from June to October, it's a solid alternative to the far southern Thai islands that tend to partially close up shop when they're hit by more intense monsoon storms at this time of year. Virtually every place to stay and eat is open for business year-round on Ko Samet.
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