Thailand (Formerly Siam) is a Far East country, geographically located in the center of the Southeast Asia peninsula. Thailand borders Myanmar on the west and northwest, Laos on the north and east, Cambodia on the southeast, and the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia on the south. The country is divided into 76 provinces. Bangkok is the capital and the largest city in Thailand.

In the northern side of Thailand rise 2595-meter-high mountains. One of the west ranges continues to the south direction, alongside the Myanmar’s border. Mekong River on the northeast delimits the Laos border. On the Southeast Cambodian border, Thailand is surrounded by a lower mountain range.

In the South of Thailand one can find the famous Thai island resorts, including Phuket and Koh Phi Phi in the Southwest side (Andaman sea), and Samui Archipelago in the Southwest side (The Gulf of Thailand). Koh Phangan, one of Samui Archipelago islands, is placed about 744 km south of Bangkok, 100 km east of Surat Thani coast, and about 12 km north of the bigger and well developed island Koh Samui, which serves as an air link to Koh Phangan. If you prefer exploring several different places to staying in one island – you may consider visiting Koh Samui, an island offering the common traveler an infinity of entertainment options, and Koh Tao, which is widely known as the divers’ paradise.

Koh Phangan is Thailand’s fifth biggest island and third largest island in the Gulf of Thailand after Koh Chang and Koh Samui. Its area is about 170 km2; although I don’t really know what 170 km2 means, it is definitely not that big. If you’re traveling around the island by jeep, you can briefly see the most of it within 3 hours – if you’re not involved during that travel in a car accident, which is not uncommon in Koh Phangan.

The population of Koh Phangan includes 10,000 habitats (according to the Lonely Planet guide); 12,000 habitats (according to the local guide Koh who will be mentioned later); or 15,000 habitats (according to another page in the Lonely Planet guide). In accordance with my own estimation, there are about 200 locals and 20,000 tourists, and counting.

About 60% of Koh Pha Ngan territory is covered with mountains, and about 90% of it is populated by a deep tropical forest. Whereas the east of Koh Phangan is mostly mountainous - the west side is full of picturesque sea-beaches. If you’re the enthusiastic, sporty traveler kind – you have an excellent opportunity to climb one the highest mountain peaks in the island, Khao Ra (630m). The trail can be steep and difficult to follow at times, and it can take up to 6 hours. For the reasons mentioned above, it is strongly recommended to hire a guide… I have a confession to make. I’ve seriously considered this trail, and the local guide even praised me as a brave adventurer, “just like him”. After climbing another mountain - just a little bit higher than the wrinkles of a blanket left on the beach – I seated myself on a rock and pretended to be terribly busy in observing the landscape, which, as I boldly stated in the ears of my guide: “usually takes no less than half an hour to be successfully achieved ”.

In addition to being an unbelievably beautiful resort area, Koh Phangan is also considered a spiritual place for the Thai people. About six hundred years ago Koh Phangan was uninhabited, until migrant monks revealed its unique spirit and established a settlement near Thong Sala, the modern capital of the island. The four kings of Thailand visited this island. King Churalongkorn, also known as the Great Rama V, came 10 times to bath in the pool at Than Sadet Waterfalls, which means “Royal Stream”. The present King Bumipol (Bhumibol Adulyadej), also known as the Great Rama IX, followed his footsteps and had also came to visit Than Sadet.

Despite its astonishing beauty and spiritual significance, Koh Phangan has been unfairly considered for many years a miserable stepbrother for the crowded and hopelessly commercialized Koh Samui. Since then, it has turned into the widely known international resort as soon as the first Full Moon Party took place (in 1987). Every year more and more bungalows and resorts have been established on the island.

I have visited the island along with my daughter and sister, who had been there 8 years ago. When the Koh Samui ferry got closer to the island, she looked as shocked as if a red snapper fish took his head out of the plate and asked her for a cigarette. She was relatively disappointed by the rapid development that took over the island. Instead of wonderfully deserted sand beaches, where you can be alone to share your thoughts with a single coconut tree, huge modern resorts were everywhere. Having said that, after three days on the island and after surrounding its territory by Taxi boat (the typical transportation tool in Koh Phangan), we have discovered more remote beaches, less developed and crowdie… You can read more about it here.