Update!
See update on the island below…
Where is Thailand’s most beautiful island?
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right? But what if the beholder is a true Thailand expert? Beachmeter.com has talked to Morten Djorby, a Danish tour leader who has taken tourists to every corner of Thailand through the last 15 years. Morten is an expert on Thai language, culture, history, and of course the country’s number one attraction, islands and beaches!
So what did Morten answer, when we asked him to share his view on Thailand’s most beautiful island? See his response here:
The most beautiful island in Thailand? The island Koh Tachai in Ranong province is surely in the competition to be the winner. It takes 1½ hour with speedboat to reach the island, and it is certainly worth the boat trip. A beautiful white sand beach and crystal clear water awaits you. If you want to stay for a few nights you have the option to rent a tent near the little wooden restaurant, which mostly provide the food for tourists, who are visiting the island every day.
Images from Koh Tachai (Virgin Island)
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- Approaching Koh Tachai aka. Virgin Island
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- Your view upon arrival at Koh Tachai
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- Thai Beach Expert, Morten, enjoying Koh Tachai
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- Hermit Crab in the silky smooth white sand
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- The beauty of Koh Tachai, Virgin Island.
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- Thailand’s best beach?
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- Plenty of fish and small (harmless) sharks here
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- The beach at Koh Tachai
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- The shore of Virgin Island (Koh Tachai)
Koh Tachai Information
In the season, the island receives daily visitors on day trips and sometimes snorkeling or diving liveaboards. If you like to visit the island, grab a local fisherman on the coast of Phang Nga or ask a travel agent or hotel to arrange the trip for you.
More about Koh Tachai
If you like to read more about Koh Tachai, we suggest you take a look at the Medsye Travel & Tours website’s section on Koh Tachai along with their Facebook page. You can also check VisitKhaolak for some great images. And more beautiful Koh Tachai images from phuketmeedee1 on Flickr, which give a good impression of the island experience on what is perhaps Thailand’s most beautiful island.
Update on Koh Tachai – Island to be closed off from tourists
According to the Bangkok Post, the small island of Koh Tachai will be closed off for tourist visits from October 15th 2016. The closure is a result of overcrowding from the vast amount of daily visitors, who come to enjoy the beautiful island for a few hours. Koh Tachai has been a common item on travel itineraries from local and international travel agencies, but according to Thai authorities, the island can no longer endure the stress. Koh Tachai serves as an example of the modern tourism dilemma – that the very presence of tourists compromises the touristic value and core qualities of a tourism destination.
There is no news as to how long the small island will be closed off from guests, but according to Tunya Netithammakul from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plants Conservation, the island needs time to regenerate as part of a larger marine resource management plan. Two dive sites near Koh Tachai will still be open to divers.
What’s Next?
Koh Tachai is by no means the only Thai island which endures excessive stress from thousands of visitors. Indeed, a standard comment about Thai islands is that they are “overly touristy” and “not as they used to be”. The big question is, whether the closure of Koh Tachai will only be the first of many Thai island closures in an attempt to rejuvenate the islands’ natural beauty and resources.
[…] in Thailand’s Ranong Province was rated last year by specialist website beachmeter.com as Thailand’s most beautiful island. However, according to the Bangkok Post, the tourist-ravaged beaches of Koh Tachai will have to […]
It’s amazing how Thailand and Northern Africa and even Saudi Arabia almost, are on the same Parallel, basically, but yet one place is all desert and the other green and lush !
[…] are disappointed at the fact that we would not be able to visit Koh Tachai (it was voted as Thailand’s most beautiful beach after all!), we are comforted by the fact that the Thai government is proactively protecting its […]
[…] Tachai in Thailand’s Ranong Province was rated last year by specialist website beachmeter.com as Thailand’s most beautiful island. However, according to the Bangkok Post, the tourist-ravaged beaches of Koh Tachai will have to […]