Day 2 - Thursday 19 November 2015

Koh Tao Pier……..The clock in my head seems to have been synchronized precisely with the alarm on my phone arriving at the same point in time at 5.30am. There’s no time to waste now I have to get everything ready and be away within the hour. I’m splitting my belongings to take some with me on the ferry. The rest stays in the car at the port. I’m just taking a shower when there is a crashing and banging outside. When it gets louder I go to investigate. OK it’s another thunderstorm and that could be awkward but by 6.30pm there just light rain. I’ve just 15 minutes to reach the pier. It’s 6 kms away but doesn’t prove a simple task. Katoon decides to drive and I will look out for signs but the problem is there is more than one pier in the area. I’m aware of this and we’re not helped by the fact that the only sign to a pier belongs to the company that runs the catamaran service to Koh Tao. Katoon thinks it is the same pier but she hasn’t studied the map. I have to get her to ask and turn back. The Songserm service is not far but has to be reached through the village of Pak Nam Chumphon. There at last is the pier. We’ve just 10 minutes to spare. The car of course will stay at the port during the Koh Tao visit. It’s just not needed; the island is just not that big.
7am Songserm service Chumphon to Koh Tao……..photo. As we board the boat, the pier seems deserted but climbing onto the boat it’s clear that most of the passengers are already aboard. A couple of things then become obvious. There are few Thai passengers; in fact they all seem to be foreigners. Why? The answer is the remote location. It seems to me that while foreigners can arrive from any direction, the vast majority would come overnight from Bangkok. In fact an overnight coach is parked on the jetty. Thais don’t normally travel like this. There’s no airport on Koh Tao. The island is a backpackers’ paradise. When the boat departs it’s probably only half full but it’s still raining if only lightly. The passenger boat makes its way out of the harbour, out passed the inner ring of islands and out into the open sea. The journey is logged in my head as four hours. As its pointless staring at charcoal skies, it’s time to go back to sleep. The seats are actually quite comfortable and I get two sessions in but during the second I’m awakened by a sudden change of engine noise. Yes the boat is throttling back and there is Koh Tao dead ahead, not a large island but quite hilly. I check the time and it’s only 10pm. That was quick. All but a couple of passengers are fully awake now. Best not get too relaxed!

Koh Tao first impressions……..Well my first thought, as I step onto the island for the first time, is the privilege of just being here. I had the chance on an earlier tour but perhaps then my budget didn’t allow it. What is clear is that I can’t say that this visit will reveal anything to some travelers that they don’t already know. Koh Tao has been in the news recently for the wrong reasons but its popularity among foreigners is well established. There are no high rise hotels on Koh Tao and those comfortable rooms I normally use are double the price here. What roads there are on the island are not really suitable for cars and trucks but these are used by locals as taxis and for moving heavier goods. Foreigners can use the taxis but they are expensive so renting a motorbike is more popular. I’m reluctant to do that at present as the roads are flooded in places.

Utopia Guesthouse……..As regards accommodation, I haven’t booked anything. I rarely do in Thailand now but Koh Tao is different and anything reasonable is snapped up quickly. However I overheard a guide talking to a client on the boat and he was explaining that it is still not high season and there was plenty of choice. Unfortunately as my guide book tells me there are two types of accommodation on the island; basic fan rooms or huts from 400 baht per night or air conditioned rooms with all usual services starting from 1,200 baht. Why there’s nothing in between I’m not sure. From the jetty I don’t want to wander too far and go to unnecessary expense. I check out a couple of fan rooms first. If I do without the air conditioning and a fridge I can make a big saving. A room with hot shower and internet connection is just 100 yards away. It’s still cloudy and not that hot to really need aircon. I consider whether to stay two or three nights on the islands but when I’m offered a better price for three nights my mind is made up. One thing is for sure there’s everything I need within walking distance. I soon wander out and take an early lunch.
Island Tour……..One thing Koh Tao has no shortage of and that’s travel agencies. There is one just on the corner. With accommodation fixed I can plan a little ahead. A full day island tour including lunch is 750 baht which the agent discounts to 700 baht. That’s quite reasonable. My budget is helped by my choice of accommodation. If the tours goes anything like as advertised this could be the highlight of this tour at least. That’s fixed but it starting to rain again. It’s time to disappear back to the room for a siesta. With the awkward period well and truly over I’m soon well asleep again.
Koh Tao second impression........At 4pm I have time to write up my blog and now the rain has stopped I can wander out again. Around Mae Haad Pier is where much of the activity on the island is found but continuing north you reach Sairee Beach. It’s a two kilometer walk from the pier and basically consists of a single street no more than 6 feet wide. It reminds me a lot of ‘walking street’ on Koh Lipe. The street is lined with restaurants, cafes, bars, travel agencies, guest houses, some shops and of course what Koh Tao is famous for, dive centres. Most businesses are multi-purpose. It’s obvious I would make it to Sairee Beach at some point but to walk here just for dinner is not my idea when there are plenty of options for that at Mae Haad. However I do get to walk along the beach. There’s not much of it at the moment; I guess its high tide. Separating the two beaches is a rocky outcrop. It’s around here that tragedy struck the island in September 2014 when two British backpackers were murdered. There’s little evidence of it now but if I remember it, how can it be erased from the memory of those involved? The location is in a quieter spot but hardly remote from the tourist strip. One thing I have noticed is that things go relatively quiet after 7pm as tourists retreat to their respective accommodation where they can party if they want. I can’t help feeling that this incident could have been avoided with common sense but sometimes people need to be reminded of that. OK that’s a distraction that nobody needs.

As I wander back to Mae Haad I contemplate the cost of living on the island. Practically everything has to be brought in. Even seafood is farmed these days. There is a 7Eleven at Mae Haad but we can start there with a markup of about 30% but more typically the cost of dining is at least 50% more than on the mainland. Strangely the junk food is the cheapest no doubt because of tourist demand. I’m about to turn in for an early night with no celebration. Next Page.