Recently, I returned to Samet Island (Koh Samed) for the first time in over 20 years. I would not have gone had it not been the site of a friend's wedding. Although officially a "national park," the island now looks no different than Phuket's clogged beaches. Payment of 200 baht (US$6) collected by "park rangers" is the only indication of Thai park interest.
Garbage dumps line the road, and bars, spas, shops and massage parlors jam the sidewalks, all vying for the tourist dollar. Resorts (what's in a name?) are a jumble of bungalows between the speakers blaring rock music. Indeed, I did could not locate a restaurant that did not consider that the sounds of rolling surf might be a soothing alternative. Loud tourists, mostly European, bared nearly all of their ample lipid-enhanced bodies; a painful sight to this wanderer's eyes.
Along the main road to the beach
As usual, a temple and its grounds offered solace as I sought respite from the ATVs, loud music and parade of cars along the main rutted dirt road (it has not been paved in the time since I was last there). I wandered among the greenery and sat for a few moments to let the peacefulness soothe me. It lasted nearly ten minutes before the amplified sound of the annual music festival invaded the atmosphere. I gave up and returned to the crowded beach. I realize that I am but one more contributor to the despoiling of what was once a beautiful hideaway. But no more. That was my last visit to Koh Samet.
3 comments:
I was in Kho Samet in 1989 and it was quiet and peaceful. I haven't been back since. Tourism has a high cost, but most of the cost is caused by the corrupt Thai officials who do nothing but exploit the poor citizenry.
The same thing is happening in Bali; it has been for years now. Between Westerners moving in to build villas in the middle of rice paddies and Indonesians from other islands flooding in to Bali in hopes of getting a job, they island's poor infrastructure is being pushed to the limits. The government has finally recognized this, but getting the construction of unneeded hotels and luxury villas stopped is a difficult task because of the huge amounts of money involved.
So then, what's the solution?
Good point! It depends on the government's attitude. If money is the only consideration, then it's a lost cause (such as the situation in Thailand). However, if protecting the environment is important, then there are ways to do it: high visitor fees, strict environmental guidelines that are enforced with hefty fines for polluters, restricted access (such as in Bhutan).
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