Whether you recently signed up or have been following Thai Island Times since the start, I’m honored that you’re here reading the only publication dedicated to all islands and coastal areas of Thailand. Thank you very much!
What a 12 months it’s been, starting when I mustered the gumption to launch this thing during a ‘lockdown’ in late April 2020. Over the six months when Thailand was almost free of Covid-19, I watched from afar as it sadly spread around much of the world. I still wonder when inbound tourists will return, and when I might be able to see family and friends outside of Thailand. My heart goes out to those who have been lost, be it due to the virus itself or the circumstances it created.
Surrounded by economic devastation, including among loved ones, I’ve fought to hang on and keep my head above water. Many of you can say the same, I’m sure.
Now that Thailand is battling its worst Covid-19 outbreak yet, I’m more resolved than ever to keep you updated on the whole situation. I’m also dedicated to sharing lighter stories — from beach walks to historical events — as respites from the pandemic stress. And, of course, I’ll keep tracking environmental issues while pondering how tourism in the islands could become more sustainable in the future.
To acknowledge the first year of Thai Island Times, I’ve selected 10 out of the 71 articles published here over the past 12 months that seem to have made an impact on readers. Click on any headline to view the full articles. In the comments, feel free to offer your constructive criticism, suggestions, encouragement or anything at all that you’d like to say about this newsletter. Your feedback is always appreciated.
As a head’s up, I will start offering paid subscriptions in the not-so-distant future. Some parts of the newsletter will remain free for all, while others will be only for paid subscribers. I’m planning some additional services and perks, and I’ll reveal more details on all of this soon enough. For now, I hope you’ve found value in 12 months worth of free content, as well as what’s to come down the road.
Stranded in Paradise
Journey back one year in time to Island Wrap #1, published during Thailand’s Covid-19 ‘lockdown’ on May 1st, 2020. With provincial borders closed and islands sealed, it was a time that I’ll never forget. The Island Wraps — there have been 37 so far — evolved quite a bit over subsequent months. I’ve learned so much from producing them, and I hope you’ve learned a thing or two from reading them as well.
Recently I’ve been splitting the bi-weekly Island Wrap into two pieces: a travel and environment edition followed by a detailed update on the Covid-19 situation as part of a health and tourism edition the next day. Looking ahead, I’ll keep updating you on pandemic-related issues while diving deeper into tourism management, coastal erosion, coral rehabilitation, sea turtle nesting and many other issues.
A zero-sum approach to Covid-19 could have a lasting impact on foreign tourism in Thailand
This is the most read Thai Island Times article to date, with more than 8,000 views since I published it in August last year. It covers Thailand’s largely successful response to the ‘first wave’ along with a pair of Covid-19 cases in Rayong that provoked a wave of panic in July. Parts of the article are dated now that Thailand has faced two more outbreaks, both of which have been much worse than the first one.
But I still see this article as an important contribution, partly because it spotlights actions that Thailand took to contain the virus back when many countries opened their floodgates to it. The piece ends with several questions — and most of them have yet to be answered nine months later. A big one: Will travelers from abroad be required to quarantine after arriving, even if they’ve been vaccinated?
What will it take for Thailand to reopen inbound tourism without quarantine?
Published only five weeks ago, this is the second most widely viewed Thai Island Times article so far. The popularity of it and similar pieces show that many readers are keen to know if, how and when they’ll be able to enter Thailand without quarantine. Potential pitfalls of the ‘Phuket Sandbox’ plan are dissected along with the country’s vaccination strategy and obstacles to reopening inbound tourism.
Of course, the push towards quarantine-free inbound tourism has been placed on the back burner since the new outbreak began in early April. Following a recent policy change, vaccinated travelers again need to quarantine for 14 days when entering Thailand, without exception. Know this: I’ll keep you updated on the big picture and the finer points as Thailand inches closer to a full reopening.
The many shapes and sizes of Thailand’s islands
Published last May, this was one of the earliest articles and it’s based on a key theme behind Thai Island Times: taking a broad view of all Thai islands and coastal areas as one cohesive research subject. While I went all out on the photos to show off how visually marvelous the Thai islands can be, the article also has details on geography, topography, human impact and more.
This piece was the first in a set of three filed under the Island Nerd category. The other two cover geographical terms / trivia and making sense of all the Thai islands (yes, all 827 of them, by my latest count). In the future, expect more depth in this direction as I work on a related large-scale research project that will, if all goes as planned, accompany this newsletter eventually.
Ko Mook: The island that turned me into an island lover
The ‘Pearl Island’ of Trang province is a favorite of mine, and I explain exactly why in this article from August. Writing it brought back many fond memories, such as making new friends at Mong Bar and taking a moment to reflect on my late father when my mum joined me on Ko Mook in 2015. I’ll keep sharing occasional tidbits from my personal journey, such as this chat with the late Wally Sanger.
Other islands I’ve shared under the Island Daze banner include Ko Kradan, Ko Phayam, Ko Lipe, Ko Adang, Ko Tarutao and Ko Jum / Pu. I’ve got many, many more up my sleeve along with parts of the mainland coasts that I find worthwhile, such as Sam Roi Yot and Trat. I tend to devote two or more articles to each island or mainland area these days, the aim being to share as much as I can about each of them without overwhelming you with one exceedingly long article.
Ko Chik: A pair of obscure, charming islands near the Welu wetlands of Chanthaburi
This is perhaps the best example of stories that introduce you to Thailand’s truly obscure islands — and yes, there are more than most people realize. Although Chin and I weren’t able to travel too much over the past year, our December trip to Ko Chik included one of the most enjoyable days of travel I can remember. As the article shows, the day proved that unpopular islands can be the most fun of all.
With that in mind, I have a closely guarded list of little-known Thai islands that I plan to visit and share with you over the coming 12 months. In the meantime, see my articles on similarly offbeat Ko Phitak with its low-key fishing lifestyle, Ko Wiang with its hulking karst cliffs, and Ko Kradat with its herd of freely roaming deer. Oh, and who could forget the Sacred Pineapple of Ko Tako?
Ko Chang (Trat): Hiking the unfinished road to Wai Chaek Beach and beyond
My goal of eventually sharing all Thai islands with you means that I pay less attention to the large and popular ones (outside of Island Wraps anyway). This is fine, I reckon, given how these islands are well covered individually by sites like iamKohChang, Phuket 101, KoLanta.net and Phanganist, as well as Travelfish. While I do cover popular islands, I seek unusual and unexpected angles to approach them from.
This December story about hiking for several miles along the most remote stretch of coastline on Ko Chang is exemplifies my approach to popular island coverage. Many travelers swear off hot spots like Ko Samui and Phuket after a bad experience during a short trip, but islands like these have plenty of subtle strengths that take more time to crack. I’ll be covering more of them accordingly.
How tourism and a national park pushed the indigenous people of Ko Lipe into a corner
I also plan to increasingly cover popular islands via deep research on consequential issues, as part of the Island Watch category, over the next 12 months. One existing example of this is an October article about the plight of the Urak Lawoi ‘sea people’ who have been marginalized between the powerful tourism and conservation interests that overtook the Butang archipelago in recent decades.
My hope is to write more of these types of articles for Thai Island Times and larger publications on a freelance basis. In case of the latter, I’ll point you to whatever I write in the same way that I share important, fun and interesting content from other writers in the bi-weekly Island Wraps. I also intend to share more local voices, such as those quoted in this May 2020 article on helping people in financial distress.
How a solar eclipse viewed from a beach in Prachuap changed Thailand forever
This story about how King Mongkut set Thailand on a path towards embracing modern science via his 1868 forecast of a total solar eclipse landed me an interview on The Bangkok Podcast — and that was a thrill! The article is based on events documented by historian Thongchai Winichakul in his book, Siam Mapped, one of the most interesting works of history that I’ve read in a while.
I reckon that my passion for history comes through in quite a few of the articles here on Thai Island Times. I think of history as one of several ‘magnifying glasses’ that help to reveal the deeper identities of Thai islands and coastal areas, and I’m always on the look out for nifty historical bites to share with you.
Kaeng Krachan: Jungle curry in a rainstorm
In this relatively recent article I shifted away from the usual formats and offered up something to reflect on. Filed under Island Eats, it’s not only a story about enjoying an intensely flavored gaeng pa in the mountains of Kaeng Krachan. It’s also a reflection on a singular experience of mine as well as a prompt designed to encourage you to reflect on the often-surprising travel memories that stick in the mind.
Expect more of these abstract, evocative pieces about travel over the next 12 months. I also have some funny stuff planned. While these types of stories will always be rooted in some area or aspect of coastal Thailand, I intend to push the envelope and see where the imagination leads. Like I said, Thai Island Times is always evolving. Thanks again for being a part of its past and, I sincerely hope, its future. 🌴
Thanks so much for your well written, informative and enjoyable newsletter! I can’t tell you how much you’ve helped keep me sane in this travel-restricted year.
How I wish we’d have had this and Travelfish when we first traveled in Southeast Asia in the 80’s.... But there are still new islands to see, new things to learn about Thailand, new adventures to have. Thanks again for all the hard work.
Thank you, Dave, for inviting us to journey with you. Each post has been a mini escape from the small rural town I live in. Keep writing, stay well, and I hope you get to come home to visit soon.