Interest in Koh Chang seems to have increased since the 2004 Tsunami that ravaged the tourist-heavy west coast. This has lead to small boom in business for hotels in Koh Chang.
The tourist industry has been alive and well in Thailand for decades. Koh Chang is no exception. Interest in this tropical paradise seems to have increased since the 2004 Tsunami that ravaged the tourist-heavy west coast. This has lead to small boom in business for hotels in Koh Chang.
Hotels in Koh Chang have existed for years. They once catered mainly to tourists from Thailand and other parts of Asia. Koh Chang today is largely a national park. After its park designation in 2000, new hotels began to spring up in anticipation of greater international tourism.
Hotels in Koh Chang got another small boost in 2005. Tourists were skittish about staying on Phuket, which, until that time, held a corner on the island tourism market in Thailand. Even though many of the hotels on Phuket recovered fairly quickly, tourism interest had already shifted to the more sheltered island of Koh Chang.
The tsunami had little effect on the shores and islands of the Gulf of Thailand. Hotels in Koh Chang suffered no damage and gladly welcomed displaced travelers who had formerly vacationed on Phuket.
Hotels on Koh Chang have been fairly busy ever since. While tourists have slowly returned to Phuket, Koh Chang seems to have sustained its newfound tourism interest. New hotels on Koh Chang have appeared and continue to be built to accommodate tourists. While a majority of its visitors still come from within Thailand, more foreign tourists are visiting than in previous decades.
Thanks to Koh Chang’s national park designation, the island has become an eco-tourist destination in addition to being a tropical paradise for other Asians. Hotels on Koh Chang attract both types of tourists in seeming equal numbers.
Hotel in Koh Chang range from small, economy rooms (which are more of a place to sleep than to vacation) to large, upscale, luxury hotel suites. Most of Koh Chang’s hotels are currently concentrated on the western shore of the island (with more being built every year.) It is here that travelers will find more of the island’s amenities, shops, services and night clubs. The busiest beaches are also on this side of Koh Chang.
A handful of hotels dot the east coast of Koh Chang. Less development has taken place here. Travelers who prefer a more authentic Thai cultural experience will find a calmer, more tranquil pace of life on the eastern shore.
It’s likely that interest in Koh Chang will continue to grow in the next two decades. This is good news for hotels on Koh Chang, who stand to benefit most from increased tourism.
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