Coming soon: Every island in Thailand.
New name. New day. Welcome back to the islands.
Important note: If you signed up for a paid subscription in the past and you do not want to restart your monthly subscription, or you would like a refund on an annual subscription, please contact me any time.
The sky is blue and a cool breeze has been blowing over the Chao Phraya River since I returned to Bangkok last week. Foreign travelers are finally trickling in for a high season that, for the first time in years, has a sense of hope. It is wonderful to be back. After a long hiatus in the US, I am excited beyond explanation to re-start sharing Thailand’s myriad islands and shorelines with you.
But wait, ‘Thai Island Times’ is now called ‘Thai Island Quest’?
Yes, and now that it’s Thai Island Quest, don’t expect the same exact newsletter that I produced in 2020-21. The new name reflects a shift in coverage, away from the newsy stuff (no Covid reports!) so that I can focus more intently (i.e. relentlessly) on sharing all of the fabulous islands and coastal areas with you.
That’s right, all of them.
When I launched this newsletter during the first big Covid crackdown here in Bangkok in April 2020, I promised to eventually share each and every island in Thailand. Soon, it will be time for me to fulfill that promise, initially via a seven-post series that will, in its entirety, include a mention and brief description of every saltwater island that I’m aware of in the kingdom.
How many exactly? Wait and see. ;)
Once all seven of the posts are complete, I will combine them into one comprehensive Thai Island Directory. The first two segments will be free, but only paying subscribers will get to peel the whole pomelo and access what will be the first and, as far as I know, the only truly comprehensive directory of Thailand’s islands. Bonus: It will include a slew of mainland beach areas as well.
In addition to the Thai Island Directory, I’ll be regularly publishing feature-length articles as well as “nutshell” posts spotlighting specific islands / coastal areas; and occasional reviews of businesses and charities that I think deserve attention. I will also run one “Island Wrap” per month, but, unlike the extremely comprehensive news wraps that I proffered in the past, these will be lower key.
December 21st is the official relaunch day. After that, the complete Thai Island Directory and all Thai Island Quest coverage of the more obscure islands and beaches will be reserved for paying subscribers (minimum of four monthly posts will be for paying subs only). Free subscribers will get some coverage of mid- to high-level popularity areas, occasional shorter posts, and at least one feature-length piece per quarter. I might throw in a bit of travel journal / reflection stuff as well.
Having just returned from saving cash during long months of driving work in the US, I will be, as always, strictly paying my own way on this quest. If you enjoy the coverage and want to be a part of this extraordinarily deep dive into Thai islands and beaches while supporting bootstrapping independent travel media, please do consider becoming (or remaining) a subscriber for only $5 USD / month.
To do that, though, you will need to wait until the official relaunch on December 21st. Gift subscriptions will be available then, too, just in time to give your favorite travel nerd the gift of virtually every Thai island in a single document. The complete Thai Island Directory will become available incrementally — one chapter per week — between December 21st of this year and February 8th of next.
If you haven’t already, please sign up for free to get islands in your inbox!
Also, don’t forget to check out all of the island and shoreline coverage that I published during the emergency phase of the pandemic.
Important note: If you signed up for a paid subscription in the past and you do not want to restart your monthly subscription, or you would like a refund on an annual subscription, please contact me any time.
Otherwise, thank you for being a part of Thai Island Quest.
Cheers,
David Luekens
i've only been to 3 Thai islands, each in the Andaman Sea: Phuket, to me largely overcrowded and somewhat seedy- Koh Phi Phi, beautiful, but the main area is horribly overbuilt- and my beloved Koh Lanta, where i lived for 8 1/2 years... i look forward to what you have to say about them, as well as finding out about the nuances and adventures (or not) that await on the many more islands i've not yet visited (i will return to live in Thailand within a few years, to Koh Lanta, of course, once my money issues are completely sorted out)