Accessible by motorbike or an exhausting bike ride, the far southern beaches of Ko Samet usher in a soothing vibe to contrast the bustling north. (Island Daze #24)
There are still some parts of Samet I love. But I was chased away by security and then the manager when I tried to land my kayak on Ao Kiew a few years ago.
Thanks for sharing. That is ridiculous and illegal. Thai law says that all beaches, unless closed by the Navy, DNP or other govt agencies, are public land and no one owns them. Private property owners can seal off land entry to beaches, but not pretend like they own a beach if people get there by sea. Of course there are resorts like this one that illegally act like they own the beaches, and they usually have powerful owners who get local police to play along with their made-up rules. It's the same at a certain resort that hogs a whole beach between Ao Nang and Railay in Krabi. This kind of thing really bugs me.
I love Samet. I first visited in 1992 and remember when Ao Kiu had only bamboo huts with limited (if any) electricity and cold water only at 200 baht per night, which was outrageous! back then. I still visit on most trips to Thailand. Go mid week to avoid the crowds.
There are still some parts of Samet I love. But I was chased away by security and then the manager when I tried to land my kayak on Ao Kiew a few years ago.
Thanks for sharing. That is ridiculous and illegal. Thai law says that all beaches, unless closed by the Navy, DNP or other govt agencies, are public land and no one owns them. Private property owners can seal off land entry to beaches, but not pretend like they own a beach if people get there by sea. Of course there are resorts like this one that illegally act like they own the beaches, and they usually have powerful owners who get local police to play along with their made-up rules. It's the same at a certain resort that hogs a whole beach between Ao Nang and Railay in Krabi. This kind of thing really bugs me.
I tried my best to argue exactly this in my average Thai. I was pretty furious.
From the Monks who just want to have fun to the ants in the pants to the incredible beaches, this was a great read!
I love Samet. I first visited in 1992 and remember when Ao Kiu had only bamboo huts with limited (if any) electricity and cold water only at 200 baht per night, which was outrageous! back then. I still visit on most trips to Thailand. Go mid week to avoid the crowds.