T.I.C.D.: Mu Ko Chumphon
The primary island chain of Chumphon province, condensed.
Welcome back to the Thai Island & Coastal Directory, a book-in-progress that promises to be the most complete guide to coastal Thailand ever written in English, covering over 1,000 islands and all 24 coastal provinces. An upgrade gets you the T.I.C.D. and many other in-depth articles from Thai Island Quest.
T.I.C.D. ticker: So far, we’ve covered 997 islands and 300 notable coastal areas in 55 sections of the Thai Island & Coastal Directory.
To view all previously published sections, see the welcome page or the working Table of Contents, or click T.I.C.D. from the homepage menu.
Entering Chumphon province…
This beautiful province in the N part of the Mid Southern Gulf has at least 53 islands. Apart from a couple of campgrounds on islands in Mu Ko Chumphon MP and some homestays on Ko Phitak, Chumphon’s islands have no lodgings whatsoever. This, not a lack of natural allure, explains why they get little attention compared to Mu Ko Ang Thong and Mu Ko Samui down in Surat Thani province.
This section covers all but two of the islands overseen by Mu Ko Chumphon NP. (Ko Kham near Ko Phitak and Ko Sup off Laem Sawi are also part of the NP but covered along with those areas in later sections that also include the non-NP islands of Mu Ko Wiang and Ko Mattaphon.)
Mu Ko Chumphon
These 40 islands appear more like a loose scattering than a cohesive archipelago. Along with their spread-out geography, defining characteristics include small but brilliant beaches, reefs, karst cliffs dotted with picturesque shacks used for edible birds nests harvesting, and very few tourists.
Established in 1989 under the name ‘Hat Sai Ri,’ the park was renamed Mu Ko Chumphon to spotlight the islands before the turn of the millennium. Park HQ is on the mainland at Ao Thung Kha Noi, one of a few coastal areas in the park. In addition to the birds nest harvesters who camp on many of the karst isles, farmers have generational land claims to grow coconut trees and live in humble houses on Ko Samet. No privately run resorts or larger-scale development exists, but you will find a chedi topping the remote islet of Ko Rang Ban That.
Private longtail boats and at least one tour outfit can take travelers to islands like Ko Lang Ka Jiao and Ko Thalu for snorkeling in the aquamarine water. With dive sites including Ko Kai, Ko Lawa and Ko Ngam, which hosts a wreck dive in addition to sizable reefs, Mu Ko Chumphon is a terrific scuba alternative to nearby Ko Tao.