Fifty shades of southern grey

There are about 20 of us waiting under the shelter to board the ferry to Koh Kho Khao – a small island off Phang Nga province – and we are all watching as local commuters make their way across the channel between the mainland and the island. I’m tempted to applaud the dexterity of one young man, who negotiates his moped along a narrow plank of wood into a parking space on the small passenger longtail boat. Two schoolchildren dash into the shelter as a sudden downpour soaks the pier. There is no thunder, but the sky is completely saturated with dark grey clouds.

Nestled along the coast of the Andaman Sea in Thailand’s South, Phang Nga is famous for its world-class scuba diving sites and long and quiet strips of beach. Today, though, it’s quiet, the rain presumably keeping most visitors indoors.

Yet this southern province has a lot more than sea, sun and sand to offer and the monsoon season is the perfect time to discover its many riches and legends as well as its wonderfully spicy food. 

“It takes about five minutes to cross to the island,” a member of the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Phang Nga office announces as we finally board the ferry.

Koh Kho Khao, which stretches about 18 kilometres north to south, is home to some 900 souls. Once a stopover for settlers and traders in ancient beads, it also served as a trading post in the 1400s when Arab and Indian traders scoured the West coast of the Isthmus of Kra connecting continental Asia and Malay Peninsula looking for eaglewood, ivory, sappanwood and tin.

“Archaeologists found beads, Persian glass and earthenware made during China’s Tang Dynasty period,” says our local guide, Rungsuriya, as he shows us around the Ban Thung Teuk historical site on Koh Kho Khao.

To me, the site looks like little more than muddy earth and leaves but I nonetheless keep my eyes peeled for some, possibly valuable, beads. But there’s nothing save a few tiny pieces of crumbling earthenware.

The small exhibition centre is in an even worse state though there are still a few photos showing a Ganesha carving, a Buddha image and a Chinese earthenware doll made more than a millennium ago.

“Many artefacts from Ban Thung Tuek historical site are on exhibition at Thalang National Museum in Phuket,” Rungsuriya quickly explains.

Like the traders 500 years before, the Japanese too made use of Koh Kho Khao during World War II, establishing an airstrip and runway on the island though in the end it was never used – at least neither by man nor plane. Today, the airfield is fully occupied by large herds of water buffaloes.

“In 2004 the tsunami swept through the island and left a layer of soil on the airfield. A meadow sprung up and now the Japanese-made airstrip is a buffalo heaven,” adds the local guide, as he drives us past the grass-carpeted field. “In fact, Koh Kho Khao is probably the best place in the country to see free-range buffaloes.”

During the high season, from November to February, the water buffaloes gaze on backpackers as they cycle and stroll around the small island. Most of the young visitors are seeking respite from the tourist-packed Khao Lak Beach and laying down their towels on the peaceful sand of the island’s west coast. Cycling is the best way to explore Koh Kho Khao as its small paths criss-cross fields of wild flowers and water lilies.

On the way back to the ferry, we check out the country’s smallest water lily. Once again, the rain has conquered nature and the lilies are not in bloom. Its neighbouring pitcher plants are flourishing though, as are several wild flowers opening their petals to the rain.

Our visit to the island ends with a meal at a beach-side restaurant in Bangsak and the grey clouds and rain are all but forgotten as we feast on bowl of kaeng som (sour and spicy fish curry), nam phrik (chilli paste with cooked shrimp) and many other Southern specialities.

 

IF YOU GO

 

Khon Tong Su on Bangsak Beach offers a wide range of seafood and spicy Southern specialities including kaeng som, tom yum soup and boiled crab with spicy seafood dip.

We booked into The Haven Khao Lak for two nights. This luxury beachside resort has spacious rooms and long lagoon-like swimming pool. Visit www.TheHavenKhaoLak.com.