Ko Chang

Ko Chang (Thai: เกาะช้าง) is the second largest island of Thailand, located on the Thai east coast 310 km away from Bangkok near the border to Cambodia in the Gulf of Thailand. The name means Elephant Island. It is a mountainous island with several waterfalls and rainforest. The island is part of the Mu Ko Chang Marine National Park. During World War II, Ko Chang was the scene of a naval battle between the Royal Thai Navy and a Vichy France squadron, in which the Thais were decisively beaten.

Until the mid-1980s the infrastructure on the island was undeveloped, but tourism has increased significantly since then. The island now receives 655,000 visitors annually, about two thirds of them Thai. There are also beautiful resorts now popping up all over the island.

Geography
The island is about 30 km long and almost 14 km wide, totaling 217 km². The national marine park covers of 650 km² of which 70 % is offshore. The interior of the island is mountainous, covered by tropical rain forest. The highest elevation measuring 743m is Khao Salak Phet. There are plenty of sandy beaches on the island, dotted with hotels and resorts.
The west coast settlements of Hat Sai Khao, Hat Kai Mook and Hat Ta Nam attract most of the tourists. The village of Laem Bang Bao on the south coast is also a favored destination. There is a single road linking the west coast. The remaining roads on the west coast have a high gradient, while the topography of the east coast prohibits roads. Most buildings are wooden stilt houses. The island is mostly reached by a ferry departing from Laem Ngop near Trat.

Administration
The island forms a district (Amphoe) in the province of Trat. It was formed on April 30 1994, when it was split off from Laem Ngop district, at first being a minor district (King Amphoe)[1].
Following a decision of the Thai government on May 15 2007, all of the 81 minor districts were to be upgraded to full districts[2]. With the publishing in the Royal Gazette on August 24 the upgrade became official [3].
The district is subdivided into two subdistricts (tambon), which are further subdivided into 9 villages (muban). There are no municipal (thesaban) areas, and 2 Tambon administrative organizations (TAO).

National park
Main article: Mu Ko Chang Marine National Park
In 1982 the island together with 50 surrounding small islands was protected as the Mu Ko Chang Marine National Park. About 85% of the island is part of the national park, mostly the rain forest in the interior of the island. Nearby coral reefs are also contained within the National Park. Notable animals in the park include the stump-tailed Macaque, the small Indian Civet, the Javan Mongoose, and 61 resident bird species. The Koh Chang Wart Frog (Limnonectes kohchangae) was originally thought to be an endemic species, but has now been found on the mainland as well.

External links
amphoe.com
Mu Ko Chang National Park
Koh Chang travel guide from Wikitravel
Koh Chang info Koh Chang information by Local resident and National Park Ranger.
The Guide Online A comprehensive Online Guide to Koh Chang, Trat and the Eastern Islands of Thailand.
IamKohChang.com The independent traveller's guide to Koh Chang from an expat resident.