Koh Chang

Koh Chang became part of Mu Ko Chang National Park when the park was established in 1982; the park covers about 650 square kilometres of land and sea, including 52 islands, and around 85 percent of Koh Chang itself lies within it. This protection is why so much of the island remains forested, with wildlife such as macaques, barking deer, hornbills and monitor lizards.

The island's waters were the scene of the Battle of Ko Chang on 17 January 1941, during the Franco-Thai War, when a French naval squadron from Indochina attacked Thai warships anchored off the island and sank or badly damaged several of them. The battle is remembered each year in late January at a memorial at Laem Ngop on the mainland.

Fishing remains important to the island's older communities, particularly in Bang Bao and Salak Phet, where houses stand on stilts over the water and seafood restaurants serve the day's catch of crab, squid and fish. The island attracts long-stay visitors and families, and many small resorts and restaurants are family-run.