KOH PHAYAM

Koh Phayam - literally translated as “Perseverance Island”-  is a gem in the middle of the Andaman Sea, located on Thailand’s West Coast in Ranong province. 

 

Koh Phayam is also one of the places our founder, Linda C., and other team members call home.

 

Linda partly grew up there and witnessed the dramatic changes over the years, making the population and her family adapt to each era.

 

Koh Phayam is isolated on several levels:

 

• island life - all trade in goods relies on maritime transport (2 hrs boat crossing)

• a recent water reservoir that serves the inhabitants randomly according to the distance and/or the altitude where they live (problems caused by low water pressure)

• there is no central power plant: everyone runs their own generator, individual houses as well as resorts

• no waste collection - most is burned on-site or dumped in the ocean

• no cars, only motorbikes and a few tractors for heavy-duty construction

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The positive aspect is that its remoteness has contributed to slowing down the exploitation of the island.

 

Koh Phayam was once home to thriving fish populations, a crystal clear ocean dotted with coral reefs and dense jungle and rare species such as Kalaos.

 

Years of overfishing and destructive methods such as dynamite fishing have collapsed the fish population and destroyed the reefs, forcing local fishermen to find alternative income.

 

The early cashew plantations, once scattered throughout the jungle, have been steadily replaced by destructive rubber and an unbridled tourism industry. 

 

This transition, which has been taking place gradually since the 1990s, is causing environmental degradation, deforestation, and power and water supply challenges as well as a high dependence on income from tourists.

 

The recent COVID crisis wiped out tourism revenues, plunging most of the population into precarious situations.

 

It is therefore urgent to act for the inhabitants, the fauna and the flora of Koh Phayam.