Ko Klang

Koh Klang Island (Thai: เกาะกลาง) tambol Klong Prasong (small district), Muang (big district), Krabi provinceThailand.

Localisation

Koh Klang is on the west coast of southern Thailand, at the mouth of Krabi River into the Andaman Sea. It is the closest island of Krabi town, just on the right side of the Krabi River. The island is connected only by long tail boats from two piers: Chaofa Pier (centre of Krabi town) and Tara Pier (South of Krabi town). Both journeys take less than 10 minutes to cross.

The size of the island is 26 square kilometers (16,250 Rai). The island is cut into 4 areas, with one village and one mosque mosque in each:

• Moo 1: Ban Koh Klang
• Moo 2 : Ban Klong Prasong
• Moo 3: Ban Klongkam
• Moo 4: Ban Bang Kanun

(*Moo = Group; Ban = Village)

Transport

Cars are not used on the island, the locals use only motorbike, bicycle ortuk-tuk.

Community

The population of the island currently stands at around 4,700 people, (2010) which are comprised by 915 families. 70% of the populations are original people of the island and 30% originate from Krabi and other districts of Thailand. The inhabitants on the island are 98% Muslim and 2% Buddhist. As a result, most of the populations follow the Islamic way of life. The call to prayer can be heard all over the Island from each of the Mosques, all of which serve for worship and gatherings. Community is very important on the island and the people often come together to celebrate special events. The arrival of a newborn, a local wedding and the very important Ramadan are all such events that are collectively celebrated.

The lifestyle of these people is very peaceful, they chat on the street, go to have coffee in their neighborhood or meet their friends in the Sunday market. People are very friendly and they welcome every “farang” (foreigner) with a “Hello” and a smile. Economy The sea is the primary resource of the island. Many of the people are boatmen and transport local people to and from Krabi town, or transport tourists to the surrounding islands. A large majority also fish in the river or in Andaman sea. Prawn, fish and crab are primarily caught in the local waters. Fish farms are also ran on the island in order to store, breed and sell the fish. Other occupations also include restaurant owners, shop keepers and farmers. Handicraft is also located on the island, one such example is that of Batik. This is a local technique from the South of Asia, where colourful textiles are created through paint, wax and prints. Some men are also specialised in the construction of miniature long tail boats, most of which are sold to tourist as souvenirs.

Environment

The preserved environment of Koh Klang is extremely varied, from extensive mangrove forests to rice fields. Surrounding the island the visitor can also find mysterious caves, picture-perfect beaches and Krabi's famous limestone mountains.

The mangrove forest represents 80 % of the island and are situated on the North and East coast of the island. The flora is very rich on this area, with plenty of mangrove trees such as Rhizophora mucronata, the Mangrove Date Palm Phoenix paludosa and plants such as Lumnitzera. The fauna is also diversified with animals, including the long-tailed macaque, the Oriental Small-clawed otter and several snake species. Many species of birds, can also be spotted along the coastline such as the endangered Chinese egret, egretta eulophotes. The differents birds such as the Grey Heron, the Masked Finefoot, the Spotted Greenshank, the Roseate Tern, the Sea Eagle, the Kingfisher and the Stork are also host by the coastline. Crabs and shell-dwelling molluscs also share the beaches, and can been seen moving about the sand at low tide. On the water the number of fish sadly decreases year after year because of the pollution and the over-exploitation of this natural resource. Despite this, there are still many fish species such as the Milkfish, the Barramundi and the Indo-Pacific Tarpon.

The island itself is flat and has many canals. It is an ideal place for rice fields, which play a very important role for the village and its economy. Coconut trees are of abundance and animal farming with both fish and ducks are numerous as well. Water buffalos and goats are also seen grazing all year round.

Climate

The tropical climate of Thailand has only two seasons: the dry season from November to May and the rainy season from June to October. The average temperate is 28 degrees Celsius, though temperatures can rise up to 34-37 degrees during the hot season.

Tourism

Koh Klang is a quiet place in the Krabi province, with very few tourists. Local people are interested to develop eco-tourism on the island with the help of the local government. They provide local activities such as Batik, visiting fish farms, taking a trip in the mangroves with a long tail boat, catching prawns and exploring caves. The island is rich with wildlife, and tourist can bird watch in one of the two bird huts located off the beach. These birds’ huts also provide amazing views of the islands that surround Ko Klang, such as Chicken Island and Ko Jum.

Tourists can spend the night in one of the many home-stays on the island, all of whom aim to integrate their guests with the local community.

A polite end note: because the island is primarily Muslim, tourists and guests are asked to respect the people and their culture. Please refrain from drinking at all times and modest dress is considered polite (long trousers and skirts, covered shoulders).