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A brief history...
Getting Here | Beaches and Locations | Map
 Directly translated Koh Tao means Turtle Island. The name comes from the abundant number of Green Sea Turtles that used to crawl unto Koh Tao's shores to lay their eggs. Today with the arrival of a large number of resident inhabitants and travelers on the island, this sight does not occur anymore. Turtles, however, are still spotted often while diving and snorkelling.
Initially Koh Tao was not inhabited, merely a safe heaven for fisher men from Koh Phangan and Koh Samui, to seek refuge in storms and bad weather. As the story goes, the island was visited in 1899 by his Majesty The King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) and even today the place he carved his initials, are still revered by local Thais. This stone has just recently been turned into a shrine and is found on Sairee Beach.
Originally Koh Tao was used as a political penal colony for dissidents of the government that ruled from 1933 to 1947. With their departure in 1947, upon a royal pardon, inhabitants of Koh Phangan quickly arrived to settle the fertile island and to seek a new destiny growing coconuts, mango fruit and cashew nuts.
Koh Tao was first discovered by travelers seeking adventure in the eighties and rumours of a special island with beautiful scenery, friendly locals and an astoundingly rich underwater world quickly spread through the backpacker grapevine. Approximately 10 years ago the boom happened and that is where we are now...
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