Ko Lan ( th, เกาะล้าน, ) is one of the
eastern seaboard islands of
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
. Ko Lan lies 7.5 km from the nearest shore,
Pattaya
Pattaya ( th, พัทยา, , ) is a city in Thailand. It is on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand, about southeast of Bangkok, within, but not part of, Bang Lamung district in the province of Chonburi. Pattaya City ( th, เมือ ...
. "Ko Lan" is the name of the island in the
Royal Thai General System of Transcription. It is also known as "Koh Larn" and "Ko Laan".
Geography
About four kilometres long and two kilometres wide occupying 3,411
rai
RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana (; commercially styled as Rai since 2000; known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane) is the national public broadcasting company of Italy, owned by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. RAI operates many ter ...
,
Ko Lan is the largest of the "near islands" off south
Pattaya
Pattaya ( th, พัทยา, , ) is a city in Thailand. It is on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand, about southeast of Bangkok, within, but not part of, Bang Lamung district in the province of Chonburi. Pattaya City ( th, เมือ ...
, at the southeast end of the
Bay of Bangkok
The Bay of Bangkok ( th, อ่าวกรุงเทพ, , ), also known as the Bight of Bangkok, is the northernmost part of the Gulf of Thailand, roughly extending from Hua Hin District to the west and Sattahip District to the east. Three o ...
, and on the east side of the
Gulf of Siam
The Gulf of Thailand, also known as the Gulf of Siam, is a shallow inlet in the southwestern South China Sea, bounded between the southwestern shores of the Indochinese Peninsula and the northern half of the Malay Peninsula. It is around in le ...
. Administratively Ko Lan belongs to the
Amphoe Bang Lamung,
Chonburi Province
Chonburi (, , ) is a province of Thailand (''changwat'') located in eastern Thailand. Its capital is also named Chonburi. Neighbouring provinces are (clockwise from north) Chachoengsao, Chanthaburi, and Rayong, while the Bay of Bangkok is to th ...
.
It is an island of hills covered with low tropical forest. A Buddhist shrine is located at its highest point, 180 metres above sea level. The island has two small villages, Ban Ko Lan and Ban Krok Makhan, where there are lodgings and restaurants. Ferries connect Ko Lan to the mainland.
Most of Ko Lan's eight beaches are on its west side. Most visited is Tawaen Beach, where there is a small harbor. The beach is lined with small tourist shops and restaurants. Other beaches are Tonglang Beach, Tien Beach, Samae Beach, and Naon Beach.
Ko Lan has 1,567 hotel and resort rooms and two wharves.
The "Koh Larn Classic" is a sailing and running race event held at the nearby
Royal Varuna Yacht Club
The Royal Varuna Yacht Club (RVYC) ( th, สมาคมสโมสรราชวรุณในพระบรมราชูปถัมภ์) is a yacht club near Pattaya, a popular tourist destination in Thailand. This club is named aft ...
in Pattaya.
Adjacent islands
Two smaller islands are near Ko Lan:
*Ko Sak (เกาะสาก), a narrow "c"-shaped island with a small bay open towards the north. It is 0.6 km off Ko Lan's northern tip. Its highest point is 33 m. It has a horseshoe-shaped beach in the north. Accommodation is available.
*Ko Krok (เกาะครก), a
private island less than two kilometres to the east of Ko Lan's northeast shore. Its highest point is 41 m.
Ko Phai, the main island of Mu Ko Phai (หมู่เกาะไผ่), the group of "far islands", off Pattaya is about 14 km to the west of Ko Lan.
Impact of mass tourism
During low season, Ko Lan attracts about 3,000 visitors a day. In high season, as many as 20,000 people daily visit. They generate about two million baht in daily income. Its maximum daily visitor capacity is 6,410.
In addition, there are up to 8,000 permanent residents and workers on the island. Visitors and island residents generate about 50 tonnes of
solid waste
Municipal solid waste (MSW), commonly known as trash or garbage in the United States and rubbish in Britain, is a waste type consisting of everyday items that are discarded by the public. "Garbage" can also refer specifically to food waste, ...
per day, mostly waste from food and
plastic container
Plastic containers are containers made exclusively or partially of plastic. Plastic containers are ubiquitous either as single-use or reuseable/durable plastic cups, plastic bottles, plastic bags, foam food containers, Tupperware, plastic tub ...
s, foam and glass bottles, but Pattaya City authorities are only able to remove 20–25 tonnes per day.
Pattaya City has no landfill of its own. It transports all of its waste and that of Ko Lan to a site in neighbouring
Saraburi
Saraburi City (''thesaban mueang'') is the provincial capital of Saraburi Province in central Thailand. In 2020, it had a population of 60,809 people, and covers the complete ''tambon'' Pak Phriao of the Mueang Saraburi district.
Location
Sa ...
. The remaining daily 10 tonnes of refuse on Ko Lan is building up at a 12 rai sized dump site in the island's centre. There are over 50,000 tonnes of accumulated rubbish on the island.
Plans existed to build a
garbage recycling and separation plant by 2016.
It has not happened.
See also
*
List of islands of Thailand
References
External links
*{{Wikivoyage-inline, Ko Laan
Planet Plastic: Thai citizens suffer from plastic addiction and poor waste management (Video)The Koh Larn website
Islands of Thailand
Geography of Chonburi province
Pattaya
Islands of the Gulf of Thailand