Ko Phai (, ) is the largest island in Mu Ko Phai (หมู่เกาะไผ่), a small uninhabited archipelago on the
eastern seaboard of
Thailand
Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
. It is about 21 km to the west of
Pattaya
Pattaya is a city in Eastern Thailand, the second-largest city in Chonburi province and the List of municipalities in Thailand, eighth-largest city in Thailand. It is on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand, about southeast of Bangkok, and h ...
. It is also known as "Koh Pai". It is also mentioned as "Bamboo Island", the meaning of its name in
Thai, in tourist guides.
Geography
Ko Phai is almost four kilometres in length and its maximum width is about one and a half kilometres. It is a craggy wooded island and a great part of its coast is formed by rocky cliffs even if some sandy beaches are present in the northern and eastern sides. The whole island is high, but its highest point is only 150 m and there is not a single peak dominating the others. There is a lighthouse on the summit of the island.
This island is at the southeastern end of the
Bay of Bangkok
The Bay of Bangkok (, , , sometimes informally อ่าวตัว ก), 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 e ...
, on the east side of the
Gulf of Siam
The Gulf of Thailand (), historically known as the Gulf of Siam (), is a shallow inlet adjacent to the southwestern South China Sea, bounded between the southwestern shores of the Indochinese Peninsula and the northern half of the Malay Peninsula. ...
. Administratively Ko Phai belongs to the
Amphoe Bang Lamung,
Chonburi Province.
The closest land to the Ko Phai group is
Ko Lan, about 14 km to the east of Ko Phai's eastern shore. These islands can be reached in about two hours by boat from south Pattaya harbor. All these islands are a protected natural area under the supervision of the
Royal Thai Navy
The Royal Thai Navy (Abbreviation, Abrv: RTN, ทร.; , ) is the Navy, naval warfare force of Thailand. Established in 1906, it was modernised by the Admiral Prince Abhakara Kiartiwongse (1880–1923) who is known as the father of the Royal N ...
. Visitors must bring their own food and water. No overnight stays are permitted on Ko Phai.
Adjacent islands
Other islands of the group include:
* Ko Luam, or Ko Lueam, (เกาะเหลื่อม) is a high rocky island wooded at the top much like Ko Phai. Its highest point is 135 m. It is to the northwest of the main island. Ko Luam has a small
islet
An islet ( ) is generally a small island. Definitions vary, and are not precise, but some suggest that an islet is a very small, often unnamed, island with little or no vegetation to support human habitation. It may be made of rock, sand and/ ...
, Ko Luam Noi, off its east coast.
* Ko Man Wichai (เกาะมารวิชัย), two kilometres in length with a high point of 64 m
* Ko Klueng Badan (เกาะกลึงบาดาล), highest point 50 m
* Ko Hu Chang (เกาะหูช้าง) a small islet.
Scuba diving
One of the main attractions of the island group are some well-preserved
coral reefs
A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem characterized by reef-building corals. Reefs are formed of colonies of coral polyps held together by calcium carbonate. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, whose polyps cluster in groups.
...
. A
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
-vintage ship of the Royal Thai Navy, HTMS ''Khram'' (ex-USS LSM-469), was sunk 300 m to the east of Ko Phai in January 2003 in order to create an artificial submerged reef. The wreck is in an area suitable for scuba diving.
NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive - USS LSM-469
/ref>
See also
* List of islands of Thailand
References
{{reflist
Phai
Pattaya
Geography of Chonburi province
Islands of the Gulf of Thailand