Backpackers' paradise pays for its popularity Tourism has changed island where student was killed
TMCnet - The World's Largest Communications and Technology Community
TMC Launches New Sites ::  NGC  |  4GWE  |  Green Tech  |  Satellite  |  IT |  ITEXPO  |  Healthcare  |  Smart Grid  |  M2M  |  Smart Products  |  AstriCon News  |  SATCON News
TMCnet CHANNELS
#1 VoIP Enabler: Risk-free, Quick & Easy Deployment
Advanced Carrier Services
Advanced IP Carrier
Answering Service
Appliance Deployment
ATCA
Auto Dialer
BPA (3rd Party Remote Call Monitoring)
Broadcast Modulator
Business Phone Systems
Business Process Automation
Business VoIP
Call Center
Call Center Certification
Call Center Digital Signage
Call Center Furniture
Call Center Hiring
Call Center Management
Call Center On Demand
Call Center Outsourcing
Call Center Scheduling
Call Center Software
Call Center Solutions
Call Center Training
Call Center Workforce Management
Call Monitoring
Call Recording
Communications Enabled Business Processes
Conference Call
Conferencing
Contact Center Headsets
Contact Center Software
CRM Cloud Computing
CRM Software
CRM Solutions
DID/DDI
Digital Signage
e911
E911 Hosted Solutions
Email Archiving
Email Server
Enterprise Fax over IP
Enterprise VoIP
Ethernet Extender
Fax
Fax Over IP
FoIP
HD Conference
Hosted Contact Center
Hosted Exchange
Hosted PBX
Integrated Communications
IP Fax
IP Multimedia
IP Phone Maker
IP Phone System
IP Phones
IVR
Lead Management Software
Master Agent
Mobile Management
Mobile Unified Communications
Mobile Video
NEBS
Network Installation
Open Source CRM
PBX PCI Adapter
Phone Systems
Portable Satellite Antenna
Predictive Dialer
Sales Software
SATCON
SIP
Speech Recognition and Text to Speech
Telecom Cost Management
Telecom Expense Management
Telecom Lifecycle Management
Telemarketing Software
Telepresence
Testing IP Services
Virtual Call Center
Virtual Office
Virtual PBX
Virtual Receptionist
Voice Broadcast
Voice Management
Voice Over IP
Voice Peering
Voicemail Replacement
VoIP Call Recording
VoIP Contact Center
VoIP Developer
VoIP Gateways
VoIP Monitoring
VoIPSwitch
Web Conferencing
Web Meeting
Wholesale VoIP
Wireless Expense Management
Wireless Management
Workforce Management
Workforce Optimization
Share
TMCnews
[January 03, 2006]

Backpackers' paradise pays for its popularity Tourism has changed island where student was killed

(The Daily Telegraph, Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)TWENTY years ago, the island where the British student Katharine Horton was found murdered was an unspoilt paradise visited by only a handful of intrepid travellers who stayed in cheap beach huts.



Getting to Samui involved an overnight train journey from Bangkok, then a slow ferry. Today, the island off the south-east coast of central Thailand has its own airport and is just an hour's flight from Bangkok.

It now rivals Phuket as one of the country's most popular tourist destinations, but it has come at a price. Although still beautiful, its main beach, Chaweng, has been spoilt by the trappings of western tourism: bars, nightclubs, souvenir shops and sprawling developments. Branches of Boots and McDonald's have recently opened.



Today, Koh Samui (the coconut island) attracts mostly budget travellers and gap-year students who stay for a month or two in simple beachside bungalows.

Miss Horton, 21, from Cardiff, and her friend were staying at the pounds 10-a-night New Hut bungalow resort on Lamai beach.

Samui's pull to the backpacking generation was fuelled by the publication in 1996 of Alex Garland's The Beach, set on the east coast of Thailand near Samui, and the subsequent film starring Leonardo Dicaprio.

But flights to the island, Thailand's third largest, also disgorge the wealthier traveller, thanks to some luxury hotels on its coastline.

The island still retains its charm despite the increasing tourism. Attractions include windsurfing and snorkelling - the coastal waters are rich in shoals of brightly coloured fish and coral formations.

The interior of the island consists of accessible tropical rainforest, offering visitors the chance to go on trekking tours and elephant safaris.

Among Samui's natural sights are two waterfalls, while on Koh Fan, linked to Samui by a causeway, is the Wat Hin Ngu temple.

On Samui itself, Wat Phra Yai (Big Buddha Temple) in the north has a 40ft statue of Buddha. Monks conduct meditation courses for foreigners at Wat Pang Ba.

Buffalo fighting is a famous spectator sport on the island

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
Discussions:
Be the first to post a comment on this page!
 
By  
TMCnet
+ Add to the Discussion
Bookmark mobile.TMCnet.com on your mobile phone now to stay on top of the latest tech news.
Featured White Papers
Featured White Paper RSS feed
10 reasons to switch to an IP PBX
Application Whitelisting: A new security paradigm
SCADA Systems Protection
view all white papers…
Top Stories
Today's TMCnet Top Stories and News Articles
Infonetics: Carrier Spending Decline Below 6 Percent in 2009
CableLabs' Reed: Fiber, Wireless Are Simpatico
Conferencing Feature: Outdoor Affinity Telecom offers Members Savings …
The M2M Week in Review
TMCnet VoIP Week in Review
more of today's top stories...
Related VoIP News
Latest IP Communitions and VoIP News
Riverbed Launches Cloud-Based Services for Enterprise and Government Markets
ShoreTel Secures 228th Spot in List of Fastest-Growing North American Companies
Ingenico, AviIT and OnAir Ink Alliance to Provide Secure, Online, In-Flight Payment Solutions
Infonetics: Carrier Spending Decline Below 6 Percent in 2009
Motorola Intros Frame-Based eNodeB

Today @ TMC
Upcoming Events
ITEXPO East 2010
 January 20-22, 2010
Miami Beach Convention Center
Miami, FL
4G Wireless Evolution Conference
 January 20-22, 2010
Miami Beach Convention Center
Miami, FL
view more…
Subscribe FREE to all of TMC's monthly magazines. Click here now.