The mid-sized and quite mountainous island (it stretches over 168 sq km and 70% of its topography is mountainous jungle with the remainder beaches and coconut groves) is situated roughly a third of the way from Ko Samui to Ko Tao. The island’s original inhabitants are believed to have been either sea gypsies, or have come from Pattani or Nakhon Si Thammarat and once they settled the island, the main established industries became fishing and coconut cultivation.
Today, the coconut and fishing industries are still going, but they’ve been surpassed in monetary value by tourism and while the original inhabitants may have been predominantly Muslim, the present day population is mostly Buddhist. This is in part due to the massive influx of labour from elsewhere in Thailand, seeking work in the thriving tourist industry. More recently, Ko Pha Ngan has seen a considerable influx of labour from neighbouring Burma — to the point where the staffer taking your dinner order is far more likely to be from Mawlamyine or Hpa-an in Burma than the island’s capital, ... Travelfish members only (Full text is around 2,200 words.)
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