Guest author John Borthwick discovers a tiny island that is surprisingly close to Bangkok.

Like any beautiful island, the small island of Ko Si Chang has its own story. Located just 120 km from Bangkok, it was a popular meeting place for the Siamese aristocracy in the late 19th century. Kings Rama IV, V, and VI often used it for long weekends. Incidentally, Ko Si Chang (also called Ko Sichang) should not be confused with Ko Chang, the much larger resort island further south in the Gulf of Thailand.

The royal family commissioned the construction of palaces and gardens, with Rama V – King Chulalongkorn – being the most prolific builder. Today, one can stroll through the beautifully restored terraced parks, ponds, and gardens that he had laid out around his (now demolished) Chudhadhuj Rajthan Palace.

In the 1890s, the French colonial rulers of the region were in an expansionist mood. They were tempted to add a few more islands in the Gulf to their Indochina collection, which already included Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. They occupied Koh Si Chang only briefly; after that, the Siamese court largely restricted their visits there.

The local version of Thailand's famous three-wheeled tuk-tuk is called a "Skylab" here, which sounds like a pile of motorized space junk—but they're not. They putter along the narrow concrete paths of Si Chang without a care in the world, not having to worry about cars or trucks, because there aren't any here, only Skylabs and motorbikes. My pilot drops me off at Chudhadhuj Rajthan, amidst the pavilions and paths where kings once strolled and where Thai romantics still linger. Nearby, overlooking the sea, is Mai Rim Talay ("Wooden House by the Sea"), a photogenic, green-and-white mini-palace that was probably a royal guesthouse.

“This used to be a fishing island,” my driver tells me. “But the Gulf is now overfished.” Like many of Si Chang’s 5,000 inhabitants, he now makes his living from tourism. The 25-square-kilometer island has numerous private accommodations. I’m staying at a hotel called—yes, you guessed it—“Somewhere,” Si Chang’s newest and most elegant small hotel. With its blue louvers and tiles, and its white, nautical architecture, it has just 20 rooms, a pool, a restaurant, and the island’s best Skylab—a custom-designed spaceship that you would never call junk.

Surprisingly, despite its proximity to Bangkok, the island has no cluster of ostentatious beach resorts. Si Chang has been saved from becoming a tourist wasteland by its lack of decent beaches. The only proper sandy beach (and not particularly glamorous by Thai standards) is the narrow stretch of Tham Pang on the west coast.

I rent a motorbike and continue exploring the rugged island. The sea is ever-present. Monitor lizards and free-roaming pigs wander across the road. The streets are clean and the houses are painted in vibrant colors. I ride up to the white temple with the Buddha footprint, perched on a ridge overlooking the sea. From here, there's a magnificent panoramic view of the islands and a fleet of cargo ships drifting between here and the mainland, 12 km away.

So what is there to do on Koh Si Chang? Cruise around on a Skylab or motorbike. (Everyone leaves their keys in the ignition – since there's nowhere to escape to, there are no motorbike thieves.) Go out for a meal or coffee in town, or enjoy a beer at sunset from the Chong Khao Khad viewpoint. Chat with the locals (there are very few foreigners). In short: on the tranquil Koh Si Chang, a lively and bustling Thai island, there are no major, must-do experiences or shopping sprees.

Weekend visitors from Bangkok briefly swell the island's population, but on Mondays this fragrant island belongs to you again. Tamarind trees instead of flashy bars, a 7-Eleven, a bank, and a fleet of Skylabs. What more could you want?

Information: Koh Si Chang can be reached by ferry from Sriracha, Chonburi, 100 km southeast of Bangkok. The crossing takes approximately 45 minutes, costs 50 baht, and the ferry runs hourly. See www.kohsichang.net. Text and photos © John Borthwick 2020