Khao Lak
Encyclopedia
Seaside resort
A seaside resort is a resort, or resort town, located on the coast. Where a beach is the primary focus for tourists, it may be called a beach resort.- Overview :...
located in the Takua Pa district
Amphoe Takua Pa
Takua Pa ) is a district in the province Phang Nga in the south of Thailand.-Geography:The district is located at the coast to the Andaman Sea. To the north of the district is the Si Phang-nga National Park...
in the Phang Nga province
Phang Nga Province
Phang Nga is one of the southern provinces of Thailand, on the shore to the Andaman Sea. Neighboring provinces are Ranong, Surat Thani and Krabi. To the south is the Phuket province, but without land boundary to Phang Nga....
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
and popular as a departure point for liveaboard scuba diving
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
trips to the Similan Islands
Similan Islands
The Similan Islands is a group of islands in the Andaman Sea off the coast of Phang Nga Province, southern Thailand. It is a national park which was established in 1982....
.
Located approximately 60 kilometers north of the island of Phuket
Phuket Province
Phuket , formerly known as Thalang and, in Western sources, Junk Ceylon , is one of the southern provinces of Thailand...
along Phetkasem Road, (Thai Route 4), one of four major highways in Thailand. Khao Lak is serviced regularly by bus and taxi services. Phuket International Airport
Phuket International Airport
Phuket International Airport is an airport serving the Phuket Province of Thailand. It is located in the north of Phuket Island, 32 kilometres from the centre of Phuket City. The airport plays a major role in Thailand's tourism industry, as Phuket Island is a popular resort destination...
(HKT) is situated 74 kilometers south on the island of Phuket. Though Thailand's economy is mostly export-dependent, Khao Lak remains mostly tourist-dependent, with surrounding agriculture and commercial fishing making up a small contribution to Thailand's overall economy.
What differentiates Khao Lak from neighboring tourist destination like Phuket, is its quiet up-scale secluded coastal resorts; lack of over-crowded masses; family-friendly nighttime environment and the provincial ordinances prohibiting structures to build beyond the height of a coconut palm (albeit, more or less), keeping Khao Lak pristine.
Beaches
Beach boundaries vary with local hearsay, official government documents and resort claims, but it can be agreed that Khao Lak beaches extend from south of Khao Lak mountain south of downtown proper (near the Merlin Resort) and extending north to Bang Niang Beach, just two kilometers north of downtown proper. All beaches are public.Economy
The local economy in the town is based on the tourist hotels, local shops and restaurants, and the diving trade. Most of the foreign tourists are EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an, many from Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The wider area produces some rubber and palm oil; there is also a small amount of subsistence agriculture
Subsistence agriculture
Subsistence agriculture is self-sufficiency farming in which the farmers focus on growing enough food to feed their families. The typical subsistence farm has a range of crops and animals needed by the family to eat and clothe themselves during the year. Planting decisions are made with an eye...
.
Following the tsunami of December 2004 (see below) the local economy was devastated as it was in nearly all coastal towns hit by the wave. It is estimated that 60 percent of the resorts were mid-construction, with nearly 4,000 rooms already available. Most coastal resorts were either heavily damaged or completely demolished, resulting in a great loss of life and a major setback to the local tourist economy. At the time of the tsunami, Khao Lak was Thailand's fastest growing tourist destination.
December 2009 has marked the fifth anniversary of the tsunami and Khao Lak's economy has nearly bounced back. Most of the coastal resorts have completed their reconstruction or repairs and the tourism has flourished. Seaside and inland resorts are indicating full bookings during high seasonal months of November to March. Local population not affected or reliant on tourism have all but returned to normal lives. Fisheries and rubber plantations are thriving at levels equal to pre-tsunami.
2004 earthquake and tsunamis
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
resulting from the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. Many people died including many foreign tourists. The final death toll was over 4000, with local unofficial estimates topping 10,000 due to the lack of accurate government censuses and the mere fact that the Burmese population were not documented or recognized as legal residents.
Most of the coastal landscape, i.e., beaches, resorts and vegetation, was destroyed by the tsunami. Some replanting programmes have been initiated and a great deal has been accomplished in the rejuvenation of surrounding foliage. Studies suggesting that coastal vegetation may have helped buffer the effects of the waves have ensured that replanting and maintenance of the coastal vegetation have become a priority in the reconstruction of the landscape.
Among the casualties were Bhumi Jensen
Bhumi Jensen
Bhumi Jensen , was a grandson of King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, after whom he was named. He was the son of the king's eldest daughter, Princess Ubol Ratana Rajakanya, and her American husband Peter Ladd Jensen. Bhumi Jensen, who was commonly known as Khun Poom, had autism...
, grandson of the King of Thailand, well-known Finnish musician and TV-host Aki Sirkesalo
Aki Sirkesalo
Finnish musician Aki Sirkesalo started his public career in 1984 as an announcer in the Finnish Broadcasting Company radio show Rockradio. In 1986 he formed a band called Giddyups, followed with a successful a cappella group Veeti and the Velvets...
and his family. Almost four years old at the time, a young girl was swept away at Khao Lak and remained the subject of a media-covered intensive search despite being formally identified in August 2005 as a victim.
A memorial to the tsunami victims was being planned there, but has been suspended due to questionable accounting practices.
Administration
The district Takua Pa is subdivided into 8 subdistricts (tambonTambon
Tambon is a local government unit in Thailand. Below district and province , they form the third administrative subdivision level. As of the 2009 there are 7255 tambon, not including the 169 khwaeng of Bangkok, which are set at the same administrative level, thus every district contains 8-10 tambon...
), which are further subdivided into 51 villages (muban
Muban
Muban is the lowest administrative subdivision of Thailand. Usually translated as village, they are the subdivision of tambon. As of 2008, there are 74944 administrative villages in Thailand. As of the 1990 census, the average village consisted of 144 households or 746 persons.A muban does not...
). Takua Pa itself has town (thesaban mueang) status and covers the complete tambon Takua Pa. There are 6 tambon administrative organizations TAO - tambon Takua Pa is administrated by the town council, and Tam Tua by a neighboring TAO. Khao Lak is a village within the Khuekkhak subdistrict.
|
 |