Originally the Island of Koh Chang was owned by only seven families who where bequeathed the land by the King. Today the island is still owned by a relatively few people and so land available for development is still scarce and much sought after.
Koh Chang is the second largest island in Thailand after Phuket with the added advantage of being only 385km to the west of Bangkok. Originally a popular weekend destination for Bangkok workers wanting to relax on the beach after a weeks toil and backpackers looking for an unspoilt destination off the beaten track.
Now the island while retaining it's natural beauty and charm can boast of being a favoured destination for international tourists worldwide with the Thai Tourist board confident and committed to increasing the number of visitors every year.
Offering accommodation that ranges from luxury five star hotels to backpackers bamboo huts, beautiful tropical beaches, world class diving and numerous adventure activities there is plenty to attract new visitors to the island over the coming years and it's easy to understand this confidence.
Growth on the island has been significant especially since the tsunami in the south in 2004 which saw visitor numbers to the island almost double and the development of the islands accommodation and facilities to meet present and expected demand is still continuing with the scarcity of available land being the determining factor.
Despite the present worldwide economic downturn the 2008 tourist season has seen a small but significant growth in visitors to the island with the only noticeable difference reported being that they appear to be spending slightly less than previous years. We forecast that there may be a drop in numbers over the next two years before growth starts to increase again. This we believe will open up more opportunities for investment on the island both with more land becoming available and businesses possibly becoming available as going concerns. Despite this we expect land values to remain constant due to the limited availability and the fact it is still considerably cheaper than investing in the south of Thailand.
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