Located 315km southeast of Bangkok, the resort island of Koh Chang in Trat is a five-hour drive from the capital city and a 30-minute ferry ride from the mainland. Technically, travelling to any destination increases carbon emissions. Koh Chang is a long-time popular tourist destination, meaning it has long been exploited as well.
Fortunately, the Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (Dasta) and the Institute for Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Ismed) have been working to change Koh Chang and its vicinity from a general tourist site to a low-carbon destination. Both Dasta and Ismed helped transfer knowledge about sustainable tourism, initiate green projects and build brand awareness.
After four years of successful implementation on Koh Mak, which is part of the Koh Chang cluster of islands, this low-carbon destination project is taking shape seriously on Koh Chang. It started up with the east side of the island which has no beaches, pubs and beachfront bars but 650 rai of mangrove forest, fishing villages and a few resorts. Last month, more than 50 local entrepreneurs and local leaders, mostly those from the east side, gathered to brainstorm.