Ko Taen
Ko Taen (, ) is an island, approximately 15 kilometers off the mainland and five kilometers south of Ko Samui in the Gulf of Thailand. It is part of the Samui archipelago (Mu Ko Samui, ), which includes about 60 other islands. Just northwest of Ko Taen is the Mu Ko Ang Thong National Park. Population Ko Taen is inhabited by about 20-30 people. Because of comings and goings of tourists, the population fluctuates constantly. In the 1960s there were about 500 persons living on the island. Because of higher wages on the neighbouring island of Ko Samui, most inhabitants emigrated there. This has led to the closure of the school and the health center on the island. Most houses and huts now remain empty. The longstanding and current (2014) deputy mayor of Samui, Suraphong Viriyanon (สุรพงษ์ วิริยานนท์), is a descendant of a Chinese Ko Taen family. He was a driving, but unsuccessful, force in the 1990s, to turn Ko Taen into an island only for eco-tourists. Tourism Ko Taen is little frequented by tourists. The island is accessible only by boat. The usual way to Ko Taen is from the fishing village Thong Krut on the south coast of