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Leave the crowds behind and explore the beaches and temples of Thailand that only the locals know, says Lee Hayhurst


emember when overtourism used to be the biggest challenge facing the industry? Long before Covid-19 brought


international travel to a grinding halt, destinations had been keen to spread the impact – and the benefits – of tourism beyond their holiday hotspots. Thailand is no exception, and while the likes of


Phuket, Krabi and Koh Samui will always be popular destinations, we decided to buck the trend and spend our family holiday introducing the kids – Millie, Seth and Zac – to some of the country’s less-visited areas.


CHUMPHON


Our journey began early at Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong station to catch an 8am train along the Malay Peninsula to our first destination, Chumphon. A new fast line is under construction but on the existing track, the train rarely hit top speed, so we ambled along enjoying views of the Thai countryside from our comfortable second-class recliner seats. Our research into Chumphon hadn’t thrown up many enlightening results, so on our first day we hired a car to explore independently.


KOH TAO


As we waited for the ferry from Chumphon to Koh Tao, the clouds parted and the sun came out, and


² travelweekly.co.uk 27 AUGUST 2020 29


DESTINATIONS THAILAND | FAMILY HOLIDAYS


At Thung Wua Laen Beach, we parked near a magnificent golden temple and spent the day as pretty much the only people enjoying this idyllic stretch of golden palm-lined sand. The following day we took a tour to the Nong


Yai development, a water and wildlife leisure park popular with locals, before we carried on to Mu Koh Chumphon National Park, a mangrove swamp inhabited by all manner of wildlife. Finally, we visited Sairee Beach, another spot popular with Thais because Admiral Prince Abhakara Kiartivongse, the ‘father of the Thai navy’, died here. We joined locals sticking gold-leaf on a statue of the admiral to request relief for any ailments. Chumphon is typical of many small Thai cities.


There’s a great night street-food market where we ate for about £1 each, a larger covered market, a few modern shops and some bars and restaurants catering for tourists in transit to the islands, our next destination.


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