This island near the Malaysian border was thought to be perfect for banishing the inconvenient. About one third of the convicts died, but those who survived sometimes ended up OK, spending their non-foraging time on projects of their own choosing, from experimenting with agriculture to writing dictionaries. One of the most well-known prisoners was fictional, a soldier who remained loyal to the king in a book that most Thai people know called Four Reigns. I read that story last year, which is why the island’s name jumped out at me when I saw that the Siam Society was organizing a trip there.
Koh Tarutao is now a national park made up of more than fifty islands spread over a wide area. Many of these are ringed by coral reefs that disintegrate and form fine-looking beaches with sand the consistency of Coffee-mate®.
We are here during the region’s nicest time of year, the non-monsoon. While we have to be
careful to slop on the sunscreen, pleasant winds make temperatures ideal. We spend our days snorkeling (one source claims that the park contains a quarter of the world’s fish species) and eating and watching the sun set. Not a bad four-day exile.
