Qualla: Koh Thmei

Koh Thmei: Introduction

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Three hundred metres. That is the gap between Koh Thmei's western shore and mainland Cambodia at the narrowest point — a distance a decent swimmer covers in a few minutes, close enough that people on either side can watch each other work. Nobody crosses it. Every boat to the island comes the long way instead, three kilometres down the Prek Toek Sap estuary from the fishing village of Koh K'chhang to the north. The island's name means New Island. It is one of the least new-looking places in the Gulf of Thailand.

Read more: Koh Thmei on Qualla

Koh Thmei: A Pentagon of Mangrove

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Seen from above, Koh Thmei is roughly pentagonal: four sides of similar length and a shorter, rugged fifth facing south. It runs 8.8 kilometres end to end and between five and seven and a half across, with 28.5 kilometres of coastline, and its two shores could hardly be less alik...

Read more: Koh Thmei on Qualla

Koh Thmei: A Hundred and Fifty Ways to Be a Bird

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Every account of Koh Thmei begins with the birds. Some guides put the count at 155 species and others at 'over 150', and the discrepancy matters less than what any such number implies: mangrove, freshwater creek, open beach and primary forest all stacked within a few kilometres. ...

Read more: Koh Thmei on Qualla

Koh Thmei: Fewer Than Two Hundred

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Under two hundred people live here. Chong Thmei in the northeast is the largest settlement; Taly sits on the southeastern coast; a small farming hamlet, a bungalow resort and an eco-lodge occupy the west. There is a weather station at Chong Thmei, which is the closest thing on th...

Read more: Koh Thmei on Qualla

Koh Thmei: Sub-Decree 150

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT

That reputation is under negotiation. Development companies began taking long land-lease concessions inside the park in 2010, announcing large-scale plans that included a bridge to the mainland; by August 2014 not a thing had been built. In 2011 lawmakers issued an update on Ream...

Read more: Koh Thmei on Qualla