Koh Phra Thong sustainable development

The island of Koh Phra Thong holds a unique nature found no where else is Thailand.  With a grassland Savannah, massive mangrove forest complex and sweeping undeveloped beaches, it may be the last hidden paradise.  But for local communities this island has been providing a life and livelihoods for many generations.  As tourism and development surge in Thailand, keeping this natural wonder wonderful is our goal.

The NAN team has been working alongside the Koh Phra Thong local government and mayor to have encouraged sustainable development to all aspects of the island.  This past earth day we took to the beaches to collect trash and support the local community to keep the beaches clean.  Most of the rubbish was styrofoam that had drifted in from local squid fishing traps.  To combat this issue ideas are being developed on how to get a more environmentally friendly but still low cost flotation device for their traps.

The issue of waste management might be the most important and difficult problem facing developing countries today as the convenience of packed goods reaches these once far off places.  Now most of the trash you see on the islands are food wrappers and household waste.  Some of the resorts on Koh Phra Thong like the Golden Buddha Beach Resort and Horizon Resort aim to minimize waste and plastic usage.  We hope that this practice will encourage the locals working at these resorts to start to reduce their waste at home.