Koh Tao (meaning Turtle Island) is more than 21 km square and is located around 70km east off the coastline between the Thai provinces of Surat Thani and Chumphon. It is easily accessible by boat from Chumphon on the mainland and Koh Pha-ngan to the south. High speed catamaran services ply the waters nowdays making the transfer swift and efficient unlike the overnight slow boat of days gone by.
During the 1930s the Thai Government used Koh Tao as a Penal Colony for political prisoners, which was closed down in 1944 and all prisoners were freed and pardoned. Three main settlements emerged and to this day, Haad Sairee, Ban Mae Haad and Chalok Ban Kao remain the only three villages on the island.
Koh tao gets it's name from the past when the waters surrounding it were rich in hawksbill and green sea turtles, though a lot rarer nowdays they still can be spotted while diving around the island's many dive sites. Over the last ten years or so the tropical beauty, crystal waters and coral reefs with abundant marine life of Koh Tao has increased its popularity and it is now the premier spot in the country for learning to dive.
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