Trat is best known as the departure point for the islands of Ko Chang, Ko Mak (where we were returning from), and Ko Kood. Few people generally take the time to stop and visit the region beyond the islands. Yet, Trat has some unique attractions that I invite you to discover in today's article.
It was still quite early in the day and rather than heading straight back to Bangkok, we thought we could take advantage of the opportunity to quickly visit the surrounding area.
A brief overview:
In the footsteps of history, memory of the (short) Franco-Siamese war
Many people don't know this, but between October 1940 and May 1941, while the world was tearing itself apart, there was a brief war between France and Thailand (then the Kingdom of Siam).
A well-known feat of arms in the region is the Battle of Ko Chang. From a French perspective, the Battle of Ko Chang is the only naval battle fought and won during the two World Wars by a French naval force, using exclusively French plans and resources.
Concretely, the French army, then in Indochina, wanted to launch an offensive against the Thai navy, while they were attacking on their side on the lands of Laos and Cambodia (taking advantage of the destabilization of the Vichy government in Europe, in order to recover lands which had once belonged to Siam), and which France was struggling to repel.
The battle in question resulted in a heavy toll on the Thai side, according to the official Thai version, 36 of them lost their lives, other sources speak of between 300 and 500 men involved in the battle with only 82 survivors... While the French fleet was able to return safe and sound, without losses.
Obviously, from a Thai point of view, the story is told that the brave soldiers made the French retreat... Propaganda to whom you tell... But it is difficult to say with certainty who is right or wrong in this story, since with Vichy it was not better...
Source of information:
For the battle itself: Wikipedia
On the Franco-Siamese War in general: Franco-Siamese War 1940-1941
Not far from the Laem Ngop pier , which connects the mainland to the islands in the region (including Ko Chang which faces us), a monument has been built in memory of the Thai soldiers who died during this naval battle.
Unfortunately, it is a site entirely in Thai, no indications in English accompany the period photos and maps...
You can optionally complement this visit with the other memorial (the Ko Chang Yutthanawi Memorial), located on a beach in Ko Chang.
Mangroves and black sand beach
As I mentioned regarding the rocks seen on Ko Mak, the region is volcanic . The result is visible on this black sand beach , typical of a volcanic beach.
Shortly after returning to the road by which we had arrived in the area, we saw these signs indicating this beach. Intrigued, we decided to go and have a look.
We then passed on a small narrow road (not easy to find but indicated by an arch written in Thai, at the entrance of said road), bordered by the mangrove, very present along this coast. We parked on a parking lot, next to a small reception building.
The area is being developed, but a wooden walkway already allows you to stroll through the mangroves to the sea. It's free, so why not take advantage of it ? At least it provides some shade on this hot day, especially in the last section, which is older and has denser mangroves (the rest is more sparse, having been planted more recently to prevent coastal erosion).
We walk for 500 meters. But there's no beach, as we arrive directly at the sea, bordered all along by mangroves stretching as far as the eye can see . However, we can see signs indicating "Foot Massage" with a small staircase leading down to this black sandbar.
And when you set foot on this black sand, you understand why, it is very pleasant! This one is of a finesse never felt before! As for the beach itself, you have to walk a little further, but what is certain is that it is especially visible during low tides.
Small beaches to relax on
Mostly used by locals. Again, it was by following a sign indicating a beach that we landed on this small, secluded stretch of beach , a few dozen kilometers before the Laem Ngop wharf.
We had to pay for parking (20 baht), even though we didn't stay very long (we still had a long drive ahead of us). It's the kind of place where I can hardly go unnoticed! We saw only Thais , many with family or friends, enjoying the beautiful day with picnics (and drinks too) and letting the children splash around.
As always, there were also places to eat on site. There was also a new hotel built there. Of course, due to time constraints, we could have seen more, particularly by going to Trat itself (a few dozen kilometers from Laem Ngop), but basically, the article is precisely here to pique your curiosity and encourage you to discover a bit of the real Thailand , those little corners often juxtaposed with well-known places (often transit points) but often overlooked, usually due to lack of time, but not only that.
For those who are curious, this is Ao Tan Beach:
So, mission accomplished? Does this make you want to stop for a while in the region?
