Ko Samet Storm

The evening begins to bring in black clouds filled with whirling wind and a thundering warning that lets the sunbathers and fisherman know to pull up their shorts and bring in their nets before the sea's subtle fury finds them unaware. Strangely, you are drawn to this endless expanse of wavy water and curling clouds, and you find a place beneath a tree to watch it all unfold. Ko Samet, is one of the Eastern Seaboard Islands of Thailand. It is located in the Gulf of Thailand off the coastline of the Thai province of Rayong, approximately 220 kilometres (140 mi) southeast of Bangkok. The island derives its name from the cajeput tree found throughout the island. It is believed that once upon a time, Ko Samet was the home of pirates and that until this very day there is still lost treasure buried somewhere on the island. The classical Thai Poet, Sunthorn Phu (1786–1855), set part of his epic work, Phra Aphai Mani (sometimes transliterated as Pra Apaimanee), on the shores of the island. Even though Bangkokians had known about the beauty of Ko Samet for decades before, the Thai government put this island off limits and restricted overnight stay there; that was until 1981. In that year, on 1 October, the Forestry Department of Thailand declared Ko Samet and its surrounding to be a national park. The Ko Samet area is a popular for divers and snorkelers due its close proximity to Bangkok and abundance of clear water, colorful coral and diversity of marine life such as: turtles, tiger sharks and manta rays.