On the partition of a quiet seaside wood house is more than an old photo from circa 1881. It is hard evidence that King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) and his entourage, including his half-brother Prince Damrong Rajanuphap, visited the island in the easternmost province of Trat before it was subject to French rule. Despite the withdrawal of troops, colonial legacies remained for years.
Just a few days before I arrived in Koh Mak, Trat province, veteran marine ecologist Thon Thamrongnawasawat posted on Facebook about his collaboration with Bang Chak Corporation to rehabilitate a 10 rai field of seagrass around Koh Mak and Koh Kradat to build blue coastal carbon ecosystems. That would allow Koh Mak to get one step closer to joining the list of the Top 100 Green Destinations in the world.