#  >  > Travellers Tales in Thailand and Asia >  >  > Thailands Travellers Tales >  >  Koh Phan-Ghan Scans circa 1988-89 .

## terry57

I'm in the processing of Scanning all my old my hard copy photos up onto my computer. I've been meaning to do it for ages and have just started cracking on. This thread will be a long on going rambling one that I'll add to over time. 

These pics were shot in 88 when I was living on Tong Nai-Pan bay. Sometimes I'd walk over the mountain down into the Bay. Happy days.

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## terry57

The 5 meter King cobra can get a start in here.

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## terry57

Enter the coconut plantation and head for my Bungalows, mine can be seen on the left. Most of these would be gone now to make way for the Techno fire twirling tossers. Hadd-Rin is the next one along. In 88 very few made their way here, the only way in was by boat or treacherous mountain road.

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## terry57

Nice beach Bungalows, one of the first on this bay. That's my bike in the back ground. No electric, only generator at night and no Police. Happy days indeed.

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## terry57

This is where we showered,shaved and washed. Just one shitter only. 

It worked well though, not many punters around then. The Thais were a fantastic bunch here and I never forget the people I met in those days.

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## terry57

Spent a lot of time living here with the locals. This pic is Looking back into the restaurant.  When I first staggered in here there were only 5 bungalows.

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## terry57

At one stage I was living in these two huts directly on the beach, one for me to sleep in and the other to throw my shit in. 30 baht for each one  :Smile:

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## terry57

My 30 baht hut on the beach, random people would just drop by. Note the kerosene lamp.

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## charleyboy

Is that you in the first pic?

Nice thread!

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## terry57

^

Yes , I was wearing my Nappy. It was hot out there mate.  :Smile:

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## Cujo

It doesn't SEEM that long ago.

How much was 30 Baht in Aussie dollars then?

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## terry57

^

Then it was 18 Baht to the AUD.

 I was not earning a lot of money back then but 1 dollar went quite a long way living on that beach.

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## terry57

First flyer for the Bungalows.

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## terry57

I first discovered this bay in 87. Arrived from Koh Samui with a heavy on shore wind blowing. Decided to  head for the opposite side of the Island out of the prevailing wind. A very lucky find back then, proved to be a brilliant move. Had no idea where I was going.

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## terry57

The birth of a Dive Company.

In December of 88 I made an offer to this Canadian guy and his Thai partner to take me in as a 3rd partner in their Bike rental business and up coming diving venture into Koh Tao.

They had been up and running only a matter of months,  I was renting one of their bike's doing runs over the mountain into Pan. At the time they had 4 new Honda MX, an old compressor and 4 tanks plus regulators.

They had not yet started diving on Tao. I was into off road bikes and diving so it was a no Brainer at the time.  The deal was I would be the third partner and travel back and forward from Australia whilst they run the show.

They accepted the offer, I stumped up 10 K and the rest is History. In January 89 the Canadian and myself walked onto Koh Tao with 4 tanks the small Compressor and two paying punters after a 6 hour boat trip.  We were the second dive operation on Koh Tao, Koh Samui divers being the first.

The Thai stayed on Phan-Gan running the bike rentals and then opened a telephone service office, he moved to Tao full time a year later. We sold all the bikes and concentrated on the diving.

Koh Tao had only I telephone in 88 located at the Post Office, no Government power and no police.  In fact it had fook all.  

We split with the Thai in 91 and went on to form " Masterdiver " which to this day still operates. 

He went on to form" Bans Diving" which is now one of the largest operations on Koh Tao,  he was assassinated in the late nineties on the Island.  

I sold my shares in 95 to a German guy who eventually flounced back to Germany 3 years ago and the Canadian flounced back to Canada in mid 2000 after many years in the Industry. 

Both went home with nothing after all those years.

So at the End of the day I'm the only one left.  :Smile:

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## SiLeakHunt

looks ace mate, wish I'd made it down there for those times

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## ltnt

Good views and great history lessons.  Keep em coming. 5 star post.

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## Looper

Thanks Terry.

This sort of thread is gold dust.

Photos personally taken and scanned from the days before digital photography.

 :goldcup:

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## thaimeme

Nice remembrances, Tez...

The good old days, eh?

The 70s were even better!

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## thefactoryoutlet

More photos please <3

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## Stumpy

Hey Terry, Keep them coming. Long before my time in Thailand so I will enjoy this thread.

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## beerlaodrinker

Great stuff tel, I see you still maintain the same hairstyle

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## charleyboy

^ A fair old hooter as well!  :Smile:

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## terry57

This is Mr Ban. He was originally from Bangkok and had made his way down to koh Phan-gan. He was an unusual Thai,  he nether smoked, drank, or took drugs,  his motivation was money only.  When he finally moved to Koh Tao he was the odd man out. He was an outsider who never fitted in with the locals. Maybe why he is now in his Mausoleum situated behind his resort on Koh Tao. He has been having the big sleep for many years now. Ban Diving is now a Multi million dollar enterprise by the way.

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## terry57

The Mountain road on a good day. The 125 MTX ate it up as long as one knew how to ride. Not a great place to learn though.

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## terry57

I loved this mountain, I worked with the local boys providing a Taxi service over it into town, quite exciting with 2 up and a Backpack hanging off the back.  :Smile:

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## terry57

My private bike, how I loved to ride it, A big deal to have this bike back in 88 especially on Phan-Gan.

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## terry57

I knew I was not far from home when I would see that little bit of blue poking its head up.

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## terry57

The bungalow Owners getting ready to shift my house.

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## terry57

Call the neighbors over pick it up and start walking .  :Smile:

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## terry57

Yes that will do thanks very much. A cold Chang classic thanks.  :Smile:

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## terry57

Another couple of huts just up the beach. Jesus it was brilliant times. The first full moon party kicked off on Hadd-Rin in 88 but it could of been 6 million mile away. No twirlers on this bay in those days.

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## terry57

This is the house of the original Farang that lived with his wife in this bay. He was a skilled carpenter and worked with the locals building huts and houses. He stayed well away from us farang, I was there for 3 months before he talked to me. He moved out in 89.

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## terry57

We spent a lot of time hangin in this restaurant, brilliant spot directly on the beach.

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## terry57

The one shitter and washing area.

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## terry57

Under Sky Seafood. This little spot was just up from our bungalows and many a night was spent smokin, drinking and bull shitting in it.

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## terry57

The local fisherman would deliver their catch straight to the beach and the locals would gather to haggle over the catch. Seafood was always fresh in this bay. A nice example of a queen fish right here.

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## terry57

This is an original pic of my very first time to this bay. I was with this Canadian dude I had met in Bangkok and we had just finished banging around North Thailand on motor bikes. This was 1987 so its 28 years old.

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## terry57

Same dude, same day, 28 years ago, 30 Baht hut.

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## terry57

A frame huts, same time, same price.

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## Davis Knowlton

Brilliant stuff, Terry.

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## terry57

Original flyer. Funny the things I'm finding in my glad bag.

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## terry57

This photo would have been around 1990 when they started using bigger Generators.
Most things were bought in by boat. In the wet season it was the only way in as the mountain road was impassable.Tough shit if there was a medical emergency, one would just die.  This is the reality of isolated spots, its all good until the shit hits the fan and you need a doctor right now.

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## Silverback

Great shots and tales.

Reminds you of how much and how quickly it's all changed.

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## terry57

Hair Tailed Pike. All sorts of things swimming in that Gulf.

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## Bazzy

^ Thanks for the shots and stories Terry.

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## Bazzy

> This is the reality of isolated spots


Not even a public phone?

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## terry57

^

In 87 when I first ventured here there was no public phone, A Government Phone came in 88 though.

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## terry57

From my bungalow was this view, the bay was hemmed in by the two head lands. I could see every boat that came and went.

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## terry57

My play ground.

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## terry57

Every morning I would spearfish around these rocks, Clear water for a few hours max only. Wild otters lived there .Only time I've ever seen otters in Thailand.

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## terry57

Beautiful spot early morning and evening. Erm, this pic was Taken on Koh Tao, sorry bout that.

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## terry57

Wasn't long before the Thais upped the Anti and started building in Earnest. The Airport had just opened on Samui and the flood gates opened. I was so lucky I arrived in 87 and seen this bay in its prime.

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## terry57

The boys hard at it.

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## terry57

This is my Bungalow owner, he embarked on a bungalow building spree and offered me a chance to go into business with him. Urm, No thanks Mate.

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## terry57

But what I did do was upgrade from the grass hut and move into the Penthouse. Being a valued customer he charged me 60 Baht, still no electric though, not that it mattered back then. No way these days.

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## taxexile

excellent thread terry, much better than your bigging up of silom road crapola.

i spent a four months on phangan in 1990, and your photos are a great reminder of the atmosphere of the place back then.

i stayed at a small bungalow operation called first villa about 3 kms outside tong sala on the dirt road to haad rin,  now its a "proper resort" with swimming pool and 5 star rooms. they were good times. i dont think i would want to go back to that island now though.

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## Neo

Fantastic pictures Terry, thanks for sharing  :Friday:

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## terry57

> They were good times. I dont think I would want to go back to that island now though.


I left Phan-Gan when we started the Dive shop on Tao and went back once in 93 I think. 

Stayed two days and never again went back. Something are best left behind. 

The change in those few years convinced not to spoil fantastic memories.

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## terry57

Loved these larger huts with the rap around verandah. Not on the beach unfortunately.

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## terry57

Always a crew hanging around especially when one is living in the beach front real-estate.

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## terry57

This girl I have known for 30 years, the dude was some random seppo trying to pants her.  :Smile:

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## terry57

Fun at the Phan's waterfall.

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## buriramboy

> Fun at the Phan's waterfall.


Very nice.

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## beerlaodrinker

What a ripper of a thread, keep em coming mate

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## terry57

> Excellent thread terry, much better than your bigging up of Silom road crapola.
> 
> I spent a four months on phangan in 1990, and your photos are a great reminder of the atmosphere of the place back then.




I rather like Silom road thanks mate, tough shit if you do not. 

Anyway, start a thread and show us your pics.  

To much Yak Yak from you.  :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):

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## cyrille

I was on phanghan in '89.

Around April, it would have been.

Great pics, tel.  :Smile:

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## SiLeakHunt

I was there round 99/00 there were hints of what it was like then, I'd hate to go there now

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## fishlocker

Wow Terry you were on the cutting edge. Remote is not just something used to change the channel. Good on you and thanks for sharing the pics.

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## fishlocker

> The boys hard at it.


Looks like my 1967 ASI 125 in the back ground. I road it yesterday as we broke 47 F here. Here comes the sun!

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## withnallstoke

Love the old photos - back in the day when white girls were slim.

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## nora tittoff

Great read thanks Terry.

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## nidhogg

> We split with the Thai in 91 and went on to form " Masterdiver " which to this day still operates.


"Masterdiver" or Master Divers?

Thought Master Divers was Jamie M's place?

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## terry57

^
I don't know this guy, It was our company but now its his I imagine. Actually I will post a pic of it in its original form.

When we owned the shop it was in the Market area but was rebuilt on the Water front on the way to Sensi Paradise.    Its been there a long time now.

All started with Bob the Canadian and myself.

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## nidhogg

> ^
> I don't know this guy, It was our company but now its his I imagine.


Maybe I am mixed up.  He was on Tao.  Retired pretty much last time I heard, but I am very surprised you don't know Jamie Mac....

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## terry57

Now I do not want to get ahead of myself here and start posting up Koh Tao pictures. I have another thread on the back burner were I started scanning up hard copy of the early Koh Tao days and I'm going to crack on with that after this is finished. 

But for our friend up top here is the original " Masterdiver " shop on Koh Tao in 91. They still use the same logo and name on Tao today who ever the punters are that bought it. Basic logo hand drawn by the Canadian.

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## terry57

I will post up this photo though. These are the very first two paying punters of " Ban Diving ". We walked into koh Tao with these two dudes, hired a boat and went diving.
For the first two years all dives were done out of this tiny boat. Memories right there, the start of an empire.

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## terry57

Back to Phan-Gan. After I stumped up the 10 K the Thai cracked on with other business while we dived on Tao.

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## terry57

I shot 3 pics of the King Cobra, this is the 3 Rd one just before he scampered back down the Mountain. The other one shows him trying to climb the embankment on the other side of the road. I'll find it later somewhere.

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## terry57

Here is what happens when you keep Somchai the hired car driver waiting. Bob and I go over to Phuket for a live aboard Dive trip. Whilst there we did of bit of business before we Returned. We had hired Somchai for the trip back to Surattani. Anyway Bob is pissing around in this shop and had the driver waiting for 30 minutes. By the time we left it was pissing rain and Somchai now ain't a happy punter, he takes of at light speed. We got maybe 5 minutes down the road and he head butts this Police car.   :Confused:

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## terry57

Thank fuk both of us were sitting in the back and escaped with a few scratches and bruises. Somechai had a lady friend in the passengers seat,  she smashed her head on the dash and wasn't to well. 
They threw her into a pick up and rushed her off to hospital. Somchai never had a mark on him even though he took the full impact. Amazing Thailand.
Those amulets do work.  :Smile:

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## terry57

This is a pic of the Canadian guy Who I teemed up with in Bangkok in 87. I'd met this guy on the Koh San in the PB guest house. We trained it up to Chaing Mai rented a few Bikes and hit the mountains. This was taken on the Mae Hong Son Loop. 

Quite a major adventure for two newbies. We then headed down to the Islands and discovered Tong Nai Pan Bay on Koh Phan-Gan. I was 29 years old in this pic, now I'm all wrinkled with a head like a bag of spanners. This Canadian was not my partner in the Dive venture by the way.

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## terry57

There's some history here. This girl I met in Goa in 88. I had just started 9 months long service leave from the Fire service. I scored leave without pay which gave me the 9 months away from work so I hit the road landing in Bombay. 

I had been in India for 2 weeks when I met her in Goa , we teemed up and then traveled from Goa  all the way through India by road and train and onto Kathmandu by road. We trekked in Nepal then onto Thailand with two Dodgers we met.

I took them up to North Thailand to tour by motor bike then a bee line straight down to Tong Nai Pan. She returned to South Africa and now has the largest Backpackers in town.  I still travel with this girl all these years later and many of my travel threads have been with this girl.

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## terry57

I don't mind a few eggs for breakfast. Not now though.

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## terry57

Anyway, Ive run out of hard copy. 

I'm returning to Perth end of April for a few weeks and will return with the rest of my pics on Koh Phan-Gan. 

I'll crank this up again later.

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## ltnt

^Looking forward to the new pics.  I tossed all my pic.'s when I left the States.  I didn't have anywhere to store them and nobody wanted them, so tossed the lot.

Perhaps my one regret in cutting any and all ties.

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## terry57

^
I Have all my Pictures going back to teenage years.  I'm in the process of scanning them up and storing them on two external hard drives here in Bangkok.  

I've documented most of my life's travel's and continue to do so on every trip.  

I figure that if I do not die a sudden death I will be looking at them and having a laugh on my death bed.

I post pictures threads on Teak Door because I like to look back on the journey.

If Teak Door folds I still have all my pics. 

True story that.

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## terry57

Not the best pic but it brings back good memories. Hill tribe visit way of the beaten track in 87. We would see a track leading off somewhere and just follow it. Many random encounters with hill tribe people along the way.

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## patsycat

My husban, very hansum man!!

Great thread.

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## Neo

> My husban, very hansum man!!
> 
> Great thread.


Is he giving you the horn Pats.?  :439:

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## BaitongBoy

Heh...

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## patsycat

The neighbours won't be able to sleep for days and days!!

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## terry57

> My husban, very hansum man!!
> 
> Great thread.



Oh yes Pats,

Too bad now at 57 I'm as ugly as hat full of arse holes.  :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic): 

I'm not a fat bastard though. 

Oh well,   I give me the horn back then.    :Smile: 

Nice to look back innit.

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## patsycat

We may be old and grey and not fat.  But our sense of humour never fades!!!

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## yortyiam

can't ya Terry, but thanks for a great insight to how it used to be! you wouldn't know it  was the same island!!!

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## mingmong

enjoyed it Terry, your a Time Traveler by now! 

 p.s. I wish I was 57 again!

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## knowsitlike

I first went to KPG in 1998 and stayed at TomgNaiPan just a few days after arriving in Thailand for the first time. Great photos that trigger a lot of memories so cheers Terry. I have some land there now and so it will always be a special place for me and the family. Cheers

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