When I started traveling from Southeast Asia to India's Goa hippie trail in the 1990s, the southern Thai islands were serene and relatively secluded. Hopping from Koh Samui to Koh Pha Ngan and Koh Tao, studded in azure seas in the Gulf of Thailand, these tropical gems were low-key and unplugged, lush paradises edged by palm-fringed beaches and clear blue water with technicolor coral reefs.
Today all three of these islands are suffering from overtourism. A record 2.9 million tourists visited Koh Samui in 2019 and residents face severe water shortages. Ko Pha Ngan's once sublime full moon parties have evolved into massive commercial events, while Koh Tao has been plagued by negative publicity over a series of murders and disappearances since 2014.
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