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Recent Changes in Southern Thailand 17-Oct-2016 At 9:55:07 PM gtempest

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Since I am taking a much needed rest day here in Railay (ten days climbing without a rest day is five days too long!) I thought that those who are planning or considering a visit may appreciate an update as to the current state of play. A lot has happened at Ton Sai, Railay and Ko Yao Noi over the last couple of years and many climbers are understandably concerned about recent events that have led to the closure of a number of climbing areas.

Right now climbing is banned on Ko Yao Noi. This ban closes one of the finest moderate grade cliffs in Thailand (Grateful Wall) as well as all of the other inland cliffs and nearby island cliffs. It's true that National Parks have indicated that they have no interest in arresting tourists found to be disregarding the rules, but it is also true that any local found to be guiding, transporting or aiding tourists will face a hefty fine. Anyone considering clandestine trips into cliffs such as The Mitt or HD Wall should also note that Paradise Resort is discouraging climbers from crossing its land to reach them. Using kayaks to reach Grateful Wall from Paradise Resort is also problematic since the suspended bamboo walkway and its access ladder have been removed. Until these bans are reversed (and I believe that one day they will be) I would take Ko Yao Noi off your climbing bucket list.

As for Ton Sai, well things are not as dire as some predicted (at least at the moment). Probably two thirds of the cove has been cleared of buildings and what remains is a grassy (and somewhat rubbishy) area scattered with coconut palms. There is a high (ugly) concrete wall surrounding this area. The iconic Freedom Bar (directly under the cliff ladders) remains and is as ramshackle as ever (you can still lay on the deck and belay!). All of the beachfront dirt-bagging dives, bars and cafes are now gone. A new rather upmarket resort hugs the eastern side of the cove (up from the Freedom Bar).

Ton Sai Village still exists at the back of the 'walled compound' and appears to be as cheap and dirt-bagging as ever with loads of cafes, bars, food stalls and cheap bungalows. Access to Ton Sai Village is via a wide concrete path under the western side of the cove (under Melting Wall, The Nest etc). You can also access Ton Sai Village from the upmarket resort and Freedom Bar but judging by the big gates this will be at the future discretion of the resort. There is now a great cafe next to the Freedom Bar but it's far removed from the heyday of dirt-bagging goodness that most climbers are familiar with. That said, the new resort and the large one planned within the 'walled compound' have allowed access to Ton Sai Village and are apparently cleaning up the disgusting sewage problem, which in the past made the Ton Sai Tummy as unavoidable as the heat (nobody in their right minds would have considered swimming at Ton Sai beach over the last 20 years or so).

One of the better recent developments is the construction of a much better walking trail linking Ton Sai with Railay. It requires a lot less climbing and is less muddy than the old trail. In a nutshell, climbing access at Ton Sai has not been affected by the new developments.A couple of deep water soloing areas around Ao Nang Tower have been closed however.

Railay itself is still evolving as an upmarket area. What is interesting is the explosion of cheaper (but very good) bars and cafes in the middle of the peninsular, halfway between Railay East and West. It appears that a few migrated over from Ton Sai after the recent upheavals. The prices here are much cheaper than any of the cafes overlooking the beach.

For me this trip marks my tenth visit to the area having first visited Pra-Nang in 1990. In those days there was no Ton Sai village and instead it was covered in dense jungle. Railay East and West had a handful of cheap single storey bungalows and were simple affairs The coconut groves (from where the resorts sprung up from) were still there and you could stroll easily from the east beach to the west beach in long green grass. The Dusit Rayavadee was the only expensive resort. But all things change. Sure, things were great 26 years ago but some things have improved. There are heaps more climbs to enjoy, there are hundreds of bomber titanium bolts to clip, the accommodation is much more comfortable and the area is a lot cleaner than it once was (it's still dirty in places but I remember the bad old days when the beaches were scattered with plastic debris and hundreds of huge incandescent light bulbs that had been thrown overboard by the fishing trawlers).

Climbing in Southern Thailand is still a great experience. There are few places in the world that are so climbing family friendly. If you really want to enjoy the place to its max then consider visiting out of season. After all of our trips we've settled on October as the sweet spot month. The rain rarely gets in the way of the climbing, the temperatures are not too high and the accommodation prices are less than half what they will be on November 1st. And yes, there are far fewer tourists and climbers. I've never had to line up for any of the classics outside of the November to February high season. The down side to climbing at end of the rainy season (September and October) is that the sea is often too rough to do any deep water soloing. In fact the water is often too turbid to even snorkel or dive. But hey, that is a small price to pay for having crags like The Keep and Thaiwand Wall to yourself.