Administratively, Koh Mak is a tambon (sub-district) attached to Khing Amphure (district) Koh Kood, Trat province. The traditional occupations of the island are agricultural: most of the land is cultivated as plantations of coconut or para rubber.

It is said that the island was first settled by Chao Sua Seng, who established a coconut plantation, and who occupied the post of Palad Jeen, or Chinese Affairs Officer, during the reign of King Rama V (King Chula-longkorn). Later, Chao Sua Seng sold his coconut plantation to 'Luang Prompakdii', Plian Taveteekul, who also held the post of Chinese Affairs Officer and who came originally from Ban Koh Po in Prachankiriket province. This is now the province of Koh Kong in Kampuchea, but at the time it was a province of Thailand.

The Taveteekul clan

As far as we know, Luang Prompakdii was himself of Chinese descent, and emigrated from China to Thailand at the time of the Great Revolution in China to settle at Ban Koh Po. He received a royal appointment to the post of Chinese Affairs Officer for the province of Prachankiriket, for which reason the villagers called him Than Palad Jeen. He was married to Khun Mae Mulee and had eleven children, as follows:

1. Nai Mueng Taveteekul
2. Nai Prom Taveteekul
3. Nang Tae Wongsiri, who married Khun Wongsirirak
4. Nai Kanna Taveteekul
5. Nai Au Taveteekul
6. Nai Dam Taveteekul, who drowned at an early age
7. Nang Kimhun Wattana, who married Nai Panompuong Wat-tana
8. Nai Aeb Taveteekul (Luang Uthai-satchavethee)
9. Nang Payorm Aungsuworn, who mar-ried Khun Boribansarathikit
10. Nai Aab Taveteekul
11. Nang Sumlee Bunsiri

Luang Prompakdii sent his fifth son, Nai Au Taveteekul, to study in China, and later sent his fourth son, Nai Kanna Taveteekul, to accompany his brother to work on the coconut plantation on Koh Mak.

Life in old Ban Koh Po

Koh Po (that is, Koh Po village) was a tambon or sub-district of Pra-chankiriket province, or Koh Kong, and in the old days Koh Kong town was a place from which agri-cultural products were sent to be sold in Bangkok, especially rubber and rong thong (gamboge, a kind of gum resin collected from a tree and used as a colourant in paints and dyes).

We know, for instance, that there was a tax collector called "Nai Kong" who was charged with collected taxes from the gamboge-tappers and sending the taxes to the Royal Finance Bureau (from which we may conclude that the cultivation of gamboge was the most popular way of making a living in those days). Historical evidence shows that he was responsible for the gamboge-tax from 2411 to 2435 B.E., that is, 1858-1892, in the reign of Rama IV.

The name which Nai Kong was give by the King was Luang Yothapirom; he was a royal officer with a direct connection to the Palace, which at the time controlled the adminstration of tax collection. His family also lived in the village of Koh Po.

The timber business

Meanwhile, Luang Prompakdii and Khun Mae Mulee had expanded their business interests, setting up a timber factory and buying up mangrove wood. They bought the woods on the southern banks of the Bang Krasap River, a place which is still known as Rong Pheen ('Wood Factory") to this day.

The province of Prachankiriket had very larged mangrove forests covering the flooded, muddy estuarine areas. Ever area of mangrove forest was a flooded zone, all the way from Klong Lad at Koh Nuu, where the stream from Koh Nuu cut through to join the Koh Po River on the west bank. This forested area was interlaced with many creeks, and the mangroves flourished there plentifully.

At that time, charcoal-burning was not being done in that are. Luang Prompakdii and Mae Mulee were the first traders who bought mangrove wood and shipped it to Bangkok on a regular bsis by large sailling boat. On its return journey, the boat brought back goods from Bangkok for sale in Pra-chankiriket.

The purchase of Koh Mak

Khun Mae Mulee was highly respected by the people and known for her devotion to Buddhism. She owned rice fields which she rented out, collecting the rent in rice; part of this rice was set aside so that it could be given as alms to the minks on a regular basis.

With her close connections to traders and royal officials, Khun Mae Mulee was well informed, and this is how she learned that Chao Sua Seng, another of the Chinese Affairs Officers, wanted to sell his coconut plantation on Koh Mak. Khun Mae Mulee agreed to buy the plantation for the sum of 300 Chang, which was the name of the currency in those days (One Chang = 80 Baht). And that is how the coconut plantations on Koh Mak came into her family, in whose possession they have remained to this day.

The French colonial onslaught

As time went by, the situation in Prachan-kiriket felt more uncertain in many ways. The situation of the whole of Thailand was also uncertain. This was the heyday of European co-lo-nialism, when the nations of Europe were competing to exploit nations throughout Asia and the other continents. Lands belinging to many less developed countries were seized by Europeans and turned into colonies. Many parts of our own Siam (Thailand) were seized and ruled by the British and the French on many occasions.

Prachankiriket province was Thai territory in the past, its population of the same descent as other Thais. But in 2447 B.E. (1904) the French, expanding their colonies in Indochina, annexed Prachankiriket-or Kong-and integrated it into Cambodia, which they had already seized. This occureed during the rule of Rama V (Chulalongkorn).

At the time, the loss of Koh Kong to the French wasn't carefully recorded in Thai chronicles, so later generations do not know how this happened. But it is accepted as a fact that Thailand lost this part of her territory to the French.

French demands for territory

The French colonial powers dictated very oppressive conditions for a peace treaty, and as losers of the war the Thais were bound to agree to these terms unconditionally. What the French demanded was:

1. The Thais must accept that Vietnam and Cambodia, all the territories on the eastern bank of the Maekhong River, and all the islands in the Maekhong were under Frech rule.

2. The Thai military forces must be withdrawn from aoo territories east of the Maekhong River within one month.

3. Thailand was pay reparations for the fighting in the Northeast and also at the mouth of the Chao Praya River.

4. Thai military personnel were to be punished, and compensation was to be paid to the wives and children of French soldiers killed or wounded in the fighting.

5. In all, the compensation demanded came to a total of three million French francs.

6. As a guarantee, the Thai King would also be required to deposit three million French francs in foreign currency in advance, or else let the French have the right to collect taxes and tax stamps. (These taxes were mainly levied on an annual basis on production of fruits and other agricultural products from Pratabong and Siamrat.

Prachankiriket under French rule

After Prachankiriket fell to the French, the lives of its people changed in every respect. The French sent Khmer military and civilian personnel to administer the province; to the locals, these were foreigners, who spoke a foreign language. The Khmer officials dealt with the local people in an suspicious and overbearing way, demanding forced labour, and trating people badly, even beating them; in fact this was a habit Khmer officials had towards their own people, too. Crimes were committed which caused people to live in fear and insecurity, worrying for their own safety and that of their property.

As for Luang Prompakdii and his family, although they already had bought the coconut plantation on Koh Mak, a secure property firmly within Thai territory, far from the oppressive rule of foreigners, yet he still felt tied to his home in Ban Koh Po, and to his relatives and friends there who had passed toghter through the difficulties and happinesses of life. His livelihood was still prosperous and comfortable, and the dwelt at Koh Po-a beautiful environment of hills and forests, river and rocks, indeed a setting which could hardly find its match anywhere else. People who lived in this region felt attached to its landscape, and though they might have to moce away for a long time they would still not forget their old home town. And so Luang Prompakdii long continued to live at his house in Koh Pl. The responsibility for looking after the coconut plantation in Koh Mak he gave to his sons.

Why Luang Prompakdii moced to Koh Mak

The rich people of that region were concentrated together in Koh Po village, because it was still the centre of trading, just as it had been when it had belonged to Thailand. One very rich trader in Koh Po was Luang Panom Tao, or Chao Sua Tao. He was known far and wide on account of his wealth, which came from trading in forest produce, gamboge resin, fragrant wodds, herbs and herbal medicines. His house in the centre of Koh Po was built in the Thai style with teak wood brought from Bangkok, with steep roofs, an elevated floor and teak walls.

Luang Prompakdii was a close friend of Luang Panom Tao, and later on a son of Khun Luang Panom Tao, called Khun Wongsirirak took as his wife one of Luang Prompakdii's daughters, Nang Sao Tae. Wongsirirak and Tae had may sons and daughters together.

Then one night in the year 2453 B.E. (1910), in the sixth year of French rule at Koh Kong, Lung Panom Tao's house was robbed in the middle of the night while everyone was fast asleep. Many of his valuable belingings were taken.

The Settlement of Koh Mak

There was an abundance of land on Koh Mak. Some parts of the island were old orchards, but much of the land was uncultivated, and thes virgin lands were cleared and cultivated by Luang Prompakdii's children.

Luang Prompakdii and Khun Mulee both were strongly devoted to Buddhism and were constantly making merit. They built a temple in Koh Mak, but it was deserted again after two years. Then Luang Prompakdii built a large sala (hall) for the temple of Wat Pai Lom in Trat province, at the time when Tan Chao Khun Buraketkhanajarn was the abbott.

They were serious practictioners of Buddhism, generous and very kind. They kept working on their plantations in Koh Mak with their children until the end of their lives, and passed away at an advanced age on the island of Ban Suan Yai. Their deaths brought great sorrow to their children, who diligently organised their funeral and a Buddhist sermon at Wat Pai Lom in Trat.

In Conclusion, we can see how Koh Mak became covered with coconut and para rubber plantations, owned throughout the island by descendants of the same family. The childen of Luang Prompakdii, on receiving their inheritance from his coconut plantations, divided up the unoccupied lands for their children and grandchildren. Eventually all these lands became cultivated with either coconut or para rubber, leaving no land for outsiders save any land which members of the family were willing to sell.

The start of tourism on Koh Mak

The first bungalows for tourists were built around 2517 B.E. (1974) at Ban Ao Nid on the east of the island.However, toursm was not ye flourishing in this area, and transport and telecommunications were difficult, which put a halt to developments for some time.

Later in 2530 B.E. (1987), part of the beach areas of the island were developed into tourist attractions. Bungalows and resorts were built to serve Thai and foreign tourists properly. Now Koh Mak has several interesting tourist places such as:

Koh Mak List

Fantasia Resort : Located at Ao Suan Yai next to Koh Mak Resort.

Sam Marine Resort : Located on Koh Rayang Nork, on the south-east of Koh Mak opposite Ao Na Nork. There is a white sand beach and bungalows at the foot of a hill.

...Koh Mak Accommodation »

Summary

Here the author would like to sum up the main facts. Luang Prompakdii and Khun Luang Panom Tao lived originally in Koh Kong province, or Prachankiriket, together with other Thai people, before the province fell into Khmer hands. Prachankiriket was Thai territory from a long way back. Luang Prompakdii had his home in Tambon Koh Po; he was an influential person who commanded much respect. He was appointed to the post of Palad Jeen (Chinese Affairs Officer), and so took charge of collected taxes from the Chinese. Luang Panom Tao, Khun Wongsirirak and Luang Uthai Satchavethee also received royal-given surnames from Rama V.

Prachankiriket province, Koh Kong, was seized by the French in 2436 B.E. (1893) and added by them to Khmer territory. Many years after that, Luang Prompakdii's family moved to live on the island of Koh Mak, as I have already related.

I have set down this compilation of the history of Koh Mak as a memoire for the younger generations of the island-to give high respect to our Kings, Rama IV and Rama V, who wisely used diplomatic skill to secure Chanthaburi and Trat from the grasp of the French colonial hunters and ensured that Thailand has remained an independent nation to the present day; and also to give respect to the ancestors of Koh Mak, to Luang Prompakdii (Plian Taveteekul), Luang Panom Tao, and Khun Wongsirirak (from whom Wongsiri's family is descended).