Ko Tao

Ko Tao

เกาะเต่า
Ko Tao เกาะเต่า
Subdistrict
	Shark Bay, on the island's south side
	Ko Tao
	Coordinates: 10°5′24″N 99°50′17″E / 10.09000°N 99.83806°E
Country	Thailand
Province	Surat Thani
District	Ko Pha-ngan
Area
• Total	21 km2 (8 sq mi)
Population
• Total	1,382
Time zone	UTC+7 (ICT)

Ko Tao (Thai: เกาะเต่า, pronounced [kɔ̀ʔ tàw], lit. ''Turtle Island'') is an island in Thailand and is part of the Chumphon Archipelago on the western shore of the Gulf of Thailand. It covers an area of about 21 km² (8 sq mi). Administratively it is a subdistrict (tambon) of Ko Pha-ngan District (amphoe) of Surat Thani Province. As of 2006^[update], its official population was 1,382.^{[citation needed]} The main settlement is Ban Mae Haad.

The economy of the island is almost exclusively centered on tourism, especially scuba diving. Scuba diving is extremely popular in Ko Tao due to clear visibility, inexpensive pricing, warm water, and the range of sealife to be seen.^[1]

^ "Whale Shark spotted at Koh Tao, island in the Gulf of Thailand". Pattaya Mail. 16 June 2020. Retrieved 2 October 2020.

[1] "Whale Shark spotted at Koh Tao, island in the Gulf of Thailand". Pattaya Mail. 16 June 2020. Retrieved 2 October 2020.

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