Staying alive on freshly deserted Koh Lanta

When the pandemic put the global economy in crisis, the ripple effect carried as far as Koh Lanta, an island in Krabi province.

“Koh Lanta has never been this empty. The island is now as deserted as when it was first discovered by tourists 30 years ago,” said Charintip Tiyaphorn, the second generation of the family that owns Pimalai Resort and Spa — the oldest five-star hotel on the island.

Pimalai, established in 2001, and a resort with a different owner, Layana Resort and Spa, are the only five-star hotels on the island.

For nearly two decades, Pimalai has faced unforeseen events that shook travellers’ confidence, starting with the Sept 11, 2001 attacks in the US, followed by the Sars epidemic, the Indian Ocean tsunami and…