The evolution of Ko Lipe, a small island in the Adang-Rawi Archipelago of the Andaman Sea, serves as a stark case study for the perils of unregulated tourism development. Once a whisper among the most intrepid backpackers, the island has undergone a radical transformation over the last two decades. What was once an off-the-grid sanctuary […]

KO LIPE, Thailand — For nearly two decades, the island of Ko Lipe lived in the memories of backpackers as the "last frontier" of the Thai Andaman. In 2006, it was a place defined by its limitations: electricity was a luxury available for only a few hours a night, dirt paths were the only arteries […]