At first this petite islandhad no one living on it, visited only by local fishermen from near by islands when looking for shelter during thunder storms or when in need of fresh water and supplies. The islandwas still under Royal Patronage in those days, but it did not put off those fortune hunters from making their claim. The first generation of today's community started settling when they brought their families to Ko Tao and began to farm and yield the rich soil and natural resources the island had to offer. Despite it still being under Royal Patronage, acres of land were claimed, and vacated for coconut plantations. You can still see plenty of verification of the massive coconut plantations everywhere on the island. All through the last 12 years Koh Taohas transformed in many ways as it developed to become one of the main diveislands in Thailand, drawing all levels of water lovers and diversalike. In 1947, Khun A-Paiwong, Thailands Prime Minister at the time, requested & got a royal pardon for the islands prisoners and thanks to a gracious act by His Majesty the King. They were repatriated and transported to Suratthani on the nearby mainland and the island was uninhabited yet again. This was in the same year that the original settlers started to claim a large part of land on what is currently known as Sairee Beach. These were the two brothers Khun Ueam and Khun Oh who reached Ko Toa by a small boat from the next island of Koh Phangan.
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