I Left Koh Samui for a Wild Day on Koh Phangan

Added: 2026-05-10

[00:00:00]Okay. What the heck is going on here? I should investigate.

[00:00:09]Hello out there world. My name is Chris.

[00:00:11]I'm retired working for you. And today I've left my home island of Kosamui. And uh we're going to go on a little bit of an adventure. So let's start off here by me walking you through this funky funky place here. Anyone out there? Can you guess what this place is?

[00:00:32]We got Captain Eaves here. That should be a clue. How's it going, Eves?

[00:00:37]>> Eves is the captain for the day. We're seafaring today. We'll we'll get we'll get into the boat in a minute, but I'm going to end this walk here with our first interview. But check this place out.

[00:00:51]Co Raham. And it's just a funky, funky little restaurant and bar. Great place.

[00:01:00]Look at this. We're going right in.

[00:01:03]>> Might be better off jumping in because there's some rocks. Be careful.

[00:01:07]>> Jumping in.

[00:01:08]>> Oh, yeah. As long as you don't land on a rock.

[00:01:11]>> Here goes nothing.

[00:01:13]>> Let's pause right here so I can tell you where I am. I've left my home island of Kosamui. Taking about a 30 minute boat ride over here to the very northwest corner of Copangan at a little place called Co Raham.

[00:01:37]This is a place that if you're ever in this area, you should definitely check it out. take a boat here, have lunch, have some beers, just chill out and enjoy the atmosphere.

[00:01:51]That's what I'm doing today. And I'm doing it with an old film buddy of mine.

[00:01:56]He's actually about to move to this part of the island. His name's Ray. Let's chat with him.

[00:02:07]>> All right.

[00:02:09]It's not often that I get a professional cinematographer.

[00:02:14]>> Yeah. Ray and I used to work together back in the day on film sets. What's your relation to Thailand? Your relationship. Long-term love affair. I'd say I started coming in the '90s when I was a bit of a raver. Come to the full moon parties. I always gravitated towards this particular island, Copangan. Very close to my heart.

[00:02:35]There's something very special about this place. And over the course of 30 years, I've accumulated vacations here that go beyond 1 year. So when they say you're going to find a place to retire, it's best to live there for a year. And when I added it all up, I Hey, I've been to Copangan for more than a year of my life. And I've never ever had a bad time. Everything here all the fields.

[00:03:00]All the fields.

[00:03:01]>> What's the vibes about Copangan that made you choose this place? Well, I'm a bit of a hippie now. I like living life barefoot.

[00:03:11]And this place has that community. It's got a a huge wellness community now. It used to be only famous for the full moon parties and the raven and the dancing and the drinking, but that's kind of shrinking a bit now and it's it's relegated to another part of the island.

[00:03:27]This is we're right now we're in a place called Sitanu which is on the uh west coast sunset coast always calmer than the other side.

[00:03:37]They come and they meditate, they dance, they do yoga. There's so much going on in that wellness world which I think is a is booming right now and attracting a lot of people because world's a little stressful right now.

[00:03:53]Took a quick look under the water here, but the next stop is where we're going to do the real snorkeling.

[00:04:04]>> This boat's awesome, though.

[00:04:06]>> Look at this thing. Comfort for up to 15 people. The water speak, baby.

[00:04:16]You might be wondering why I'm playing Cuban music here in Thailand.

[00:04:28]>> Where have we pulled in here now? I don't know, but it looks pretty damn nice to me. I think it's time to do a little snorkeling.

[00:04:36]>> And do not feed animal. Do not touch animal. Just watching. Okay. Thank you.

[00:04:42]>> Don't pee in the water.

[00:04:45]Well, this guy right here, >> this guy's the reason I'm playing the Cuban music.

[00:04:53]>> I'll get him to tell you his story, but first he's got to go snorkeling.

[00:05:10]Gina.

[00:05:32]>> Okay, we've arrived.

[00:05:34]Woo!

[00:05:36]At Bottle Beach and we have Come here. I want you to talk to these people.

[00:05:42]>> Hello.

[00:05:43]>> So, this is a man that we're talking to here who lives in Cuba. You're from Cuba.

[00:05:51]>> And this is your first time ever leaving Cuba?

[00:05:54]>> Out of the Cuba.

[00:05:55]>> Wow. So, what what's that like?

[00:05:57]>> Wow. It's amazing. It's amazing. This is a This is like a dream for me. We hear a lot about Cuba in the news.

[00:06:05]>> Yes. But Cuba is a now we have a big problem with everything. We black out to water. It's a we have a beautiful people. It's a beautiful country. But it's the shame because the situation is so bad bad in Cuba.

[00:06:23]>> Yeah. And Cuba has like some of the most beautiful landscape, the most beautiful people. So culturally rich. Actually the music the the art is very beautiful but unfortunately we have a these people in the government say it they people don't don't need a chain but the Cuban people need a chain when I I go out of the queue and I see all these things he say why my country is not possible to take this Yeah. And what's your first impressions of Thailand?

[00:07:03]>> Wow.

[00:07:04]The food is excellent. Is the best of this country. The people also the weather is amazing. This is amazing.

[00:07:14]>> So I I I cried so many time when I come here. Wow. Say >> this. This is like a dream for me.

[00:07:22]>> And tell everybody your name.

[00:07:24]>> My name is a famous name. Fidel.

[00:07:28]>> Fidel. Fidel from Cuba.

[00:07:30]>> From Cuba.

[00:07:31]>> There goes Fidel. But Ray's calling me somewhere. What are we doing, Ray?

[00:07:35]>> We're on Bottle Beach where I met a guy who moved here a while ago. And he's building stuff out of bamboo. No, no curves. No straight angles. All curves actually. Just curves. And he does it in such a way where it blends in with nature. I think his work is tremendous.

[00:07:53]So, I'm taking Chris to see a one of the builds he's doing. It's for an older beach hotel that was getting tired. It tore down and he's building a whole new lobby for it on Bottle Beach. It's spectacular. And the way he builds is really unique. Oh, he's got coconuts.

[00:08:09]Anything that you see is straight up and down is just for support. Right now, when it's finished, it's only going to be curves. It's all done in in inspired by nature. You'd think you'd think bamboo. Why would you build out of bamboo? it won't last. It's all comes from the mainland. It It's all treated.

[00:08:26]It has a special chemical process that they dip it in liquid and it seals it.

[00:08:32]So, it apparently lasts for like 15 years or something, he told me. And I'll show you over there where they bend it and all these organic shapes start happening. And if there's a feature like a tree or a rock, he starts from there.

[00:08:46]So, in this one, there's a tree right in the middle. And based on that, it's all based on inspiration. He never does two builds the same. It's all built around the surroundings. And when it's done, it actually blends in. Over here, where the workers are, they ship in the straight bamboo. They make little cuts in it all the way along. Every few inches, they cut it. They bend it. Then they get all the pieces together. They strap it together with stainless steel uh screws and and binders. And then it all goes into the main structure which is all supported by these concrete bases. And each piece of each of these pieces of bamboo has been like dipped in a solution that impregnates the cells and makes it not rot. No termites.

[00:10:02]And like they put they they do their curve, they put it in, then they just like get little pieces, hammer it down.

[00:10:09]And even the uh the thatched roof is all done in another town. That's that's all they do there.

[00:10:16]>> And it's that's a lo that's becoming a lost park, too.

[00:10:46]Okay, so this is where we are. I don't even know if you can see me, but hey, this is a gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous little place right here on Bottle Beach.

[00:10:58]Bottle Beach, one of my favorite beaches. If you've never been to Bottle Beach and you come to Copang Dan, then come to Bottle Beach and treat yourself.

[00:11:19]If you do come here, you can't really see it, but up behind me, there's a really cool hike that you could take and and get a get a view that is absolutely to die for.

[00:11:31]>> About here 50 m to there to the left. And so it begins.

[00:11:41]>> This feels like a This feels like a step into the past of Thailand.

[00:11:51]A new uh honeymoon suite. The honeymoon suite is waiting for you. Eves. Are we going all the way up there?

[00:12:01]>> Oh [ __ ] Oh, Eves. This better be worth it.

[00:12:17]Eves, hold me up. Look at behind us.

[00:12:19]Good lord, Eves. We're one missed step from dying. Tell them where we are.

[00:12:24]>> On the top top of the world.

[00:12:44]Heat. Heat.

[00:13:19]I don't even know where the hell I am. I know we've been on a boat and I know I've had a bunch of beers. Now I remember there's a cactus garden here, but we are at the beautiful Bottle Beach. You got to come check it out sometime.

[00:13:35]These bungalows down here are pretty damn epic. Um, you could rent a bungalow here for a very reasonable price and uh enjoy some time at a secluded beach.

[00:13:57]>> So, we're ow [ __ ] my head. My head.

[00:14:02]We're leaving Bottle Beach >> to Havana or Miami.

[00:14:06]>> We're going to Havana.

[00:14:07]>> Havana.

[00:14:08]>> To Havana. Captain, take us there.

[00:14:36]Okay, we got Fidel here.

[00:14:39]>> You've met Fidel. Let Let's meet Steve here. Where were you before Simui and why the hell did you come to Simui?

[00:14:49]>> I was in Bangkok. I was teaching and uh I had an opportunity that I couldn't say no to.

[00:14:54]>> An opportunity he couldn't say no to.

[00:14:57]He's like the godfather.

[00:14:58]>> I was being bored and and miserable. And then I met some some Canadian guys and then my life changed suddenly and we and my life was fun.

[00:15:08]>> Wait, how do you define fun?

[00:15:10]>> Look, look around you. Look around you.

[00:15:13]Look around you. Be careful. Be careful, CHRIS. OH, BE CAREFUL.

[00:15:17]KING OF THE WORLD.

[00:15:20]PLEASE, PLEASE, CHRIS, come down. Come down. Come down. Oh my god. And let me tell you, if you're ever in Kosamui, you look up Captain Eves and you come out on the water speak. Much love.

[00:15:33]>> That's a wrap. That's a wrap.