Ko Kut (Thai: เกาะกูด, pronounced [kɔ̀ʔ kùːt]), also known as Koh Kood, is an island in the Gulf of Thailand. The island is administered as part of the Ko Kut District in Thailand's Trat Province.
GeographyCoordinates.mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct,.mw-parser-output .geo-inline-hidden{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}11°39′N 102°32′E / 11.650°N 102.533°E | |
Adjacent to | Gulf of Thailand |
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Ko Kut is located in the eastern Gulf of Thailand. The island is the largest of the dozen islands administered as part of the Ko Kut District. The economy of Ko Kut is centered around fishing, agriculture, and tourism. Some sources have described the island as being relatively remote and underdeveloped.[1][2] The island's remoteness and lack of development make it a potential hub for ecotourism.[3][4][5]
The island and the entire Trat province emerged as a crucial trading hub during the Rattanakosin era (1782-1932) due to its strategic location on the route to Siam's capital city. As the Eastern traffic intensified, pirates began to gather in this region and its neighboring islands.[6]
Following the decline of the piracy era, the island's inhabitants primarily relied on cultivating rubber, fruits, and coconut trees until the development of a local tourism industry in the 1990s.
Ko Kut was disputed between Thailand and Cambodia in the mid-60s.[7]