Paper short abstract:

By analysing places on Koh Tao (Thailand) the authors will show, that the boundaries between "insiders" & "outsiders" are not permanent but constantly reconstructed. Drawing on ethnographic field research the paper will clarify geographic and social barriers between locals and non-locals on Koh Tao.

Paper long abstract:

The paper will deal with Koh Tao, an island situated in the Gulf of Thailand, which covers an area of about 21km². Koh Tao has become a major tourist attraction in recent years. With the influx of "outsiders" on the island geographical and social boundaries changed. The article will show that although small, Koh Tao has a diverse population structure. Thus one can not only distinguish tourists from locals but has to account for other groups as well, e.g. seasonal workers. Due to this diversity there are a large number of different social and geographical spaces and places. Nevertheless the boundaries between "insiders" and "outsiders" are not static, and can change depending on different variables. E.g. different types of tourists prefer different places, while some tourist types tend to invade more local space others stay in their "designated" spaces. The paper traces these boundaries and shows that they can blur, be partially lifted or can harden. While tourists, as a rule, prefer spaces and places that are closer to the beach, locals spend their free time in more secluded spaces with a more private character. By means of analysing spaces on Koh Tao the authors will show that boundaries between locals and non-locals are always dynamic and are restructured constantly. The analysis will build on field research, conducted in 2009, of one of the authors.

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