After 19 years, I returned to the Thai island of Ko Lipe, where I spent about a month in 2006. Back then, it was one of those places visited only by the bravest travelers, where electricity worked for just a few hours a day, basic bungalows on the beach were rented for about 2 USD, and there was indeed the last boat of the season.

There was so much to do here, but the main thing was this. You would hang out on the beach, read books, snorkel, return to the beach, drink beers at the only beach bar on the island, switch up meals at five restaurants, and go to bed early.

It was a paradise – and a place where many people got stuck. Days easily turned into weeks.

If you were to ask me the most important moment of my travels, I would say the time I spent in Ko Lipe. I made great friends, relaxed, met the locals, learned a bit of Thai, and lived that ideal backpacker life that we all dream of.

Over the years, I avoided returning to Ko Lipe because the memory of the time I spent there was so strong that I didn't want to ruin it. Any revisit would be trying to recreate a magic that would not have the people who made it special. Like chasing travel ghosts. And, knowing that my sleepy paradise had developed significantly over the years, I was afraid to see it.

Tourism in Thailand is progressing unsustainably. No island is really developing well. It’s all about build, build, build.

And I didn't want to see Ko Lipe like this.

However, while planning my recent trip to Southeast Asia, returning to Ko Lipe seemed logical. I was heading towards the Indian Ocean side of Thailand on my way to Malaysia, and I would pass through there.

And since I was looking for a lively place for New Year's Eve, it seemed like the best option. I knew there would be travelers there, and especially considering that one of Ko Lipe's boats went to Langkawi, other nearby islands weren't suitable either.

So, I gathered my courage and went.

And I regret to report that Ko Lipe has adopted the tourism model of Ko Phi Phi and is now overdeveloped.

In an unsustainable way.

Most of the island is now paved with asphalt, old dirt paths have turned into concrete roads. Expanses of palm trees are now occupied by luxury resorts with pools (on an island without a natural water source). More resort construction is rapidly ongoing. The corals around the island are dying, victims of boats, anchors, pollution, and overfishing. The beaches are now overcrowded with boats, their exhaust flowing into the ocean and leaving a bright film you can see when you swim. Restaurants cater to tourists seeking poor Western cuisine, not the wonderful Thai cuisine.

The explosion of the island has displaced many locals, who had to sell to developers on the mainland, and most of the island's workforce now comes from the mainland. They are not benefiting much from this tourism boom.

Ko Lipe lies as another victim of Thailand's rampant overdevelopment and exploitation of limited resources.

I met many people who loved the island there. If you go for the first time, I can understand why you would love it. After all, the area is postcard-perfect, the water is a magnificent blue, the sand is a beautiful white, and because you are surrounded by a national park, many tours take you to some deserted islands.

And compared to Ko Phi Phi, Krabi, or Phuket, I can't blame someone visiting here for the first time for saying "wow!" since it is less developed.

However, when I think about the island and its overdevelopment, I arrived at the same conclusion I did about Ko Phi Phi: people should not visit here.

I'm not against growth, but I am against this kind of growth. It is not managed sustainably, and going there will further strain the island's limited resources. The genie cannot be put back in the bottle, and no local will say, "Okay, I will go hungry so you can live your idealized world dream."

But this is not the way.

And with many better-managed islands (Ko Lanta, Ko Jum, and Ko Mook, all nearby), I recommend skipping Ko Lipe.

A visit there will only make things worse.

It saddens me to say this because it was such a beautiful place, and my first visit there had a huge impact on my life. But if we are to be good managers and travelers, sometimes we have to say enough.

And Ko Lipe is a place where the time has come to say enough.

Go to another better-managed place.

Because your choices have an impact.

Elephant rides in Thailand ended when consumers became more conscious. Eco-friendly accommodations became popular thanks to consumers. Overtourism is being talked about by consumers as much as by locals.

Maybe if enough people start doing something, Ko Lipe will change.

I’m skeptical, but we must hope.

But at least by not going, you are not contributing to the problem.