10 Top tips to surviving monsoon in Koh Tao

Mum holding up the sky before the storm rolls in

Whilst no one can predict what the upcoming monsoon will be like, we can all be prepared. Our monsoon season takes place between October and the beginning of December. The past few years have been hit or miss, in fact, Koh Tao didn't have much rain for around 2-3 years causing a drought, the trees on the mountain turned a yellowy green, water was being shipped in to fill tanks and many of us found ourselves having to shower at friends houses once our wells had run out. However, Koh Tao has since been making up for this, this January we were hit with massive flooding causing damages to many homes and businesses, check out this video. Whilst that was rather unpleasant, we have to be thankful for our rainfall as we rely on the rain as our primary water source. Even though monsoon can be pretty wet, that's not to say we don't have sunshine for weeks on end, it's actually rather refreshing, the temperature cools and we are rewarded with some of the most amazing sunsets we have during the whole year. Don't let the rain put you off coming to Koh Tao, the monsoon is a magical and a truly wonderful experience where you can dance in the rain, go for a swim in the ocean or watch the clouds roll in from your balcony.

Here are 10 tips on surviving monsoon on Koh Tao

1. Save during high season

Koh Tao is a tourist destination with seasonal busy spells, however, during the monsoon period, the island tends to quieten down which is a great opportunity to recharge your batteries and get ready for the December high season. But... you need to plan ahead for this, the low season can mean low income which is why you need to be prepared and bank some cash to get you through this quiet time.

2. Stock up on supplies

Head to 7 eleven, Ice shop, Pods, Aukotan and Chaiwat, grab some cans of beans, soup, mama noodles, freezer meals, cigarettes, toilet paper, water etc.. You will regret not doing this on a wet day when you really don't want to leave the house and drive through the partially flooded roads, even more so if you have cuts or mosquito bites which are likely to turn into an infection. During November the waves can get pretty high so the night boat may be cancelled, sometimes for days, which means our islands supplies can't reach us, shelves will get low in stock, 7 eleven will run out of ham and cheese toasties and restaurants will be buying up any fresh good and meat which is why it's handy to have your emergency stockpile at hand. On a positive note, I have never once seen this island run out of beer so if you do get stuck, head to Banyan bar for some amazing home cooked food and a cold beer.

3. Keep a raincoat in your motorbike seat

It does not rain all the time but be prepared to go for lunch and dinner and the weather to change in a
matter of minutes. You can buy cheap basic raincoats in most shops including 7 eleven for around 40 baht, they fold up really small so can easily fit in your handbag or motorbike seat.

4. Avoid denim

It is so tempting to put on your jeans with the change in temperature but you need to keep in mind that things just don't dry which means you'll find yourself washing your jeans more often, this for me is a sin as I like some of mine to stay the colour I bought them and, keeping in mind it's low season (low income), denim is heavy increasing your laundry bill.

5. Invest in Netflix

OK, so I imagine everyone has already done this, I have only recently joined and can not believe how fantastic it is. If you don't have a TV you can watch on your laptop or smartphone by downloading the app. It costs around 434 baht a month but can be shared between 5 people and has this amazing technology where it suggests movies, series and documentaries based on your previous selections and stores the point where you finished up on any of your selections. I have set up an account for each family member (minus my husband, as he shares with his family) and what that means is that Crew can watch Teletubbies, Phoenix can watch Skylander academy and I can watch my horror movies without affecting each others 'Netflix intelligence', the kids also will not have inappropriate movie suggestions either... Hope that makes sense, anyway our family are huge fans. I should also mention that you do need the Internet for this service, I can run mine off of 3G if need be, otherwise, you can download movie and series when you have a strong WIFI connection, which is how we managed with our baby during our travels.

6. Open up your wardrobes

This is my absolute least favourite part of monsoon, the mould, be prepared to have your clothes and wardrobe become mouldy. Remember not to put clothes you've already worn in with clean clothes and keep those doors open to get some air circulation, I have known people to have fans blowing through their clothes to avoid the dreaded mould and smell (which is very difficult to get out... I have a recipe for this which I may include later). The best way to deal with this inevitable problem is to avoid it as much as possible. So my second tip here is to wash clothes you're not likely to wear and seal them in either a vacuum bag or a strong bin bag, the key to this is keeping them airtight. I have found myself washing our entire wardrobes amounting to 53 washes just to get clothes fresh again, now we vacuum pack them and have a smaller amount of clothes which we hang in our wardrobe. Then simply wipe out the wardrobe with Dettol and bleach and after monsoon re-hang our stored clothes which remain clean and fresh.

7. Clean your cuts and mosquito bites often

Infected bite

As I mention before, infections are more likely to occur in monsoon as you'll find yourself more likely to walk or drive through the dirty stagnant water. You'll be surprised at how quickly a tiny mosquito bite can suddenly turn into a large infected wound, this not only scars skin terribly but also can lead to staph infections which need to be avoided at all costs. The best tip I can give for this is to clean wounds often when you do get out and about and cover them as much as possible during the day as there will also be an increase in bugs, flies and mosquitoes during the rainy spells. Keep dressing off at night in the comfort of your own home. Leggings are also a good solution for ladies and lightweight trousers for men can help avoid these bites to begin with, and keep unwanted dirt out. This tip is handy throughout the year or after an accident etc..

8. Keep a torch handy

Power cuts can happen at any given time so be prepared with a torch next to your bed and keep your phone credit topped up as this also means you will likely lose your WIFI Internet. Keeping your laptop fully charged as often as possible will help as you can also charge your phone thru this and tether your Internet.

9. Bulk cook and freeze

My freezer contents

Monsoon is a great time to catch up with friends and if you're looking to save some cash why not team up together and bulk cook some meals to freeze for later. If you're craving a big bowl of spaghetti bolognese, cooking it yourself and sharing costs with friends makes this meal a fraction of the price. For example, I cook around 8-10 portions for approx 400 baht plus the cost of pasta (500g/5 portions for 75 baht), which works out around 55 baht per person... that's not bad at all.
This is how I manage to feed my large family on a budget here, although I must say it is far cheaper for single people to eat out than my family of 5-6. This is just a great way to enjoy some home foods in the comfort of your own home during the wet season.

10. Dry November 

This is an optional tip but a good one I think. Why not use the monsoon season to take a break from the booze, give your liver a break and see how much you save!! I am now 5 and a half weeks into my alcohol break and I feel great, I've saved a ridiculous amount of money and have managed to achieve some huge work related goals.... Just a thought LOL...

I hope you have all found these tips useful and if I missed anything important, feel free to comment at the bottom. :)