From this point, looking out to the sea, we are standing directly in front of Tarutao Island, Thailand which is located less than 5 kilometres away. The island was used as a prison in the late 1930's. The existence of sharks and crocodiles in the surrounding sea and shore at that time ensured that only a few could escape alive. Some of those bodies were swept by the sea current to this shore, hence the name Pasir Tengkorak or Sands of the Skull. The waters around Tarutao were once known for its pirates who raided passing merchant ships, dumping the lifeless bodies of their victims into the sea.