KOH CHANG, THAILAND – The death of German restaurateur Holger Baum has marked the end of a long-standing chapter in Koh Chang’s culinary life.
The news of Holger Baum’s death on 26 April 2026 spread rapidly across social networks. Known to many as “Metzger Holger” (“Butcher Holger”), he had become a familiar name to both short‑term visitors and long‑time residents of the island. With his passing, an era of German‑language gastronomy on Koh Chang that had shaped the island for decades came to a close.
Baum and his family ran their butcher’s shop and restaurant in the jungle, only a few hundred metres from the Klong Plu waterfall. Every day, they produced specialties based on traditional German craftsmanship: Leberkäse, Cordon Bleu, schnitzel and homemade sausages, all prepared without artificial additives and with evident care. The business was more than just a place to eat; for many Germans and tourists it was an anchor, a spot where people felt understood because the quality and authenticity of the work were unmistakable.
An entrepreneur with character
Baum’s reputation extended beyond the island. On YouTube channels such as the popular “K&K Auswandern Thailand” run by Karl and Korawan, which has more than 4,000 subscribers, he appeared regularly. In these videos he came across as a man who spoke openly about his life, his trade and the realities of emigrating – neither staged nor glossed over. For many German‑speaking emigrants in the DACH region, he became a familiar figure and an example of how to gain a foothold in Thailand in an authentic way.
Online reviews of his butcher’s shop and restaurant told a similar story. Guests wrote about “wonderful schnitzel”, a family‑like atmosphere, generous portions at fair prices and a host who took time for everyone. It was not the language of marketing, but of people who had found a place that felt like home because someone ensured that this place remained genuine.
A gap on Koh Chang
Koh Chang had lost many businesses during the difficult pandemic years, but Baum kept going. That alone said something about his determination and his deep roots on the island. There are, of course, other restaurateurs and entrepreneurs on Koh Chang, including other Germans who have built their lives there, but not everyone combines artisanal pride, personal warmth and unwavering authenticity in the way Baum exemplified for decades.
The butcher’s shop was unlikely to be the same again. A venue without its founder loses the very element that defines it: the person behind it, with his convictions and daily presence. For Koh Chang, this loss meant more than the disappearance of a restaurant; it marked the fading of an era in which it was still possible to run a truly authentic business without fully submitting to the tourism trade.
Holger Baum left behind a family and a community who missed him. German‑speaking long‑term residents and holidaymakers who had ever sat in his restaurant knew that with him they were losing not only a good host, but also a piece of the island’s history.