Phu Quoc, is it too late to visit?

And then we took the bus to the border with Vietnam, where for one dollar a fixer arranged our crossing - I did not think we would have needed it but I am happy to create mini jobs -, had the shortest and cheapest medical examination (another dollar) and got us to Ha Tien in Vietnam, where we had lunch and waited to board on the ferry.
Arriving to Phu Quoc is an adventure. There is so much fuss and expectation about the island. The mountains in the interior are indeed lushy green and surprisingly untouched, but the island is no tropical paradise. And it must have been, judging by the yellow sanded, turquoise and serene waters of Long Beach, a 10 miles never ending beach that goes from south all the way to Duong Dong, the main city in the island. But this patch of coast has been heavily built and developed in the South East Asian way (see Boracay). Construction is everywhere in the island, so much so that locals wear a face musk so they don't have to breathe the dust and gravel caused by the ubiquitous construction trucks; and construction works twentyfourseven, day and night, at a breakneck speed. Many hotels have been opened without roads to drive through and, okey, maybe it is just the Vietnamese fast-paced way, however it is such a fragile balance that it is hard to be optimistic. We will have to wait and see what Phu Quoc turns into. Given the whole of unchecked trash which abounds in Vietnam, and specially the sewage pipes popping from everywhere in the beaches I get the impression that Phu Quoc has its days numbered, or at least the paradise beaches that must have been Long Beach and definitely Bai Sao.
Bai Sao is for some the best beach; it has white powdery sands, tall palm trees, crystal clear water - away from the sewage pipes - and no hotels built right into the beach, apart from the restaurant area in the middle which actually makes for a nice spot to hang out on a chair or have lunch. I absolutely loved Bai Sao, although the sunsets and calm waters at Long Beach are hard to beat.
Being part of Vietnam, Phu Quoc is another foodie paradise. Seafood is unbelievable, and many restaurants have fish in aquariums ready to be cooked at the Night Market. Vietnamese food is one of the healthiest in the planet, as well as tasty and delicious, so just visiting Vietnam for its food makes it a good enough reason for coming over. Then add these beaches and the sweetest people and anyone will forgive the destruction of its coast. Or maybe some not. I am torn between both.
Because of the rapid transformation of the island - despite the mountains being green and still undeveloped - the coast has given way to an endless ring of hotels, houses and other developments, and there many people who moved from the mainland, and even from neighbor countries as I checked with my hotel staff. I was surprised when the receptionist told me he worked a shift of only  one day off every two weeks. In fact most of the locals come from the mainland, rushing to take a bit of the tourism rush. I really hope this island, which is still a paradise in a way. manages to find a way to survive in a sustainable way, because the real wealth is its people.