Moken grandmother with her 18-day old granddaughter.
She is singing a song of life to her grandchild as her husband softly plays the drums.
The Moken tribe's small village is located on the island of Koh Surin Nuea, one of the 5 Surin Islands off the coast of Thailand.
The Surin Islands are located in the Andaman Sea, 38 miles west of the mainland of Thailand and 6 miles from the Thailand-Myanmar border.
The Surin Islands are one of the very few untouched places in Thailand. Aside from the national park premises and the small Moken village, there are no other buildings on the 5 Surin islands.
The Surin Islands are located in the Andaman Sea, 38 miles west of the mainland of Thailand and 6 miles from the Thailand-Myanmar border.
The Surin Islands are one of the very few untouched places in Thailand. Aside from the national park premises and the small Moken village, there are no other buildings on the 5 Surin islands.
We started our 3-day adventure trip to the Surin islands from Ronong on the mainland of Thailand. We were met by our adventure guide, who told us her Thai name was so long and difficult to pronounce that she goes by the nickname "2E". We all boarded a speed boat with its high powered engines that had 3 times the horsepower of my Toyota Camry!
An hour and a quarter later, our high powered speed boat had taken us 38 miles out at sea to the Surin Islands. We landed at the Mo Ko Surin National Park.
The water was breathtakingly beautiful! The sand was like walking on confection sugar. The crystal clear, warm water was oh, so inviting!
We camped in a tent on the Mai Ngam Beach for 3 days.
Here's Jeff's and my tent.
Talk about a room with a view!
It was heavenly!
2E, Jeff and I went snorkeling multiple times each day to the different Surin Islands. 2E had arranged for us to have the Moken tribal chief, Nguey Klatalay, be our snorkeling guide. Nguey brought his brother who steered the boat. We were driven to the different Surin islands in a "long-tail" boat powered by a car motor attached to a long shaft with a propeller at the end.
Our Moken snorkeling guide, Nguey, in the foreground and his brother on the rudder.
2E translated what our wonderful Moken guide shared about each island's astoundingly beautiful coral reefs and what marine life we might well see.
The snorkeling was sensational. The rich biodiversity of the Andaman Sea with its translucent water was surreal. Throughout our 3 days of snorkeling, we swam over vibrant blue coral and pink coral. We saw stunning blue starfish, massive giant clams and huge sea fans many as large as tabletops.
We saw a beautiful hawkbill turtle and swam with her for quite a while. It was magical.
We also saw many parrotfish.
The Moken tribe do not kill the parrotfish. They protect them for they know the parrotfish eat the algae growing on the coral thus preventing the coral from being suffocated.
One day we even had a black-tipped shark swim under us and then quickly scoot along! We were told that they are not aggressive. But it was still a shark!
We were amazed by the multitude of technicolor fish. The Surin Islands are home to over 1,400 different species of fish that come in all shapes, sizes, and behaviors. In fact, we were surrounded by more abundant varieties of fish than are in most aquariums.
In addition to the 1,400 different species of fish, there are 300 species of echinoderms (starfish, sea urchins, sand dollars, and sea cucumbers), numerous small and massive clams and mollusks, not to mention dolphins, sharks, in particular, the elusive whale sharks (which arrive in March April),
and manta rays to name just a few of the stunning sea creatures. Incidentally, the Manta rays have the largest brain of any fish. In the Andaman Sea, the Manta rays can be 23 feet in width.
In addition to our amazing snorkeling adventures, we also had the exceptional experience of spending time with our Moken guide's family in his village on the Surin Island of Ko Surin Nua.
Koh Surin Nuea is the home to an indigenous community of around 150 Moken.
Koh Surin Nuea is the home to an indigenous community of around 150 Moken.
Our Moken guide's village lines the shore.
To the Moken, the sea is their universe. For hundreds of years, the Moken were called "chao-lay" or "sea gypsies" for they lived a semi-nomadic life relying heavily on the sea. Until the 1981, whole families of the Moken would spend of their entire life living in their boats, called "kabangs",
traveling from bay to bay throughout the Surin islands, living on shellfish, sea cucumbers, and fish.
The Moken are very spiritual and practice "animatism". This is the belief that all objects, places, plants, creatures, weather systems, rivers, human handiwork, and even words possess a distinct spiritual presence and are alive. To them, all the world is animated and filled with spirits.
This sacred shrine, located at the village entrance, is flanked by these carved, painted wooden poles called "spirit poles". They are sacred symbols which the Moken believe enable them to communicate with the spirits.
The Moken speak a unique native language, yet they have no written language. Their oral history is passed from generation to generation in folklore, legend, and songs.
It is particularly noteworthy that some words which are common in Western languages do not have any equivalent in the Mokan language. For instance, the Moken have no word for "worry". Other words that do not exist in the Moken language are "want", "take" or "mine" which is reflective of their culture of sharing and giving. The concept of individual possession of the land does not exist.
In 1981, the 5 Surin islands were established as the Mu Koh National Park, bringing profound changes to the Moken way of life. Government restrictions were placed on how much the Mokens could hunt and gather from the reefs, beaches, and forests in this newly "Protected Area" of the National Park. For instance, now the Moken are not permitted to cut any trees. So there is no wood with which to build their kabong boats. The art of making a kabong is literally dying out with the older generation. In addition, the Moken are also limited to the number of fish they can kill.
The kabong is at the heart of the Moken's former life, seen as part of the family. Their innate way of life, living as sea gypsies, traveling in kabongs, and living off of the bounties of the sea are now prohibited because their islands and the Andaman Sea surrounding each island are a "protected area" owned by the Thai government.
Nowadays the Mokens are permanently located in a small village built on stilts on the water's edge on the Surin island of Koh Surin Nuea.
The Moken survived the devastating December 26, 2004 tsunami unscathed because they listened to their village elders who recalled the generational folklore tale about the evil "Laboon". The legend of Laboon reveals, "When the land argues with the sea, the sea goes away, but always comes back to take revenge. It brings Laboon, the wave that eats people."
After lunch on December 26, 2004, the sea retreated, revealing an unprecedented exposure of shoreline. The elder knew the legendary Laboon was coming and immediately ordered everyone to run away from the sea and up into the jungle's mountains. All heeded this warning and it is said that within a half an hour later, the 100 foot wall of water hit their village and annihilated it. Miraculously, every Moken survived! Tragically, the same can not be said for the 30,000 lives that were lost on the other islands and mainland of Thailand.
The Moken village after the tsunami.
It is especially significant to note that the first place in Thailand to be hit by the tsunami was the Surin Island where the Moken live. Laboon unloaded all its furry on the Moken village. From there the tsunami traveled to the mainland of Thailand to wreak havoc and devastation.
Below is an excellent youtube on the Moken:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwOsGGiJMpM
After the tsunami, the world discovered the Moken. Few, if any, foreigners spoke their unique language. The shy Moken, faced with their newfound notoriety of having escaped the tsunami unharmed, were unaccustomed to western culture and confused with the attention and commotion.
The Moken village was rebuilt in 2005 by Thai government assistance which brought in generators for electricity. They restructured the Moken village with an emphasis on western housing. The huts were built in a regimented line and extremely close together instead of the traditional Moken method of leaving generous space between the huts.
This housing proximity proved deadly. Just last year, the village was destroyed again. This time not by Laboon, but by man.
Just after sunset on February 3, 2019, a generator caught on fire and exploded. The layout of the village, three rows of huts made from bamboo and dried pandanus (palm) trees, packed so closely together that their roofs were almost touching, enabled to flames to spread at a frightening speed, "like a fire spirit dancing from roof to roof". Within 30 minutes all 61 huts were swallowed by flames.
The entire village was ablaze and then incinerated. The Moken said this was more disastrous than the 2004 tsunami. After the tsunami, they were able to recover some belongings. But this time, because of the fire, nothing was left.
Below is a photo of the scorched remains of the Moken village.
While miraculously the was no loss of life, 273 people were left homeless, all their belongings were gone, from cooking pots to clothes, work materials and tools, life savings and generations-old family heirlooms. Some charities stepped forward and donated clothing, household goods, pots, pans etc. The rainy season, which arrives at the end of March, was fast approaching. There was a rush to rebuild and limited funding.
The village was rebuilt, once again by the government, and, once again, the bamboo huts with palm leaf roofs were built in the confined space layout, 3 rows of small huts packed into the same tight space, adjacent to one another, built with the same flammable materials.
Every rebuilt hut is still very small;
however, the government did install in all the huts solar panels
and many have satellite dishes. TV is the norm in many homes now. This occupies young minds instead of hearing stories of lore and their oral history.
Poverty by western standards is also the norm.
By being forced to stay in one location, and not being allowed to be sea gypsies, the stringent restrictions from the government has challenged the very livelihood, culture, and destiny of the Moken.
Many tourists visit the Moken village by arriving in the one-day tour boats to see the Surin Islands. They arrive at the Moken village, take a few photos and stay for less than an hour. Then they are on their way back to the mainland.
Above: A Moken mother with her baby resting in the shade.
Below: These two adorable girls are swinging and cooling off in the shady spot below their home.
Here's 2E is admiring the handmade woven basket. The lovely Moken woman's hand-dyed, handwoven basket took 2 days to make and cost 60 cents.
We were taught how to weave these patterns for a bracelet. It is not easy!
One of the two days we were at the Moken village, a barber arrived. It had been many months since he was last there. The Moken boys and men were very excited.
His mother, Sabai, is in her late 60's and has 11 children. Now she is blind.
Sabai is one of the last Mokan in the village to have spent the majority of her life on a kabong. She longs for that life of freedom on the sea. She wishes her children and grandchildren could have had the life that she had. This is a sentiment among many Moken who yearn for the nomadic life, a life of freedom on the sea, before they were permanently housed on this island.
Here Sabai is singing traditional folk songs with her husband, Tat, who is accompanying her on his simple wooden drum called a "ba nang". Sabai is the last person in her village who can sing these plaintive ballads. Many are concerned that when she passes, so too will pass these traditional Moken rhythms and words of their once nomadic culture.
Here Sabai is singing a song of life to her 18 day old granddaughter as her husband accompanies her on his drums.
Definitely not as easy as it looks.
We also learned how to row a Moken
"sa pan" which is a wooden dugout canoe that is extremely unstable.
The Moken have a unique method of rowing. The oars are crossed.
One is supposed to stand as one rows. I preferred to sit so I wouldn't tip over!
Nguey's son hopped in the bow of my boat to help with stability.
And I was off !
Getting out was definitely harder than getting in!
The Moken village was rebuilt in 2005 by Thai government assistance which brought in generators for electricity. They restructured the Moken village with an emphasis on western housing. The huts were built in a regimented line and extremely close together instead of the traditional Moken method of leaving generous space between the huts.
This housing proximity proved deadly. Just last year, the village was destroyed again. This time not by Laboon, but by man.
Just after sunset on February 3, 2019, a generator caught on fire and exploded. The layout of the village, three rows of huts made from bamboo and dried pandanus (palm) trees, packed so closely together that their roofs were almost touching, enabled to flames to spread at a frightening speed, "like a fire spirit dancing from roof to roof". Within 30 minutes all 61 huts were swallowed by flames.
The entire village was ablaze and then incinerated. The Moken said this was more disastrous than the 2004 tsunami. After the tsunami, they were able to recover some belongings. But this time, because of the fire, nothing was left.
Below is a photo of the scorched remains of the Moken village.
While miraculously the was no loss of life, 273 people were left homeless, all their belongings were gone, from cooking pots to clothes, work materials and tools, life savings and generations-old family heirlooms. Some charities stepped forward and donated clothing, household goods, pots, pans etc. The rainy season, which arrives at the end of March, was fast approaching. There was a rush to rebuild and limited funding.
The village was rebuilt, once again by the government, and, once again, the bamboo huts with palm leaf roofs were built in the confined space layout, 3 rows of small huts packed into the same tight space, adjacent to one another, built with the same flammable materials.
Every rebuilt hut is still very small;
however, the government did install in all the huts solar panels
and many have satellite dishes. TV is the norm in many homes now. This occupies young minds instead of hearing stories of lore and their oral history.
Poverty by western standards is also the norm.
By being forced to stay in one location, and not being allowed to be sea gypsies, the stringent restrictions from the government has challenged the very livelihood, culture, and destiny of the Moken.
As a way of "helping" the Moken living permanently in their protected area, the Thai government established an elementary school. The teacher arrives daily from the mainland (weather permitting) and teaches in a one-room schoolhouse. She is mandated by law to teach the classes in Thai, not in the Moken native tongue. Consequently, there is an entire generation of youth who know very few Moken words. There are also future generations who will not know Moken at all and only Thai.
After elementary school, students can go to the mainland to further their education. These students are discriminated against because their skin is a distinctive, darker, chestnut brown color. They look different than the other Thai, many of whom place a value of social importance based on one's paler skin. The darker skinned Moken are labeled "dirty" and asked by many Thai children and adults, "why should you go our to school?"
Above: A Moken mother with her baby resting in the shade.
Below: These two adorable girls are swinging and cooling off in the shady spot below their home.
2E works for a non-profit organization that is helping the Moken learn how to monetize tourism and become more independent.
Here's 2E is admiring the handmade woven basket. The lovely Moken woman's hand-dyed, handwoven basket took 2 days to make and cost 60 cents.
We were taught how to weave these patterns for a bracelet. It is not easy!
One of the two days we were at the Moken village, a barber arrived. It had been many months since he was last there. The Moken boys and men were very excited.
This young gentleman was very proud of his new haircut.
Moken children learn to swim before they can walk. They learn to "free dive" at a young age, holding their breath underwater and swimming down to the reef's sandy bottom, collecting sea cucumbers and shellfish. They can see clearly underwater for they have learned at an early age how to contract their pupils! It is astounding.
The Moken freediving ability is incredible! "They can dive to depths of over 60 feet on a single breath, stay there for several minutes and control their buoyancy without the need for weights, allowing them to walk across the seabed or remain motionless, suspended above their prey.
The Moken still hunt sustainably with spears and have developed their own techniques for attracting fish, such as blowing a stream of bubbles to lure certain species or lowering rope with leaves attached, creating a natural reef. They only ever take enough to fulfill their immediate needs."
The Moken freediving ability is incredible! "They can dive to depths of over 60 feet on a single breath, stay there for several minutes and control their buoyancy without the need for weights, allowing them to walk across the seabed or remain motionless, suspended above their prey.
The Moken still hunt sustainably with spears and have developed their own techniques for attracting fish, such as blowing a stream of bubbles to lure certain species or lowering rope with leaves attached, creating a natural reef. They only ever take enough to fulfill their immediate needs."
A wonderful youtube of the Moken's extraordinary ability to see underwater is:
On multiple days, we were most fortunate to experience the Moken village. One day we received an unexpected invitation to have lunch in the home of our Moken snorkeling guide, Nguey Klatalay, who is the chief of the village. It was a privilege to be invited into his home.
We met his family members: his father, Tat, his mother, Sabai, his wife, and 3 young sons, all 7 (including himself) of whom live in the small hut built on bamboo stilts on the edge of the Andaman Sea.
Here's the view from the inside of his home.
His mother, Sabai, is in her late 60's and has 11 children. Now she is blind.
Sabai is one of the last Mokan in the village to have spent the majority of her life on a kabong. She longs for that life of freedom on the sea. She wishes her children and grandchildren could have had the life that she had. This is a sentiment among many Moken who yearn for the nomadic life, a life of freedom on the sea, before they were permanently housed on this island.
Here Sabai is singing traditional folk songs with her husband, Tat, who is accompanying her on his simple wooden drum called a "ba nang". Sabai is the last person in her village who can sing these plaintive ballads. Many are concerned that when she passes, so too will pass these traditional Moken rhythms and words of their once nomadic culture.
Here Sabai is singing a song of life to her 18 day old granddaughter as her husband accompanies her on his drums.
Nguey also taught us how to spearfish but without the fish. After receiving instructions, he tossed two huge stalks from a banana tree out in the ocean and waited for us to perfect our method. After numerous tries, and I do mean numerous tries, we each speared it!
Jeff tried and speared it.
And I tried it
I speared it !
We also learned how to row a Moken
"sa pan" which is a wooden dugout canoe that is extremely unstable.
The Moken have a unique method of rowing. The oars are crossed.
One is supposed to stand as one rows. I preferred to sit so I wouldn't tip over!
Nguey's son hopped in the bow of my boat to help with stability.
And I was off !
Getting out was definitely harder than getting in!
Jeff did a great job when it was his turn.
Then I got in and Jeff did all the work!
Ahhh, this is the life!
Later we went out snorkeling again with other members of Nyuey's family. It was another great day of snorkeling. It was especially fun to share it with our new friends! One doesn't necessarily need to know another's language in order to communicate happiness and joy.
It was sad to say goodbye to our new Mogan friends, but after our glorious 3 days on the Surin Islands, it was time to go back to the mainland. We took with us our rich memories of the sea-gypsies and the abundant life under the Andaman Sea.
