The Plight of the Moken People in Thailand

Over three centuries ago a tribe of people fled political turmoil in Indonesia and adopted a sea bound life. They slowly moved north into both the Gulf of Thailand and also up the Andaman coast. They are found in Thailand and Myanmar. They are a semi nomadic people that call themselves the Moken. In English they are called ‘sea gypsies’. In Thailand they are also referred to as ‘chao le’ which means ‘sea people’. They have suffered discrimination and hardship at the hands of the authorities, and yet the Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004 showed that the Moken people have an ancient knowledge that should not be lost.

The Moken people are of Austronesian ethnicity. They speak an Indonesian dialect and maintain their own culture and religious beliefs. There are about 3,000 Moken people. Traditionally the men spend their time fishing while the women stay in basic villages on the beach. They supplement their fish diet with a small amount of agriculture. As is the case with globalization the Moken have been forced to have considerable contact with the outside world. This has bought economic benefits but also a ‘pollution’ of their traditional culture.

Many Moken are found in Turatao National Park. The chao le were encouraged to settle in the region by the Thai authorities as a way of strengthening their claims to the islands that the British at the time were keen to turn into colonies.

The Moken set up at Koh Lipe and Koh Adang. Where once they were useful they became regarded as a nuisance when the national park was set up and fishing was officially made illegal. The Moken protested this law that prohibited their right to pursue their traditional way of life. At present the Moken are tolerated, but the law has not changed. Rather they are allowed to break the law.

Koh Lipe is a popular tourist destination. Foreigners make trips out to their village to take photos of the Moken. Many of the women have taken jobs working in restaurants catering for tourists. The men often supplement their income from fishing by taking tourists out to snorkeling spots.

The Thai authorities have been keen to try and include the Moken in the Thai nation. The Queen visited villages and gave several people Thai surnames. Since then teachers started educating the Moken children. Sadly, with education comes propaganda. In the Moken case the Thais have tried to convert them to Buddhism.

In the Gulf of Thailand Moken are found in the Ang Thong National Park on Koh Paluay. The park is otherwise uninhabited. They are visited by groups of tourists.

Just off Taling Ngam beach in Koh Samui there are five small islands. These islands are the exclusive preserve of Moken. They jealously guard their rights to the islands because they have discovered a good means of income. They collect birds’ nests which they sell to Chinese traders. In Hong Kong these birds’ nests fetch thousands of dollars per kilo. An enterprising foreigner who runs the Five Islands Restaurant has struck a deal with the Moken. They allow him to bring tour groups to the island.

The Moken have found their niche in Thailand. The Moken of Koh Lipe and Koh Adang are angry that they are officially breaking the law by fishing. Other Moken have made accommodations with the tourist industry of Thailand.

The Thais should seek to preserve Moken culture rather than dilute it. The Moken living along the Andaman coast noticed a change in sea level on 26th December, 2004. They immediately knew something was wrong. They evacuated inland and thus saved many people from the ensuing tsunami. UNESCO has recognized the valuable skills that the Moken possess and have made attempts to preserve Moken culture.