Discover the unique life of ‘Sea People’ Thailand

Salamak Klathalay, like most of us, lives in a house, on the mainland. But this is a novel experience for the 78-year-old.
Salamak Klathalay is a member of the Moken ethnic group. This is an ethnic group in Southeast Asia, living a nomadic life – sailing, hunting and gathering among the islands of the Mergui Archipelago, claimed by both Thailand and Myanmar. Over the centuries, the Moken have been one of the few groups of people living mainly on the sea, able to hold their breath for long underwater and have an ability to see underwater that is said to be better than any other group or ethnic group.

Mr. Salamak Klathalay. Photo: CNN. This unique way of life came to an abrupt end in 2005, following the 2004 tsunami. The Moken people survived, even completely unscathed after the disaster, relying on the traditional experience of foraging for high ground. than to avoid waves. However, in an effort to assimilate the Moken into Thai culture, the government has moved more than 300 Moken people to more fortified land, in the area of ​​Ko Surin National Park, Phang Nga province. , Southern Thailand. Since then, the Moken have more or less adapted to a relatively modern life. They have gradually built a village with simple wooden and bamboo houses, equipped with solar panels and running water. And for the first time, they get a regular source of income from tourism. Ngoey Klathalay – Head of the village said: “We make money from selling souvenirs to tourists or leading boat tours”; “On average, about 100 tourists visit the village every day.” However, the Covid-19 pandemic suddenly broke out in early 2020, forcing the Thai Government to close to international tourism, losing the almost only source of income for the Moken people. In that moment, the survival instinct – sailing, hunting and gathering again strongly rose up in Moken people. Hook Klathalay, Ngoey’s brother, said: “I’ve been living on this boat for two years.” For Hook, the attraction of the sea prompted him to quickly return to the traditional Moken life. Mr. Hook Klathalay. Photo: CNN Hook and his son built a boat with tools such as nets, hooks, three-pronged spears… and conducted daily hunting trips in various shallow waters. “With just a little rice, we can get the rest of the necessities in the ocean,” says Hook. Hook adds that the pressure of the Covid-19 pandemic has caused the Moken to re-evaluate their way of life; many Mokens told Hook that they wanted to live in a boat, on the ocean. Many Moken people are also gradually returning to hunting, daily collecting shellfish, crustaceans and small fish through rudimentary tools such as knives and spears. However, the sea is not the only source of food for the Moken. They also go to the wooded islands to dig for tubers they call “murung”. Boiled and peeled, the “murung” tuber has a texture and flavor similar to that of a “water chestnut”. Ngoey said: “Since the outbreak of Covid-19, the income of Moken people has decreased, but not much in my opinion; We are not desperate, we are not starving. For a long time we were not dependent on tourism, we only did tourism for a few years. But we will always have the sea.”