Tarutao Ends the Legend of Chao Lay of the Andaman Sea

On June 7, Mr.Wattana Wechaprasit, Head of Tarutao National Park, Muang District, Satun Province revealed that according to surveys on living conditions of chao lay of Lipe Island, Koh Sarai Sub-District, with a total number of approximately 1,400-1,500 people, they are scattered, nomadic, and encroaching park and private land. This has a substantial impact on their quality of life and living conditions. In particular, because the chao lay have limited opportunities for education, they have been used by others as tools to exploit natural, especially marine resources. Therefore, projects to develop the chao lay and bring in orders among them have been initiated. Meetings will be organized to find empty land where they can have a well arranged settlement, which will be the foundation for development.

Mr. Wattana also stated that after a settlement has been organized, there will be projects to promote education, build leaders for self governance, and develop legal employment. Emphasis will be given to tourism, tree planting, aquaculture, life stock, and homestay. Mental development aims at helping the people to reduce and refrain from vices, such as gambling and drug use. Youth in school will be educated with emphasis on marine science, natural resource conservation, and trained as tourist guides.

The success of the projects requires cooperation from chao lay, business operators on Lipe, and governmental agencies. Mr. Wijit Wichaisan, Satun Provincial Governor fully supports the projects. For the future, there will be plans to coordinate with district officials on the mainland to develop sakai people. The plan is to link the chao lay and the sakai to promote a "From Sea to Mountain Tourism Project", a future tourism developmental plan of the province.

Previously, on Surin Islands National Park of Pang-nga Province, a settlement was also organized for the moken. Permanent settlement was offered on an island and they were employed as park employees. The result is that the Moken no longer need to be nomadic in the sea.

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* Sakai people or Orang Asli (Malay language) is a group of people living in jungles around the South of Thailand, the North of Malaysia, and Sumartra. In Thailand, about 200 Sakai people are found in Satun, Yala and Naratiwas provinces.