As part of a boat trip, we stopped off as thousands of tourists had before at Koh Pannyi. I found this village absolutely fascinating. It is dwarfed by an immense limestone protuberance that protects it from the ravages of the monsoons and provides a staggering backdrop as the village comes into view.
It is referred to as the "sea gypsy village", and three families of Muslim immigrants from Indonesia created it a couple of centuries ago. The Thai authorities refused permission for them to reside on the mainland because the Buddhist community was not in favour of Muslims settling there. They were given permission to "build on the sea" and subsequently set about driving the huge mangrove woodpiles into the seabed to provide a firm foundation for their village. It is a truly amazing structure, as it looks as if it can hardly survive a few minutes, and yet the rickety wooden village has stood the test of time and now houses around a thousand people.
Essentially, this is a fishing village that has managed to supplement its income by being well and truly on the tourist map. Locals welcomed our boat as we drew alongside the crude-looking wooden pier, and with some trepidation, we disembarked. The timbers groaned under our weight, and we progressed quickly to the main structure–-the timbers still creaked, but somehow we felt a little more secure, as it now looked like a "proper construction". First stop: the restaurant, and not surprisingly, fish was on the menu. As we sat to enjoy our meal, we kind of forgot the first impression that this was a makeshift construction. We looked across the water, enjoying the superb view, the clear-blue sky, and a well-prepared and tasty meal.
After the meal, we went to explore the rest of the village. The "main street" is narrow and lined with stalls–-it felt a bit like running the gauntlet as the traders desperately tried to catch our attention in their attempt to encourage us to buy. At intervals, piers head off to the sea, and some of these are "residences". A pet monkey was chained to the side of a building, and much to the amusement of many tourists, it clambered over obstacles as if performing for the crowd. A sad sight in my book.
Turn left and head "inland", and you will be able to have a glimpse at the real village. Here we found an assortment of non-tourist shops and heard the "call for prayer". Yes, there is a substantial mosque on this wooden construct, and villagers were responding to the call. Small, cramped houses with crude cooking facilities and bedrooms-cum-living areas were standard, and it is clear that no one "lords it up" in this settlement.
Make sure you visit this place--it really is a cultural experience. Thankfully, we understand, it was unaffected by the 2004 tsunami–-perhaps that protective limestone slab helped!