Playing on Stilts

Insights into a special Thai village – Koh Panyee.

Nga Phang

On the way to one of the magical places on earth, Nga Phang Bay. The most important attractions of Phang Nga province are related to the extraordinary geological formations of the area. These have produced a multitude of islands, caves and bizarre rock formations, the most spectacular of which can be admired in the marine national parks of Phang Nga Bay. Among other things we visit the stilt village Koh Panyee. The roofs already belong to the village. The village is also often called Sea Gypsy Village, Sea Gypsy Island or Floating Village. The people live from fishing and tourism, every day many excursion boats stop here for lunch.

Thailand Kindergarten Panyee

Kindergarten on Koh Panyee: A girl prepares a gift basket for an occasion I am not familiar with. The stilt village Koh Panyee in Phang Nga Bay has about 1600 inhabitants who are 100% Muslims. They come from 3 families from Java (Indonesia) and settled on Koh Panyee about 200 years ago.

Thailand Kindergarten Panyee Kinder

With a lot of cheering and joy the children play in the kindergarten. Their shady playground lies directly above the splashing sea.

Garden behind the house overlooking the limestone rock and the mosque.

Next to the "garden" is the terrace of the house, washing machine and dining room find plenty of space.

Koh Panyee Küche

View into the "kitchen" of one of the numerous restaurants: A woman sits on the floor and cuts vegetables for the many delicious fish dishes.

In the restaurant sit our companions, a small family whose boat can be rented for excursions in the Nga Phang Bay. At the end of the tour we have invited them for lunch. The whole tour was kindly accompanied by the family with wife and children. Understanding so lala, he speaks reasonably good English.

View from the football field over the village with its distinctive rock, on the right side is the kindergarten.

The football field, a unicum. When there are waves, dribbling on the pitch is made more difficult by movement under the legs.

Koh Panyee Boot

At the end of the tour a Thai family got into the boat on the way back to us. The visit of the village is one of the memories that remains, we have seen much more that day, but more of it another time.

More pictures from Koh Panyee:

The Two Worlds Lights of a city

3 Comments

  1. Sehr schöne Bilder und eine faszinierende Reportage. Stelzenhäuser und diese ganz besonderen Limestones haben wir auch in Vietnam und Myanmar bewundert. Diese Szenen hier erinnern mich daran und wecken sofort neues Fernweh.

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