The moken sea nomads

Often called sea nomads or sea gypsies, the Moken are seafaring people who have been living on the Andaman Sea in Thailand for centuries. Due to stricter border control, commercial overfishing, rapid development, and tourism, the Moken have gradually been forced to adopt a settled lifestyle. Today, the Moken who live in Koh Surin National Park - one of Thailand's most remote group of islands - have it better than many of their kin. They are still able to live a lifestyle largely based on tradition and the sea. On these islands, it's possible to see free-diving Moken men spearfishing in the water and groups of women foraging along the shores, tidal pools, and mud flats.

Oft als Seenomaden oder Seezigeuner bezeichnet sind die Moken seefahrende Menschen, die seit Jahrhunderten auf der Andaman See in Thailand gelebt haben. Aufgrund strengerer Grenzkontrollen, kommerzieller Überfischung, schneller Entwicklung und Tourismus, waren die Moken allmählich gezwungen, sich von ihrem dauerhaften Lebensstil zu verabschieden. Heute haben es die Moken, die im Koh Surin Nationalpark leben - eine von Thailands abgelegensten Inselgruppe - besser als viele ihrer Verwandten. Sie sind immer noch in der Lage, einen Lebensstil weitgehend nach Tradition und der Basis des Meeres zu leben. Auf diesen Inseln, ist es für die Männer der Moken möglich, frei zu tauchen Speerfischen im Wasser und für die Frauen entlang der Ufer, der Gezeiten Pools und dem Wattenmeer Nahrung zu suchen.

A Moken woman collects freshwater in the early morning at her village in Ko Surin National Park, Thailand.

An indigenous Moken man takes his boat out near his village in Ko Surin National Park, Thailand.

Koh, an indigenous Moken woman, washes her face with freshwater after making charcoal in the jungle.

Low tide at the Moken village in Ko Surin National Park.

Nguy, an indigenous Moken man, rows a sampan out from his village in the Ko Surin National Park, Thailand.

Hook, a Moken man, uses a three-pronged throwing spear to catch a small fish at low tide near his village in Ko Surin National Park.

Danong, an indigenous Moken man, hunts for fish using a traditional bamboo spear near his village in Ko Surin National Park, Thailand.

Danong, an indigenous Moken man, hunts for fish using a traditional bamboo spear near his village in Ko Surin National Park, Thailand.

Danong, an indigenous Moken man, boards a boat after spearfishing in the waters near his village in the Ko Surin National Park, Thailand

Moken women ride through rough seas on a trip to forage for food on a nearby beach.

Moken women return to a waiting boat after foraging for food on the rocky shores of the Ko Surin National Park, Thailand.

A Moken man uses a reflective pot lid to signal to his village from a fishing boat offshore.

After foraging on a rocky shoreline, Moken women board a waiting boat after a short swim.

Hook, a Moken man, fishes for lobster in the waters near his village in the Ko Surin National Park, Thailand.

Nguy, an indigenous Moken man, hunts for fish using a spear near his village in Ko Surin National Park, Thailand.

A Moken man shows off the fish he caught using traditional spearfishing techniques.

Moken girls clean and prepare sea cucumbers for cooking in their village in the Ko Surin National Park, Thailand.

The Moken village in Ko Surin National Park, Thailand.

Moken children play in their village in Ko Surin National Park, Thailand.

A Moken man builds a small boat, called a sampan, in his village in the Ko Surin National Park, Thailand.

A young Moken boy with his face covered in Thanaka takes a break from playing games in front of the village's spirit poles.

A Moken woman gazes out to sea in her village in the Ko Surin National Park, Thailand.

Fotostory byTaylor Weidmann