
About Koh Yao Noi
Koh Yao Noi (long, little
island) is located in the
Bay of Phang Nga, between
Phuket and Krabi in the
South of Thailand. Most of
the island's 4000
inhabitants make their
living harvesting latex from
the rubber trees and from
the fishing industry.
A small percentage of the
locals sustain themselves by
planting rice and from the
growing tourist industry.
The majority here are Muslim
and speak the Southern
dialect of the Thai
language. There are four
primary schools and one
secondary school with a
total of about 1,200
students.

Koh Yao Noi is one of the
larger islands in Phang Nga
Bay, an archipelago of 44
islands. It is easily
accessible from both Phuket
and Krabi Provinces and
sports some of the most
beautiful sea scenery in
South East Asia.
Sea Gypsies (Moken people)
where inhabiting the Bay
before anybody else, except
maybe other nomadic people
like forest hunters and
collectors (Sakai, Negritos).
The 3,500 or so inhabitants
of Koh Yao Noi are thought
to be recent migrants from
the Malay Peninsula (Satun,
Trang).

The Mon population,
linguistically and
culturally belonging to the
Khmer ethnolinguistic group,
did settled in peninsular
Thailand since ever, ruling
maritime states like the one
of Ligor (Nakhon Sri
Thamarat). They melt
continuously with Southern
migrants from Malaysia and
with Northen rulers (Thai),
over centuries of commercial
exchanges and political
conflicts.

Most probably the Mon stock
remains prevalent for most
of the people living
nowadays in Southern
Thailand, includoing people
of Koh Yao.
Numerous cave paintings
hidden in the many islands
of the bay, extending from
2000 years ago to last
century, attest the
influence of distinct
communities in the emergence
of a mixed origin
population, living now in
the provinces of Phang Nga,
Phuket, Krabi and Satun.

The most recent migrations
(17th-18th century) from
Satun and Trang to Koh Yao
Yai and Koh Yao Noi is
attested by the fact that
the particular dialect
spoken on the island still
bear obvious Malaysian
lexical traces,
particularely regarding
toponyms and vernacular
names of the flora species.

The main industries on the
island are fishing and
rubber planting. A little
rice farming and some fruit,
palm and coconut plantations
are evident. Boat building
and farming techniques here
have been passed from father
to son and, while some of
the youngsters leave Koh Yao
to seek the bright lights of
Phuket, most return to their
tight knit community.


The island covers about 50
square kilometers and has
approximately 18 kilometers
of concrete and dirt road
around it. Great for
bicycling and walking. It is
mountainous in the centre
and has beaches to either
side. The East side has
beaches suitable for
swimming and snorkeling and
the West is a picturesque
blend of rice flats and
mangrove trees.
Being one of the biggest
islands in the Phang Nga Bay
archipelago, Koh Yao Noi is
home to a hospital, several
schools and a post office.
24 hour electricity supply,
Internet access, mobile
telephone connection and
Automatic Teller Machine are
available.
History
During the end of the
Ayutthaya era, Koh Yao, Koh
Lang and Laem Pak Pra were
under Thalang , which shows
that Koh Yao used to be
under the government of
Thalang or Phuket of now. In
1903 Koh Yao changed its
status to a sub-district and
later in 1988 was changed to
a district. It is believed
that the early population of
Koh Yao sought refuge from
war in Trang and Satun
provinces.

Those who came from Trang
settled on Koh Yao Noi while
those from Satun settled on
Koh Yao Yai. Now (in 2002)
Koh Yao has a population of
12,490, most of which are of
Muslim faith. The main
income of the population of
Koh Yao are from rubber,
coconut, and cashew nut
plantations, fishery, and
herding. |
Souvenirs
-
Fish Scale
Flowers: are made by
the Housewives of Koh Yao Club by
creating flowers,
such as roses,
geraniums, and
bougainvillea from
fish scales.
-
Dried Anchovies (Pla
Ching Chang): are
made from small
anchovies that have
been boiled and then
sun-dried. These
dried anchovies are
rather salty but
very nutritious and
can be used in many
local dishes such as
dips, soups, or
curries, or simply
deep-fried and eaten
as a snack.
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