Next stop was lunch in the Muslim fishing village of Koh Panyee which is a village built in the water on stilts.
But before we arrived at Ko Panyi as Koh also called, we stopped and saw some cave paintings. The cave paintings are more than 2000 years old made by the Sea Gypsies. I am probably not the right person to talk about cave paintings, although I think it was nice paintings, but what made the biggest impression on me was that they have survived for so many years outdoors.
Today’s graffiti painters can learn something from how they did back then. Something like “in the good old day’s things was made to last, not like the cheap junk being produced today”
Click image to view full size.
After seeing the cave paintings in nature’s own gallery, we arrived at Koh Panyee, Phang Nga bays answer to Venice. There we should have our lunch, although the menu consisted of Thai food that had been adapted to tourists’ taste buds, so it was not particularly spicy it tasted fantastic. I think I was the only one in the group who would have liked the food little spicier. Another good choice from our guides.
After a super lunch where there was more than enough food, we had the chance to explore the island.
The village was built in the late 18th century by Malay nomadic fishermen. Today the village consists of 360 families or about 1700 people. The reason why the village is largely built out in the water due to a law from then on it was only Thai nationals who could own land, just as today, had Malay fishermen no option but to build their city in the water.
There have been built a beautiful mosque on the island with financial help from Saudi Arabia. The Burial Place occupies the only land that is above water on the island.
Although it is a very small island, it does not mean that you cannot play football. In 1986 some boys from the Island build the first soccer field on a raft made of driftwood and debris from the sea farms. Today, the football field has been upgraded and youth team Panyee FC has great success in the south of Thailand league.
