People
Koh Lanta archipelago contains over 50 small islands. There are
only three island with people living; Lanta Yai, Lanta Noi and
Koh Ngai. Lanta Yai is the centre for tourism, all of the resorts
and nice beaches located. The population of Koh Lanta is 20,000
people. Only Koh Lanta Yai itself is around 10,000 people mostly
is Thai- Muslim. Farming and fishery are the main occupation,
plantation of rubber tree, palm tree, coconut and cashew nut.
Sea Gypsy
The first people of Koh Lanta as formal record are the sea gypsy
which originally from the Nicobar island or Andaman Islands. The
sea gypsies of former centuries were living on their boats and
were feared as pirates. Now in Ban Sang Ga U on Koh Lanta is the
village of this Sea Gypsy. Their lifestyle is already changed
to the modern world but they still retain their own language,
traditions and ceremonies. Their belief in supernatural and traditional
spiritual worship is still influential in the community as seen
in their traditional ceremony "Loy-Rua (Floating Boat)".
The
village men will build a symbolic boat and place wooden statues
of themselves in it along with nail pairings, hair and popped
rice. By performing this ritual, they ask for forgiveness from
the sea gods and for any offences they have made to the sea. It
is believed that all evil is carried away in the symbolic boat.
Koh
Lanta Map
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these links to see enlarge Map
- Thailand
Map
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to Lanta Map
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Lanta Map
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Geography
Totally 134 square kilometres area of islands and sea was declared
as a national park in 1990. The park is characterized by the steep
craggy limestone islands covered with tropical rain forest. Although
most of the small islands within the park are uninhabitable by
man, they support a wide diversity of plant and animal life on
the cliffs and in the sea below.
Climate
Weather in Koh Lanta is typically that of the tropical monsoon,
providing the island with just two seasons, the summer from November
to April, and the rainy season from May to October. Changing the
season, the monsoon winds will change the direction from west
to east and on opposite direction. The average temperature is
around 25 to 37 degree Celsius.
Festival & Events
Laanta-Lanta Festival
The proudly festival of all Koh Lanta’s people organize
yearly on 20 acres beach front land of Phra-Ae Beach. The three
days festival arranges whole day and night with many interesting
programs; culture stage with whole day Thai dance show, culture
zone, music stage, Thai and seafood festival zone, knowledge zone,
underwater clean up, sport & tradition competition, local
products booth and amusement park.
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