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Pandemic respite for Thai 'sea gypsies' threatened by mass tourism
Today 11:01Key points summarised by AI
- The COVID-19 pandemic has provided a temporary reprieve for Thailand's "sea gypsies" (Chao Lay), reducing mass tourism pressures, allowing fish stocks to recover, and pausing real estate development on their ancestral lands in Phuket.
- With tourist activity halted, the Chao Lay experience easier and safer fishing, facing fewer risks from authorities in protected marine reserves, a stark contrast to their previous struggles with depleted resources and dangerous practices.
- The pandemic has also temporarily halted the threat of eviction from their ancestral beachfront land in Rawai, where property developers have sought to displace them, underscoring their ongoing fight for land rights and cultural preservation.
- Anthropologists advocate for the government to leverage this pause to fundamentally re-evaluate its approach to the Chao Lay, proposing measures like permanent land allocation and specialized education to safeguard their unique heritage against the detrimental effects of mass tourism.
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