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L A N T A I N F O R M A T I O N |
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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 center 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.
Geography
Totally 134 square kilometers 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 Pra-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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