Urak Lawoi ( ms, Orang Laut; th, อูรักลาโว้ย; ) are an
Aboriginal Malay
The term Proto-Malay, which translates to ''Melayu Asli'' (aboriginal Malay) or ''Melayu Purba'' (ancient Malay) or ''Melayu Tua'' (old Malay), refers to Austronesian languages, Austronesian speakers, possibly from mainland Asia, who moved to t ...
people residing on the islands of
Phuket
Phuket (; th, ภูเก็ต, , ms, Bukit or ''Tongkah''; Hokkien:普吉; ) is one of the southern provinces (''changwat'') of Thailand. It consists of the island of Phuket, the country's largest island, and another 32 smaller islands of ...
,
Phi Phi,
Jum,
Lanta,
Bulon and on
Lipe and
Adang, in the
Adang Archipelago,
off the western coast of
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
. They are known by various names, including Orak Lawoi', Lawta, Chao Tha Le (), Chao Nam (), and Lawoi.
The population of approximately 6,000 speak a language related closely to
Malay but influenced by
Thai. The Urak Lawoi are one of several southeast Asian ethnicities referred to as "Sea Gypsies" (''chao leh'' in Thai).
The local way of life has been changing rapidly in recent years, due to the rapid encroachment of the
market economy, and the opening of
Tarutao National Marine Park.
See also
*
Sea Gypsies (disambiguation) Sea Gypsies, Sea Gypsy, Sea Nomads and Sea Nomad may refer to:
Ethnography
* Sama-Bajau peoples, a collective name for several ethnic groups in the Philippines, Sabah, eastern Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, and parts of Sarawak
* Moken, an Austronesi ...
References
Ethnic groups in Thailand
Nomadic groups in Eurasia
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