Ko Pan Yi, Island settlement in Phang Nga Bay, Thailand
Ko Pan Yi is an island settlement in Phang Nga Bay where houses and structures stand on wooden stilts in the water. The community spreads across several platforms, surrounded by steep limestone cliffs that dominate the waterscape.
Muslim fishermen from Java founded this settlement at the end of the 18th century, building houses on stilts because they could not own the land. Structures on the water became the only practical solution for establishing a permanent home.
The community relies mainly on fishing, and residents have opened small restaurants and shops directly over the water. You can see daily how fishermen cast their nets and how visitors walk through the narrow wooden pathways between houses.
Visitors reach the place by boat tours from Phuket or other nearby ports, and the season with better weather is ideal for a visit. Sturdy shoes help when walking on the wet wooden pathways between the houses.
Children from the settlement built a floating football pitch from plastic drums, where the local team Panyee FC later won many championships. This improvised creation shows how creatively residents adapted to their water-based surroundings.
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