Festival celebrates Phuket’s sea gypsies

The sea gypsies who live off the coast of Phuket are being celebrated during a special festival.

The sea gypsies who live in boats off the coast of Phuket are being celebrated as part of a festival dedicated to their culture.

The Loy Reua festival takes place in the city twice a year at Laem Tukkae on Koh Sireh, located on the east side of Phuket.

As part of the traditional celebrations, the Phuket Gazette reported a boat is handcrafted by the gypsies and adorned with garlands.

It is then filled with personal belongings and set adrift on the water as an offering.

“The ceremony is to bring good luck to the village and to ensure a good fishing season to come and also to show respect to the ocean,” village head Suthon Pramongkij told the newspaper.

Visitors to Phuket will soon be able to learn more about the sea gypsies during their stay as a museum dedicated to their heritage is currently being constructed in Koh Sireh.

Written by Alex Cochrane

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