Invisible Asia Ep 4: 'We've always lived here, yet we don't belong,' say Thailand's sea gypsies

9:36 min

Synopsis: The Invisible Asia Podcast is a special edition series in which The Straits Times casts the spotlight on people and communities living in the shadows of their societies where they exist largely unseen and unheard of. Do follow all nine episodes of Invisible Asia over the next two months on The Straits Times podcast channel on Apple podcasts, Spotify or Google podcasts.

The Straits Times' Indochina bureau chief Tan Hui Yee explores the lives of the Urak Lawoi, aboriginal Malays from Thailand’s sea gypsy community, who are battling the authorities and developers for their right to stay on in their long-time coastal homes on the resort island of Phuket. Our series' narrator is Tan Jia Ning: 

Jitti Pramongkit speaks of the discrimination and difficulties her people face daily (1:20) 

The Urak Lawoi fight a losing battle against rich developers and authorities for their land in Phuket (2:33) 

Patcharaphon Pramongkit recounts how being mocked and bullied led her to drop out of school eventually (5:07) 

The Urak Lawoi struggle to make a living and maintain their ways of life, especially during the pandemic (6:32) 

Why Jitti prays for tourists to return to Phuket once more (7:50) 

Read the full story by Tan Hui Yee: https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/weve-always-lived-here-yet-we-dont-belong

Produced by: Tan Hui Yee, Magdalene Fung, Ernest Luis, Adam Azlee, Penelope Lee

Edited by: Adam Azlee

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