Koh Panyee, Thailand

Ok, so technically Koh Panyee is not floating; it’s a Muslim fishing village built on stilts in the shallow water of Phang Nga Bay, Thailand.  Koh Panyee was settled around 200 years ago and there are between 1,500 and 2,000 current residents.  Koh Panyee remains relatively insulated from the outside world.

While Koh Panyee was initially a thriving fishing village, fishing accounts only for about half of its revenue today. The remaining revenue is generated from tourism – there is a constant stream of tours stopping at Koh Panyee to have fresh seafood lunch at the restaurant adjacent to main dock.

It’s clear the restaurant was created to capitalize on the recent influx of tourism.  Souvenir shops can be found inside the large restaurant as well as in the alleyways as you enter the village.  Although tourism has spoiled some of the authenticity of Koh Panyee’s history, the remainder of the village remains relatively unspoiled.  Locals go about their business on Koh Panyee as anyone else would on dry land.

The infrastructure of the village is impressive.  Although, at high tide, water can rise above the stilts and flood portions of the village.

The walkways in the outer parts of the village are made of sticks.

While the walkways in the central parts of the village are concrete.

Although Koh Panyee has several newer homes, many parts of the village are dirty and look poor.

Koh Panyee is a self-sustaining village.  There is one small cemetery (pictured below), as well as a mosque and a health center.

There is one school in Koh Panyee, which is attended by both males and females.

And there is one floating soccer field in Koh Panyee.  There is a fairly well-known story about how the Koh Panyee boy’s soccer team built a floating soccer field and went on to become champions in a league on the mainland.  It’s an inspiring story, which is explained in detail in the below video.  There are also some great aerial views of Koh Panyee in the video.

To get to Koh Panyee, you can either charter a longtail boat (the cost of this is minimal if you are traveling with people who can split the fare), or you can go with one of the many tour groups offering tours of Phang Nga Bay.

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