General
"A magic soul is nestled in everything on the island"
Feel the local fisherman's saying becoming reality by overlooking the surreal beauty of Phang Nga Bay.
Striking scenic views to an area with over 100 virgin little limestone-rock islands. Hidden paradise
beaches. Untouched nature. Legends say, that Ko Yao Noi was created by the sea dragon "Naga".
Ko Yao Noi is one of the largest islands in an archipelago of over 40 (and over 100 including rockislands).
Roughly 10 km x 12 km in size are covering an area of about 50 square kilometers. (time to arrive)
The island is full of infrastructure, including electricity, water, telephone, internet access, a hospital, a
police station, schools and government offices.
Safety
Ko Yao Noi is famous for its safety. Criminality is mainly unknown, nearly nobody is locking the door
or removing the key of the motorbike.
Here the easy-going lifestyle is still present, which is irrecoverably lost in many tourist locations in
Thailand.
Some visitors say, that they feel like living in a time capsule during exploring the island.
Population
Ko Yao Noi has about 4,000 inhabitants which are famous for their kindly nature. For centuries it has
been believed, that the two islands were populated by Chao Lay people (Sea Gypsies), nomadic groups
which traveled from island to island for fish and other seafood. Obviously to see from the darker skins,
some Ko Yao Noi inhabitants are relatives of the Sea Gypsies.
There is also evidence that many early
settlers migrated from Thailand’s southern Provinces and from Malaysia. Like all people of Southern
Thailand, these migrants have mixed origins such as Thai, Burmese, Malay, Indian and Chinese.
The main sources of income on the island are rubber, seafood, rice, palm oil and coconuts.
Language
On Ko Yao Noi the locals speak a dialect, which is in many ways similar to some of the Malaysian languages, but they also speak "Bangkok Thai", if you would like to practice.
