Welcome to the Moken Islands

This website is a gateway to the Moken people and the Surin Islands National Park.
Many visitors to Koh Surin come and go unaware of the islands’ original inhabitants, their way of life, and their struggle for autonomy.

We are proud to present the Moken Art Collective. They are creating one-of-a-kind original art pieces by taking direct impressions from nature.

Find out more about the collective. Support their initiative by becoming the owner of one of their unique art pieces.

The People

Our Projects

The Area

Visit Surin

The Moken are a fascinating people with a unique, and very photogenic, lifestyle. Unfortunately, the widespread media coverage and visits from foreign tourists over the last few years have not empowered the Moken in developing their community and maintaining their culture. This website is a bridge to meaningful interaction with the Moken.

If you want to get involved from afar, you can connect with several inspiring projects.

If you are coming to Koh Surin, you will most likely stop at the Moken village, please inform yourself how to visit the village. Faced with the challenges of a vanishing culture and a lack of good jobs, the Moken established a Village Tourism Team in 2011. Joining their tours, respectful visitors can discover the beauty and depth of the Moken connection to the reefs and jungles of Koh Surin.

This is the home of the Moken, an indigenous sea-faring people who have roamed the Andaman Sea for thousands of years. Traditionally, the Moken lived on their Kabang houseboats in the dry months and banded together in temporary villages during the monsoon. Possessing a rich knowledge of the reefs, the Moken have exceptional underwater skills such as free diving and spear fishing. More recently, the traditionally nomadic Moken have responded to growing socio-economic pressures by settling permanently in their formerly seasonal monsoon settlements.

Turquoise waters full of brightly colored fish surround the jungle-clad hills of the Surin Islands. Located in the Andaman Sea between Myanmar and Thailand, the group of five islands features the most extensive coral reef in Thailand. With the creation of a national park, snorkeling and beach camping have become very popular here. The shallow coral reefs are one of Thailand’s top destinations for snorkeling. Getting to Koh Surin is relatively easy, with boats departing daily between mid-October and mid-May.