The Desire of the Sea Gypsies – The lost Paradise in the Andaman Sea:
For centuries the nomadic Moken people roamed the Andaman Sea. Only the monsoon rains forced them to the coasts to look for shelter, until the tsunami destroyed their boats and homes. Today the Thai Government urges them to settle down and stay on land. But since they are not used to rural life, they want to return to the ocean, to “their” islands where men and children dive for fish, squids and shells. So during their annual Loy Rua festival, they not only take the chance to get rid of their sins, by sending them off to sea on floating boats, they also prepare themselves to set sail again. A temporary exodus to paradise…
