Official promises to give sea gypsies housing in Phuket, Andaman

As part of a larger effort to provide housing for indigenous people, an official is promising to provide sea gypsies with housing in Phuket and other Andaman provinces. The official, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce Jurin Laksanawisit, made the announcement yesterday while visiting a sea gypsy village.

Sea Gypsies are a semi-nomadic tribe who live in Thai coastal provinces and inhabit over 800 islands in the Andaman Sea. They number less than 3,000 people. They have lived in the region for centuries. Jurin said he has specific 5-year goals for housing sea gypsies in the 6 Andaman provinces of Ranong, Phang Nga, Phuket, Krabi, Trang, and Satun.

Jurin wants to provide 2,376 housis in Ranong, 4,930 houses in Phang Nga, 2,241 houses in Phuket, 6,260 houses in Krabi, 5,470 houses in Trang, and 4,887 houses in Satun. Altogether, 26,164 houses. Jurin claims the ongoing…