Kawthaung south Myanmar
is opposite
Ranong Thailand
and a somehow
interesting destination
presently only known for the
Thailand visa run out of Phuket,
Samui and southern Thailand
under the British the name was
Victoria Point.
It's a real rotten
place but it somehow let you
breath the old colonial charm set up by the English and very seldom
experienced this days.
The place give an idea of the life Joseph Conrad and Maurice Collis wrote about, you can find his book about this area during colonial times here. A few islands around Kawthaung are
popular destinations for foreign
tourists, there are also several similar
islands on the Thai, Ranong side,
pretty beaches are around with some
cottages and bungalows on the Thai side.
The problem is the Burmese visa issued
at Kawthaung since the visa issued at
the immigration allows only to be within
city limits. You only can do this with a tourist
visa from the embassy /
consulate not with the entry visa you
get at this city. There are a few
small beaches around but there
is nothing like
Patong Beach
further down in Thailand.
Burmese visas issued there
only allows to stay at the city,
if you like to spend more time
around use the ferry from the
casino -their pier is a little bit
outside Ranong. There you have the
limited possibility to move around on
the islands. Along the waterfront are
some
Kawthaung hotels,
there is a huge
fishery harbor further east
from the main jetty at down
town. Thailand visa run
from various destinations in southern
Thailand brings most tourists in.
There
is a casino on an island close to
Kawthaung
and the owner, a Thai, offer free rides
with a private ship out of Ranong. In
Thailand, gambling is prohibited -but
almost everyone gambles- this drives a
lot of money into the underground
gambling industry, this gambling
industry in
turn is controlled by shady
-influential- people, which means ..
well I guess you know what.
Kawthaung
is a typical small oriental harbor
city where not much has changed since
British colonial times. A partly rotten
environment where everyone try to make
some money with the people coming in
from Thailand plus smuggling and
fisheries.
is also attractive
for Thai people since
a
trip allows duty
free shopping. The "Visa
Run" out of
southern Thailand
-about 200 people per day- paying each 10
dollars to the Burmese immigration, a continues
stream of income. Thai's coming in to buy cheap
cigarettes, cheap whisky and other stuff.
The
immigration earn two times the visa
money now than before since Thailand only issues
2 week visas at border crossing before the visa
duration was 4 weeks. Kawthaung somehow convey
the old nostalgic colonial times when the place
was still called Victoria point after the
Kawthaung harbor
Kawthaung City Waterfront Kawthaung Islands
Salone Pearl Diver
Pearl Oyster
British Queen Victoria, it offers great insight
into a small Asian ocean harbor with exotic pictures and
views, you can find a
map.
Kawthaung could be
a prime
destination for scuba diving
but the
bureaucracy and
visa problems
block all
possibilities
except the
liveaboard
version out of
Phuket. When
booking
the visa run tour via the
casino hotel is more easy they have the
possibility to
do trips to the
islands around
with the visa
they issue, all
other visitors
con only move
around within
the city
boundary.
See great
Kawthaung photo and
videos
from trips and Thailand visa run. In resent
years the city became also known
for the nice girls from all of
southern
Myanmar who come for some
business. They
have very
pretty girls and
the prices are
quite low, it's
somehow a heaven
for guys who
want to have fun
-yes not only
girls want to
have fun- as
Cindy Lauper
wanted to tell
us !
The owner
of the Kawthaung casino,
a Thai businessmen made a deal with
the authorities to get the
island on long term lease,
built a excellent beach resort
with a casino and make a lot of money.
They also offer sightseeing
tours and
scuba dive trips into the
Myanmar islands
world
around. But there is a big difference
compared to
Thailand Islands.
On
Thailand Islands there is almost
always some kind of infrastructure, on
Burmese Islands is usually no
infrastructure. This is the main reason
why all scuba diving trips via liveaboard are done out of Phuket which
is just 300 km to the south.
The problem with the
Kawthaung and
Ranong
area is, climate is very wet, actual one of the most wettest
areas on the planet because
the clouds coming in from the
Indian Ocean or here the
Andaman
Sea, stall on
the hilly coast and
empty the water.
The Salone people,
are the indigenous
inhabitants of this
"Island World"
between Kawthaung and
Myeik or Mergui are
there since hundreds of
years, before the
British came they sold
the pearls to Chinese
traveling traders who
came in with their
junks, after they sold
to the Portuguese and
again after to the
British colonialist.
Now, what was the
difference between these
three nationalities, the
Chinese paid or rather
exchanged goods, the
Portuguese exchanged
metal things, and the
Britons were, as usual
with a distance the
shabbiest, they paid the
divers with alcohol and
opium for the pearls, to
make them addictive and
thus to pressure prices.
This disgusting colonial
bunch broke island
societies and people
just to bring the
British crown and East
India Company profit at
the back of poor local
people, who couldn’t
help themselves because the
Britons had much better weapons which they ruthlessly
used to kill the locals. Here is the end of the Burmese
coastline which is
divided into two, the northern and the southern which is
is from around Thaton to
Kawthaung.
The
southernmost tip is Bayintnaung Point with some
incredible colored water
around with plenty of
corals. The incredible
color of the sea is because
of the different depths, salt content and refraction.
North of the Kawthaung area are most of
the country pearl farms,
they produce gorgeous
south sea
pearls with
gold and silver color.
The Kawthaung area
is easily accessible from
Yangon by several daily
flights and there is a
daily shop connection
between Myeik or Mergui
and the city. But it is
not possible to use this
ship with a visa issued
by Kawthaung
immigration.
From
Phuket,
Samui,
Phang Nga
and around, there are plenty of buses
everyday. E.g. the bus
ticket from Phuket to
Ranong is Baht 350,-,
where the bus stops walk
down to the main street
there are continuous
pick up trucks waiting
to carry the
people to the pier. Take
a longtail boat on a
shared base for Baht
50,-. If you want one
for you only it's Baht 300,- and have
a short sea trip
for an hour.
Kawthaung Phuket visa run.
After
back to Thailand for a new
entry visa.
Since the Thai
government only
issue entry visa to
Thailand via road or sea
for 2 weeks business is brisk.
Nothing left of golden
Burma, if you ask one
of the younger guys if
they know Victoria Point
Kawthaung Ranong
visa run
Coastline &
Beaches
they smile I say "mate ou"
this means I don't know, a few Kawthaung hotels are
around.
Along its 2,800 plus
kilometers coast line,
the country has countless
islands and
archipelagos, the
biggest is the Myeik
Archipelago with the sea
gypsies in south Myanmar
and at some places with
a rich underwater world,
coral reefs and millions
of fishes and sea
creatures down there,
Kawthaung is south of
it.
Some of them are hunted
by the sea gypsies with
harpoons, other with a
net and other such as
pearl oysters are
brought up by pearl
diver as pictured above
left. This is one of few
places on earth where
time was stopped around
300 years ago and
nothing was going on
since then. A reason if
that the British
colonialists blocked all
development and poisoned
the sea gypsies with
opium and alcohol in
exchange to pearls.
The native island people living in this world are the "sea gypsies"
or Salone, they have been very active pearl diver. The islands are more or less
the islands of the Myeik archipelago all the way down to Kawthaung or
Victoria point. This piece of land has a long history changing often between
Myanmar and Thailand. Also the colonial powers where very active
here notably the Portuguese around Martaban and today Mawalamyine or
Moulmain
with plenty of beaches, islands for vacations and holidays and sea
gypsies on the islands.
The English were more focused on south Myanmar
around Mergui, which is today Myeik and the archipelago. They had a
thriving business in buying pearls from the pearl divers which were the Salone
sea gypsies of today in the country and further south in Thailand they call them Moken,
Salone are the native people of the Andaman Sea, starting from around Myeik via
Kawthaung, along the Thailand west coast and all the way down to Malaysia. A
substantial village of them is also at Ko Lipe in the Tarutao Archipelago.
Salone are not avaricious.
They do not consider
their own house on the island where they live during the rainy
Native island people
Kawthaung native island people Salone sea gypsies
season.
It can
be used
by
others.
There
will be
no
dispute
as to
the
ownership
of the
house,
when Salone return in the next rainy season and happen to know that the
Salone
Sea
Gypsies
Makyonegalet
village
house has been already occupied by others. When
their properties are deprived there will not be a dispute as to the ownership.
They will just give away to others who take them. They have such an attitude
because they need not worry for their living as long as seas and islands are in
existence. Although they take alcoholic drinks and get drunk they never commit a
criminal offence. They do not like to be commanded or strictly disciplined, they
prefer to live in a free and open society.
Matriarchy in
olden times, Salone used to live under matriarchy, this can be found in some
groups till today. Woman who have born many offspring without a loss is highly
respected. Makyonegalet village in Kawthaung Township is an abode of Salone
Tribe. Its name was derived from a Salone woman whose name was Ma Kyone. She had
lived there as a head of the group for many years.
Inheritance, when a son set up his family and lives in a separate
house, he is given a boat
and fishing instruments by his parents. In the case of a daughter, she is given ornaments and jewellery and foodstuff.
When the parents die, eldest son distributes the properties to the younger
married sons and daughters. If unmarried sons and daughters are left, the family
property is administered by the eldest son. The distribution of legacy
is made
by the
eldest
son
giving
preference
to the
younger
brothers
and
sisters.
In the
case of
inheritance,
wife of
the
eldest
brother
has no
right to
inherit.
Adopted
sons and
daughters
have
equal
right
share
the
legacy
as
natural
sons and
daughters.
Traditional Wedding in Salone life, engagement before marriage is a very important one. For
engagement, the groom has to look for a matchmaker or go-between.
Kawthaung
sea gypsies
Salone believe that death comes according to god's will. When a man dies, the
family members used to wail only for a moment. Then, they take to alcoholic
drinks, singing and dancing and beating drums. Family members and friends of the
death take alcoholic drinks to alleviate their pains. They perform dancing and
singing for the death just to forget his death. They sing the songs relating to
the evil deeds of the dead just to cut off the attachment with the dead. Male
corpses are buried at the time of rising tide and female corpses, at the time of
ebb tide.
In the past, Salone believed that an island where a family member died was
seemed to be unlucky and they fled from the said island. The corpses are not
buried in the ground but they were put on the bamboo-racks near the edge of the
sea. When the head of the
family
died, he
is
covered
up with
his Kaban boat
which was broken into two pieces, along with his all belongings.
Nowadays, Salone bury the dead in the ground. A big rock is put on the burial
mound of the elder male; a small rock, on the burial mound of the younger male.
A big rock with barnacle, on the burial mound of the elder female and a small
rock with barnacle, on the burial mound of the younger female and a coconut is
placed on the burial mound of a child.
Almost all
south Myanmar islands
are inhabited
except at the coast sea
gypsies or Salone are living at the beach and on the house boats. Usually this
indigenous group live on houseboats, that’s the name sea gypsies is coming from,
enter the interior of the Kawthaung and Mergui archipelago islands only for hunting and
collecting food, fruits, vegetables and other.
Years
after his death, his name was called out around the island of south Myanmar for three times.
Very seldom foreigners came to visit the
lost world in the Indian Ocean since most of the year there is rough weather,
this part of the country is one of the wettest places on earth since the
clouds moving in from the Indian ocean empty their
water not only at monsoon times. Also at the mainland its low and flat
with some forest-clad hills from time to time
are along the shore of
small bays with long reefs of coral stretch out seaward. House boats are
anchored in the bays and some flimsy palm cottages are on the beach, people are
very poor and almost completely live from the catch of the day and still today
some dive for pearls. Those are very rare and some companies do pearl cultivation
in big ‘pearl farms’ and there still are some peal diver doing the job.
Pearl divers lift
the oysters with the precious stones up from the ocean surface, and
the English gave alcohol in exchange to Salone who
lived in this island world there since centuries. They sold the pearls also to
Chinese traders who moved around in this area with their junks. Vegetation and
geological formation of the Kawthaung area is similar to islands in the
Andaman Sea and there are also no navigable rivers on the islands of the
archipelago. The Chinese and
their trading vessels were also gone when the English left Kawthaung and
the country in general, the country
went back into sleep again only today a couple of activities are on,as mentioned
the ‘pearl farms’ and some tourist related businesses with live aboard
vessels coming in from Phuket Thailand plus
the visa run
Kawthaung.
They sail
from Phuket to the north, passing the
Similan Islands after the Surin Islands, where a group of sea gypsies or
Moken are living, stopping at Kawthaung for border formalities and
moving into the archipelago, this is a pristine scuba diving area since
there were never other people excepts the Salone who had only interest
in fishing and pearl diving.
Sea snakes and other submarine life
show a rich underwater world in the archipelago, most is still intact
under the water surface
Kawthaung understanding the past
in this area here is
some text of an old book
describing the area in
about the 18. Century
actually not much has
changed, the ship got
engines, the pirates are
gone and the buildings
are made from bricks,
that's the main
difference. The ports of
Indo-China and
the islands have
changed little
with the
centuries.
Mergui, about
300km north of
Kawthaung, to
day is much the
same as before
which resulted in rich
marine life in southern
Burma. This is not only
true of the
scenery. The
ridge, the woods
and the heavy
greenery, the
shimmering
islands farther
out are
naturally the
same. But the
town itself has
changed little.
Its thatched and
bamboo houses,
winding streets,
roadside bazaars
and monastery
stairways are
still what they
were in the
seventeenth
century.
The ridge
round Kawthaung
town
is
clustered and
hilly not
high, hardly
more than one
hundred meters. On
the highest
point is a
Buddhist pagoda,
which by its
design alone
stamps the place
as Indo-China,
an
art-integration
distinct from
India. The
houses nestled
into the steep
hillside and
looked towards
the water of the
harbor, which at
full tide washed
underneath the
piles on which
they were
perched. At low
tide there was
an expanse of
mud and
mangrove
Kawthaung is the
most important
harbor in the
south of the
country, it
similar as with
Ranong on the
Thai side which
is also the
biggest harbor
on the west
coast of
Thailand.
Marine life southern Burma
Kawthaung Harbor
The British came
into Kawthaung
from time to
time to harass
the local
population. Many
of houses had
their own jetty,
at which lay
long, thin
boats, the hull
made from one
piece of wood, a
cabin roofed
over with thatch
occupying the
centre. These
boats carried
sail, and with
their racing cut
were capable
often miles an
hour with a good
breeze aft. As
the street
continued along
the harbor face,
it began to
multiply, where
the ground
permitted, until
at the southern
end it had
become a block
of roads and
houses creeping
round the ridge
and eventually
enclosing it up
to the northern
extremity. Whole
Kawthaung or
Victoria Point was
protected by a
stockade of
earth and
bamboo. In these
streets there
moved a
cosmopolitan
crowd, Burmese,
Siamese,
Chinese, Indian,
Malay and
European. Though
the town was
within the
kingdom of
Siam, Mergui
changed later
to
Burma,
it seems
that the
middle
and
lower
classes
were
mainly
Burmese.
In this
connection,
the
Jesuit,
Nicolas Gervaise,
a
contemporary
writer,
is quite
explicit.
He says
of the
whole
province
of
Tenasserim:
'Its
inhabitants,
who are
fairly
numerous,
are
almost
all
foreigners.
Kawthaung population
came down the
coast from the Pegu,
today
Bago,
dominions,
and also
by the
fact
that in
the
twelfth
and
thirteenth
centuries
Mergui
belonged
to
Burma.
But the
official
language
was
Siamese,
as were
most of
the
government
officials. Yet neither the Burmese
nor the Siamese counted
for much in the port. As
will be explained later
on, it was Indian people
who had the majority and
also dominated the
commercial situation. If
Indian enterprise was
the life of Kawthaung
and the
coastal
villages
to the
north,
the
Mongolian
inhabitants
gave it
an air.
Kawthaung City with mosque and pagoda
Kawthaung Traffic along the waterfront
Kawthaung Water Front coming in from Ranong Thailand
Kawthaung Jetty and coastal ships
The atmosphere was
Indo-Chinese and
Buddhist, animated but
polite; the crowd was
brightly dressed and
clean; Burmese and
Siamese men sauntered
and idled; the women,
stout, downright and
handsome, managed the
bazaar, at that time
there was no tourism. It
was the Andaman Sea
island world between
Myeik or Mergui and
Kawthaung or Victoria
Point. Tweet
