 The coastal areas and several islands in the Andaman Sea of Southern Thailand
have been a home and foraging ground for 3 groups of sea nomads who called
themselves the Moken, the Moklen, and the Urak Lawoi according to their
Austronesian language. These sea nomads are maritime hunter-gatherers who
roam the sea in search of food and shelters. Several decades ago, they have
become more sedentary, their foraging ground has been limited due to the
expansion of urban and rural settlement and tourist development areas. Certain
areas with pristine conditions and almost undisturbed biodiversity have been
declared protected areas.
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