Turning Natural Disasters into Economic Development: Dark Tourism - Dissertation Example

Sirey Island is a small island located in the southeast of the island of Phuket. Sirey Island and Phuket Island are separated by the Thachin canal, and there is a bridge connecting the two islands, providing people with convenience. Besides Thai people, the population of the island also includes the people of "Urak Lawoi", also known as "sea gypsies" or fishermen, who have lived here for a long time, especially around Cape Tukkae which is the location of the fishermen's village or also known as "Thai Mai people".

There are more than 200 households of these people who have settled down and lived on the island of Sirey. They use spoken language but no written language. Their accent resembles that of the Malay dialect. The fishermen here love living a simple life. Most of the sea gypsies/fishermen depend on fishing for their income. They mainly catch fish and some other animals such as jellyfish, clams, and oysters. They are also employed for farming. Moreover, these people lead unique life. They actually have other types of professions, for example, traders, employers, and so on.

Most of the income people get on Sirey Island comes from fishing and trading. In addition, there is also a belief in superstition, ghosts, angels, and ancestral spirits. But recently some fishermen have turned to Buddhism and Islam. Besides, the fishermen have their important tradition which is Boat Floating Tradition. This tradition serves to anchor the mind of the people to continue preserving and expanding their race. It also expresses harmony. Boat floating is believed to eliminate suffering and diseases that hurt people.

It also takes away bad things inside people's bodies. Nothing will be left in the body and the village. Most importantly, the area here is the center of the fishermen's Boat Floating Ceremony/Tradition in Phuket.Currently, Sirey Island is one of the areas that are popular with tourists. Every day, both Thai and foreign tourists would come to the port here to travel and get services to other islands because Sirey is an area on the southeast coast of Phuket that is best to use as a harbor for a small or medium-sized passenger boat or ship.

Also, it is due to the calm sea which occurs all year round.