People, Education & Language

The population of Phangnga was approximately 502,709 in December 1998. Its population ranks 48th out of 76 provinces and it has an area of 4,170 square kilometers. The majority of Phangnga citizenry is comprised of ethnic Thais with a large minority of Chinese in the provincial capital, some Muslim Thais, and Morken, called Chao Le in Thai, or sea gypsies who sail from island to island along the coast and among nearby islands and spend most of their lives on the water in their colorful boats.

Most people in Phangnga, like other southern Thais, speak "pak tai" a southern dialect that confuses visitors from other Thai regions and the world outside. Diction is short and fast, giving the aural impression of a tape played at the wrong speed.

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