Welcome to Thailand

As planned things are moving along and the team of Project Manaia is slowly dripping into Thailand - Ao Khoei specifically getting ready to start the season...

On the way to Thailand - only about 20 hours on the way

For me that meant arriving this last Monday 19th in Phuket, getting a pickup from Luca and heading on to Ao Khoei the next day. And now the preperation work in the actual location is getting real. Sorting out permits for SeaNomad, getting Peppino, the small workboat in place up and running again and of course having a closer look at Namaste, the boat that will be joining us on expeditions from next season on.

Our "House Beach" at the Station in Ao Khoei

While two out of the team of three are already in place we are still waiting for our Geographer Will comming in from the US in the middle of next week together with Marley our first volunteer to join us working on the Moken topic with us for about two months time.

So on 26th we (Luca and Manuel) will be headed up to Ranong on one hand to pick up Will and Marley and also to have a closer look at SeaNomad, which is tied up just across the border in Myanmar. And the idea is taking her across and down to the base in Ao Khoei as well, together with all her crew on board, so we are looking at the first decent sail in the season coming up in less than a week from now.

And while this is still almost a week away for the moment, we take the time and explore the (for me new) area while sorting out paperwork for all the boats, make last minute arrangements and keep working on our outreach to media and volunteers to join our trips!

At this stage we still have available spots on our expeditions, so if you want to escape the southern hemisphere winter, here is your chance!

Now for the mood a few pictures and I will write again fairly soon...

Fishing villages in the Ao Khoei area

Cages for catching crabs

Local fishing boats in the Ao Khoei Area

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