What is the first image that comes to our mind when we talk about Thailand, of course beautiful beaches. Like beaches some of the iconic images which we all associate with Thailand is images of Thailand’s floating markets, Thai “houses on stilts”, Tuk Tuks and paddy fields, and also one would agree that the Long-tail boat is a “Very Thai Thing”.It is not uncommon to see a local droning a farmer’s hat or Asian rice hat and piloting a long wooden boat, the LONGTAIL boat, is a type of watercraft which native to most southeast Asian countries uses a common automotive engine as a propeller.
(Original picture clicked by me during our stay in Krabi Ao Nang )
I was really fascinated by the simplicity of the design and the manner the boat was decorated. In the front of the boat one will notice colored scarves tied to the bow of the boat often in red, white and blue resembling the Thai flag. You may also see garlands or flowers tied to the bow of the boat. These decorations may look pretty, but they are actually there to provide good luck and protection.
One of the classic postcard pictures of the Thai islands involves the longtail boats.Beaches lined with this handmade boats somewhat add to the visual beauty of the beach is also something which caught my attention to these boats.
This craft design looks like a lightweight long canoe up to 30 metres, and a canopy. There is much variation among these boats, some have evolved from traditional craft types, while others have a more improvised look—the sole defining characteristic is a secondhand car or truck engine.
(original image clicked by me , longtail boats lined up at Tonsai bay in Phi Phi Island)
So when I asked Mr Decha who happened to be out local boat man who took us Island hopping around neighbouring islands Why are these Longtail boats so popular in Thailand, he said they mainly use secondhand car and truck engines which are cheap plus easy to maintain.
The propeller shaft is simply an extension of the engines drive shaft. Long-tails are also popular because their versatility, they can be easily fitted to most boats. Maneuverability is another factor, because the propeller shaft can be swung around more than 180 degrees it makes the boat easy to maneuver, it can also be lifted clear of the water with consummate ease, meaning floating debris can be easily avoided and during low tides. Also for geological reasons, the coast around Krabi and koh phi phi is steep with majestic cliffs, and most of the beaches are super shallow with rocky formations underneath and of course that depth changes pretty radically with the tides.
I also understood that it was mostly a way of earning living for most locals as they would also use these boats to take people on island hopping tours than mainly use for public transport also. One would mainly see posters or pamphlets distributed that says longtail day boat trips. I hopped into one of these boats although the ride was a little choppy but the way the boat was designed it gave me a 360 degree view of the Andaman sea , and thanks to Mr Decha for showing me around and giving me a few insights about these local boats.
(original picture clicked by me , one of the longtails that i hopped onto to get to Maya bay)
So thats my little travel experience and what i understood of a LONGTAIL boat, Thanks for reading
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I wonder how many cubic inches the engines are. These boats are amazing man. Like you said, the design is simple and I bet at 30ft, It looks much bigger in person.
hi @ozioiozio .. i think it depends on what engine they use am assume a car engine would be around 800 cc if its a truck engine it will be be slightly on the higher end , yea they are bigger in terms of space can easily fit fit around 15 to 20 people ..
Long-tail boats are now often used to transport tourists.
hi @maliksajad , yea if the distance is short only , but if your travelling from one main island to the other they mainly use speedboats or a big ferry as they can carry a lot more people
If only one man wants to go how can he?
if u want to go island hopping for sight seeing there lot of longtail boats which offer tour around small islands with lot of other co tourists, if u want to be alone i guess you will end up paying more , depends on what u want to do and where u want to go