Next generation of Fisherman in Bangsiat

This is the story of Jee Am, the second generation from a fishing family.

Sunset while laying fishing nets

“Jee” is a Hokkien Chinese word used in Phuket Province (South of Thailand). It means “Older sister.” If you put the word “Jee” in front of a name, such as Jee Am, it means “Sister Am”.

Question: Please introduce yourself.

Answer: I am the second child in the family. My family has worked in fishing for as long as I can remember. I was born and raised with the sea all my life.

At first, my mother often told me that my father and mother were original local people from Ban Bang Siat. Before they had children and started a family, my father worked cutting wood and making charcoal at Ban Thong Lang. After their first child, my eldest sister, was born, they moved back to “Ban Bang Siat,” Bang Toei Subdistrict, Phang Nga Province, to live by the sea and make a living from the sea until today.

Question: What are you currently doing for your hometown?

Answer: I see that I had the opportunity to study in Phuket since 2010. I studied tourism for both my bachelor’s degree and master’s degree. After graduation, I have always worked in tourism industry. When I returned home, my family was still fishing in the sea and tapping rubber trees. So I wanted to apply what I had learned, what I knew, and the experiences I gained from work to what we already have at home.

There are many things to do here. Even the rainy day and we cannot lay fishing nets, there are still other activities that can bring people to visit and get to know our home, such as fishing, seeing ghost crabs and marine animals, or visiting beautiful beaches in the way we see them ourselves.

Seasonal Local Catch

Question: What does your family think if tourists really come to visit?

Answer: For my family, it feels like something new to bring people here. But bringing visitors could also be another way for us to continue living the same lifestyle while becoming less physically tired in old age. Having tourists come to visit and see our way of life can become another source of income for us as well.

Question: Will this be the first time opening your home to visitors?

Answer: No. My parents have a childhood friend, an original local person from Ban Bang Siat named “Chol,” who moved to Bangkok for a long time. One time, he came back to visit his hometown, and he brought his friends with him. He still thought about our family and wanted his Bangkok friends to see the sea. That day, my father went out on the boat as usual. He took them fishing and laying nets. They even made a fun vow that if they caught fish, they would light firecrackers.

And of course, even though they were beginners, they still caught fish and were able to take photos with them. It happened only that one time for those outsiders.

After that, friends from the younger generation also came to go on the boat, and most recently even the grandchildren’s generation joined the trip and got seasick lol.

Fisherman Family

Question: What would you like to see if tourists come? How would you like your home to be developed?

Answer: I do not want the original way of life to disappear because we grew up with this abundant sea. My parents used fishing to support all three children through school.

If foreigners come to visit here, I would like them to support and appreciate it more. We want to show them how we lay fishing nets and let them see the real way original local people do it. We will continue doing it the same way.

Question: After your parents’ generation is gone, will the three siblings continue fishing?

Answer:It seems that nobody will continue it. My eldest sister became a teacher. My youngest sister now works in the fisheries department as a government officer.

As for me, As for me, I’m still single and don’t have plans to have a family of my own. If I become older and need to move back home, I would probably tap rubber trees and spend more time in the rubber plantation than fishing.

Another sea day

Question: How do you feel about your parents being fishermen?

Answer: I feel good because I grew up with this occupation. I can do everything. The only thing I cannot do is swim. But if it is anything else related to boats, I can do it all. Laying fishing nets, fishing, handling equipment, rowing boats. I can do everything. If you ask me to become a fisherman now, I would probably say no because I feel there are still many other things for me to do. I still have choices. I choose to work and earn my own living.

But if one day there is a good reason for me to return and lay fishing nets with my parents again, I can still do it the same as before. ....And perhaps, this will be the time I finally return.

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For Thai Gaia

We have known Jee Am as a good friend for a long time. We have heard many stories about Ban Bang Siat and seen photos on her phone that she proudly showed us. Even though we had never visited the place before, we could always feel that every time Jee Aam talked about Ban Bang Siat, there was always love and childhood memories within those stories.

One time, during a casual conversation in the early days of establishing Thai Gaia, we asked her, “If your home is so beautiful, why not let people come and experience it?”

And that short sentence became the spark that inspired this tour.

Of course, the local way of life may not be perfect, but we believe that when someone is willing to open their home to welcome travelers like you, there must be something meaningful waiting to welcome you with warmth and genuine experiences ready for you to discover.

And another interesting detail is that the local fishermen carefully select fishing nets with a mesh size of 4.3–4.5 cm, designed to catch only medium-sized fish. Smaller fish and juvenile marine life are able to safely pass through the nets, allowing them to continue growing and naturally reproduce within the ecosystem.

fishing nets with a mesh size of 4.3–4.5 cm

The story of the Fisherman Family contributes to several of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

🌿 SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth Supporting local livelihoods and creating additional income opportunities for coastal communities through community-based tourism.

🌿 SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities Preserving local identity, traditional fishing culture, and the way of life of coastal communities for future generations.

🌿 SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production Encouraging meaningful travel experiences that respect local resources, traditional knowledge, and sustainable lifestyles.

🌿 SDG 14 – Life Below Water Promoting awareness of small-scale traditional fishing practices and the connection between local communities and marine ecosystems.

🌿 SDG 17 – Partnerships for the Goals Building collaboration between local communities, travelers, and sustainable tourism initiatives.

Thai Gaia hopes the story of Jee Am and her fisherman family encourages you to slow down for a moment and rediscover the beauty of simple ways of life that still quietly exist along the coast of Southern Thailand.

Sometimes, the most meaningful journeys are not about luxury, but about sharing conversations on a small boat, watching the tides move with local fishermen, and experiencing the warmth of a family willing to open their home and way of life to visitors from around the world.

If one day you choose to visit Ban Bang Siat, perhaps you may leave not only with beautiful memories of the sea, but also with a deeper understanding of the people who have lived alongside it for generations.

____Photo by Jee Am Family 🍃

____Story by Thai Gaia 🍃