Travel like the wind : Suchart Choolee
The pristine white sands of Mai Khao Beach shimmer with a golden aura, catching the final light of day. Wave after wave rolls ashore, a ceaseless melody in harmony with the breath of the Andaman Sea. Then, the tranquility is pierced by a different, thunderous roar—a colossal passenger jet soaring skyward, majestic against the dusk. This surreal juxtaposition, where iron birds take flight above ancient shores, has become the iconic image of Mai Khao.
But amidst this breathtaking backdrop, a quieter, more profound scene unfolds. An old man stands still, clad in a faded sea gypsy shirt, his skin weathered to a bronze patina by sun and salt. In his arms, he holds his young grandson. His eyes, once sharp as a hawk’s, now hold a gentler fire as he points skyward, guiding the boy’s gaze to the great jet disappearing into the clouds. Behind them, a woman—his daughter—watches in silence, her expression a trinity of love, respect, and hope.
He is known as Pa But—a former sea gypsy who once hunted turtle eggs along this very shore, back when the sea was generous and the word “conservation” was foreign. But time, and the changing tides, brought ashore a different understanding. Watching the great leatherback turtles—the ocean’s gentle giants—struggle to return to their ancestral nesting grounds transformed the hunter into a guardian. His eyes, once keen for survival, now scan the horizon with quiet hope, awaiting the return of the creatures he once pursued.
Each night during nesting season, Pa But walks the long curve of beach, searching for the moonlit trails left by a mother turtle. His story, passed from villagers to rangers, from tourists to conservationists, has become legend. He is a teacher, imparting wisdom born of the tides. A sentinel, protecting fragile nests under a blanket of stars. A father figure, nurturing thousands of hatchlings on their perilous journey to the sea. The arms that now cradle his grandson once gently guided hatchlings to the water’s edge. The voice that whispers stories into the boy’s ear is the same voice that echoes across generations, sharing truths about the sacred cycles of the ocean.
As the airplane fades into the heavens, leaving only the hush of waves and wind, Pa But remains. His gaze lingers not on the sky, but out across the endless blue—toward the future.A future where children, like the boy in his arms, will rise not as hunters, but as stewards. A future where the leatherback turtles will always find their way home. To Mai Khao Beach…Forevermore.
Information
Mai Khao Beach
- The longest beach in Phuket, located on the northwest coast of the island within Sirinat National Park.
- Characterized by its clean white sand, it is relatively quiet and maintains a high degree of natural beauty compared to other beaches in Phuket.
- Globally famous as an “Unseen Thailand” destination for its iconic images of airplanes on their final approach, flying closely over the beach to the adjacent Phuket International Airport.
- Of critical ecological importance as one of the key nesting sites for rare sea turtles, especially the Leatherback turtle.
Leatherback Sea Turtle
- The largest sea turtle and the fourth-largest reptile in the world.
- Its distinguishing feature is the lack of a hard, bony shell. Instead, its carapace is covered by a thick, leathery skin, typically black with white spots, and has seven prominent ridges running along its length.
- Listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
- Major threats include entanglement in fishing gear, ingestion of plastic debris (mistaking it for jellyfish, their primary food), loss of nesting habitats, and historical poaching of their eggs.
- In Thailand, their nesting season typically runs from November to February.
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