Riding a Thailand Long Tail Boat – Fantasy Runs Into Reality
Dazzling images of the sleek wooden frame, draped in vibrant ribbons, dance in my travel dream mind. The Thailand long tail boat captures exotic imaginations posing on the shores of white sand beaches.
The Thai boat, ‘ruea hang yao’, has long been a mode of water transportation in Southeast Asia. The narrow canoe-like hull, with its plank board seats, is utilized extensively today as a passenger carrier.
As far back as I can recall, the fantasy of drifting from one white sand beach of Thailand to the next, on a ‘gondola of the south’, has flitted about my mind.
Fantasy Meets Reality on a Thailand Long Tail Boat
Along with the boats in Thailand, rock climbing on the cliffs Railay Beach sits staunchly on my bucket list. With its overhanging limestone-pocketed cliff faces, this area of the Thai province of Krabi, serves as brochure material for Thailand tourism time and again. In my daydreams. the vision includes several long tail boats, with their ribbons blowing in the ocean breeze.
Call me naive, as certainly I must be, I have never given much thought to how a Krabi island longboat moves in the water. Perhaps in my happy delusions I expect a gondolier will wave a magic paddle and cruise through the turquoise waters of the ocean on fairy dust.
The term long tail is a familiar one to me. For some backwards reason, I assume the tail refers to the wooden extension of the front of the boat. You know where all the pretty ribbons are tied to.
Like a puppy distracted by the movement of a squirrel, all I see in my happy Krabi boat dreams, are the graceful tassels waving in the wind.
After years of yearning and planning, the day finally arrives. Although we have come to cycle in Southeast Asia, the longtail boat rides are first on my list. With glassy, you-finally-made-it-here eyes, I gaze upon the beautiful watercraft lined as if in conversation with each other.
The spell of a dream finally realized screeches to a halt, like monitor lizard claws on concrete.
Cramming into the the tailboat, with another dozen tourists, the driver pulls desperately at a cord attached to what looks like a motor. With a growling disposition he definitely won’t be singing any gondolier songs.
As it turns out, a second hand tractor or car engine, mounted on a pole of several meters, is the defining characteristic of a longtail boat.
“You see the motor is positioned directly on the driveshaft. The engine can swivel up and down so the boat driver can put it in neutral just by bringing the propeller out of the water.”
Well isn’t that fascinating, or disappointing, depending on your frame of mind.
Dazzling images of the sleek wooden frame, draped in vibrant ribbons, dance in my travel dream mind. The Thailand long tail boat captures exotic imaginations posing on the shores of white sand beaches. The Thai boat, ‘ruea hang yao’, has long been a mode of water transportation in Southeast Asia. The narrow canoe-like hull, with its…
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