Around 100 sea gypsies who gathered in front of the court erupted in joy on hearing the ruling. "I am happy the court took into account the livelihoods and ancestral history of the sea gypsies," said Mr Niran. During the process, he declared no sea gypsies had occupied the area, while land officials failed to examine the land rights of the villagers, according to the court. However, aerial photos showed the sea gypsies had occupied the land before Than got hold of the Sor Kor 1 paper, the court found. Photos by Ariane Kupferman-SutthavongClick "play" to listen to Phuket court rules for sea gypsies and "Download" to keep this file for educational purpose.

Source: Bangkok Post February 01, 2017 02:03 UTC