Ko Panyi is a Muslim fishing village of around 1,600 people built almost entirely on wooden stilts over the water of Phang Nga Bay. It was founded around the end of the 18th century by Bugis fishermen from Indonesia, who were not permitted to own land on the Thai mainland. The result is a settlement that floats: houses, a mosque, a school, restaurants, and souvenir stalls all perched on pilings driven into the shallow bay, with the limestone karst towers of the bay rising above it on all sides.
Most boat tours include a stop here for lunch, and the restaurants are well-practised at feeding large groups. It is worth arriving outside the peak lunch rush if you can — the village has a genuine community life that is easier to see when it is not overwhelmed by tour groups. The floating football pitch at the edge of the village is a remarkable piece of improvisation, still in use.