Still, if you were to mention the name of Pa Chee Wang along the Andaman coastline you'd be almost guaranteed raise a stir.

Pa Chee Wang was born in a Phang Nga fishing village called "Wang Mor Gang" (วังหม้อแกง, in Thai languages ). Unfortunately, her lovely face was ruined by a harelip and it caused her depression during her teenage years. The Name "Wang" means roughly "a chipped mouth" and locals never let her forget the fact that she didn't look the same as they did. One day the girl disappeared from the village.

10 years later ships trading between Krabi, Phang Nga and Phuket often encountered a certain pirate. The situation didn't change for years, making the sea place of dread, to be avoided to be a female dressed in white, with her face covered. People said she was a cruel, avaricious, and bloodthirsty pirate. During each pirate attack she commanded her crew from the ship's figurehead. It was believed that she had a special prayer incantation thatt was the key to her success.

Sailors soon called her "Pa Chee Wang" (Chee came form her nun-like outfit). She proved a scourge - despite many efforts on behalf of authorities to get rid of her and her shipmates. She soon became a legend and a local even wrote a ballad about her that compared her indestructibility to men and of her ability to stop bullets.

Nowadays, psychologists might explain that her facial handicap led her to overcompensate; others may claim that rejection by her community deeply scarred her.

In the End :

The first Governor of Phu Nga and was titled Phraya Borirakphuthorn (Saeng Na Nakorn). He is also informally called "Phraya Phang Nga Tab Lek" (The Iron Liver Governor), which comes from his love of adventures. His favorite pastime was to go hunting, especially for crocodiles and tigers. At that time Phang Nga was described as an isolated town surrounded by a tropical forest that were the hunting grounds of Bengal tigers, sea and brackish water crocodiles.

The Governor went hunting for them on a boat with his friends and would use spear instead of a gun, although they kept arms just in case things went badly. So it was logical the he would have a go at defeating Pa Chee Wang. This time she didn't com put on top. They faced each off Koh Yao, east of Phuket in Phang Nga Bay.

Phraya Borirakphuthorn shouted for the pirate to surrender. His opponet replied with shots so he gave as good as he got and provoked the anger of the female pirate. It is said that this lack of composure made her lose concentration and that her opponent capitalized on this with a veritable broadside. However, Pa Chee Wang rallied her crew and in doing so, stood up and exposed herself. The Governorfired his flintlock and the charge hit her full in the chest. Her white nun-like robe was soon stained in bright red blood as she struggled for life. Soon she was dead.

The Governor pulled his boat up alongside the pirates' vessel and declared victory. This was the end of the female scourge's life and all that would remain would be a ballad.

source reference :
Prasit Shinnakarn, He has written many pieces relating to local culture which are published in the Phuket Bulletin.
(Phuket Bulletin Vol.6 July 2007)

Seasons change, feelings change, people change and even islands change, too. I'll take you to the island that once claimed the title of "Heaven of the Pirates", an island that harbored pirates from the raging sea during monsoon season, and provided a hiding place for them from the authorities all the time. Even the name of the island at that time would make your hair on end. However, later on, Thai officials controlled the island, and because of the impossibility of escaping from it, the Thai government made the island a prison-camp during WWII. The inmates were political prisoners. Because of the island's natural high security, the guards main duty was not guarding prisoners but making fences. Many prisoners back then perished from the harsh conditions of this malaria-infested island.

However, more recently, after the Democrat party won the Thai election, charges against them were lifted and all the prisoners were freed. The many stories about the island were all but forgotten. Nobody wanted to mention it anymore. But nowadays when we find it is a marine national park, TARUTAO ISLAND.

You may have seen the American TV show "SURVIVOR". Koh Tarutao was chosen for the show. You shouldn't miss visiting and seeing it for yourself and trekking through the mangrove and nipa palm forest (the palm's fronds are customarily used for roof thatching).

Crab-eating monkeys are commonly seen. You may be lucky and spot a monitor lizards, weighing up to 60 lbs, or a band of black monkeys with white rings around their eyes. There are a lot of colorful birds, including King fishers, Oriental Pied and Southern Pied hornbills. The variety of animal life seems infinite here.

You'll simply love it. Remember to bring a bird guide and a pair of binoculars in your bag. The trekking tour is very close to the white sand long beach. Besides trekking you can paddle along the tidal rivers of the unspoiled nature habitat island, the scene you can imagine from the TV show "SURVIVOR".