The fate of marginalized maritime communities in the development of tourism. Governance Challenges of Natural Protected Areas in the Surin and Lipe Islands, Thailand,

Natural protected areas on islands often face a dual challenge: safeguarding coastal communities at risk of displacement from their marine environments, while simultaneously fostering their empowerment by cultivating productive relationships—particularly with incoming tourists. The chapter examines this challenge looking at two insular, natural protected areas in Thailand. Starting from a reflection on the political and legal partitioning of the oceans, the analysis extends to the transition between land and sea for these communities. It maintains a a particular focus on island contexts as unique spaces where the ideological construction of the land-sea divide is revealed. Following an examination of tourism in Thailand in relation to the political and cultural promotion of the concept of 'Thainess' (being Thai), the chapter discusses findings from research on two case studies of indigenous communities residing within Thailand’s national parks—the Moken of the Surin Islands and the Urak Lawoi of Lipe Island in the Andaman Sea. This contribution draws on ethnographic observations and qualitative data gathered during fieldwork conducted between January and March 20242. In conclusion, broader reflections will be offered on the lessons that these case studies provide for a maritime and oceanic sociological approach to emerging issues, framed within the perspective of political ecology in the Mediterranean as a potential global model