About 200 sea gypsies on Wednesday submitted a petition calling on the government to resolve land rights problems in tambon Rawai of Phuket where they face eviction.
The sea gypsies, known locally as Chao Lay, submitted the petition through the provincial Damrongtham centre, a public complaints office, demanding authorities immediately look into their dispute with businessmen over ownership of coastal land they say they have inherited from their ancestors.
The protesters were part of the Poor People's Rights Network for Development in Phuket and the People's Movement for a Just Society (P-Move). The complaint was addressed to Deputy Prime Minister Adm Narong Pipatanasai, who is also the navy chief.
The dispute arose after a group of businessmen claimed ownership of coastal land in Muang district where Chao Lay people have lived for generations.
The authorities are making no effort to solve the problem and protect the rights of the sea gypsy community, Sinchai Ruphrocheen, a coordinator for the network and a representative of P-Move, said.
Mr Sinchai said the community is facing the threat of eviction and is being intimidated by not being allowed to conduct religious rites or fish in the disputed area.
The military has also prevented the sea gypsies gaining access to public areas where they have roamed for more than 100 years, he added.
Nirundorn Yungparn, a community leader, said the title deeds issued to the businessmen were causing problems for over 2,000 sea gypsies.
"If the deputy premier does not help the Chao Lay people, we will no longer have our own land," Mr Nirundorn said.
In July 2014, Prawuth Wongsinil, head of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI)'s consumer and environmental protection office, said an investigation team found the skeletons of two people who might have been buried in the disputed areas more than 60 years ago.
The discovery of the skeletons now serves as key ancestral evidence for sea gypsies claiming ownership of the land, Mr Nirundorn said.
At present, 101 sea gypsies face eviction lawsuits, according to Sanit Saesua, a Chao Lay community member. Among them, two have already lost cases in the lower court.
"We [Chao Lay people] have been trying every possible way to prove we have inherited land from our ancestors. We have our own culture, language and a simple way of life," Mr Sanit said.
The DSI has conducted DNA tests on the skeletons and returned them to the sea gypsies for religious rites.
P-Move says it lodged a complaint with the previous government to look into the matter.
The Justice Ministry urged the Department of Lands to revoke the title deeds for 11 rai of coastal land in the community, while another 10 rai in the same area is still pending investigation.
Land disputes involving sea gypsy communities living along the Andaman coast are nothing new. However, the rapid growth of the tourism industry in the last few decades has worsened their plight as coastal land has become a prime commodity.