"Perahutangan Boat" or known as "Children's Hand-Paddling Boat Race" a distinctive local identity unique to Satun Province, the only one in Thailand, while residents continue to preserve it from disappearing.
On 24 Aug 2026, reporters reported that "hand-paddling boats" or as called by locals in Tamalang Subdistrict, Mueang District, Satun Province, "Perahutangan Boats" Perahutangan refers to small paddle boats about 1 meter long, a unique local identity found only in Tamalang Subdistrict, the sole place in Thailand where this exists.
These boats are made from oil cans decorated to look like boats, and some are simply halved cans used as-is. What stands out is that they do not use paddles but instead paddle with hands, sometimes aided by foam boards or wooden grips to move the boat.
Parents provide these Perahutangan boats to children aged 6-12 to travel between friends' houses or play within the village. Importantly, children often use the boats to benefit the community by paddling to collect trash in the canals to keep them clean. Tamalang is an island village; although a bridge has connected the island for nearly a year now, children still use these boats locally.
To preserve the Perahutangan boats as a local identity and support good deeds by children and youth, the Tamalang Subdistrict Administrative Organization organized the 13th traditional boat paddling competition at the Fishery Organization Pier, also known as Pha Luang Pier, with 16 teams competing.
The event's highlight was the children's boat race featuring Perahutangan boats, conducted with great enthusiasm. Competitors aged 6-12 included some so small that their life jackets towered over their heads while seated, and some boats turned around mid-race, requiring paddling backward to avoid losing time.