Moken people fishing. The Moken are a nomadic tribe of sea gypsies, numbering some two hundred, who live on Mu Ko Surin island off the western coast of Thailand. Scientific studies have shown that the underwater eyesight of Moken children is more than 50% better than that of other children. It is believed that years of practice have enabled the Moken to see better out of necessity, helping them to hunt for fish and spot mussels on the sea bed.