Longtails are usually painted in bright colours and decorated with strips of red, yellow and green ribbon tied to the bow. The ribbons are gifts to the spirit of the boat, asking for safe travels. Some boats also carry a small woven garland of flowers, refreshed every few days.
The boats are perfect for shallow water. Because the propeller is on the end of a long pole, the driver can lift the whole thing out of the water at the touch of a lever if there is a rock, a sandbank or seaweed in the way. That means they can zip into tiny bays where bigger boats would get stuck.
Longtails are the main way to travel between the small islands of southern Thailand. Children take them to school. Families pile in for a day at the beach. Fishermen use them for nets and crab traps. They sound like a flying bumblebee - a deep buzzing noise you can hear long before you see one coming.
The engines used on longtails were originally taken from old cars and trucks - Toyota and Mercedes are common. Mechanics put them on a frame at the back of the boat with a long pole sticking out the back, ending in a small propeller. It is a clever bit of upcycling that became a national symbol.