A long tail boat has quite a long history in Thailand dating far back at least 60 years (I am 71). All kinds of used engines have been used over the years including used 2-stroke/4-stroke gasoline engine and 4-stroke turbo diesel engine. Note, it is always old/used engine that is modified to drive the propeller via a long metal tube. By moving the propeller up/down and sideways, the driver can maneuver the boat onto the desired direction. A bigger long tail also sports a rudder to help navigation as well. The bigger the boat, it's likely to be powered by used turbo diesel engine due to its powerful torque and power as well as more efficient fuel consumption. There is no muffler, so the exhaust sound is very loud.