Foreign divers face jail and 100K fines for underwater selfies they posted on YouTube

 

Picture: Thai PBS

 

Demands for the arrest of two foreign divers who videoed themselves touching sea creatures for fun off Koh Phangan in the south of Thailand came from the very top. 

 

Thai PBS reported that Natural Resources and Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-Archa demanded action and was pleased when he got it after information from environmentalists and locals led to the capture of the two foreigners.

 

One is a dive instructor who will have his permit to teach revoked. He is also a restaurant owner on Koh Phangan. The other is a chef who likes to take people out on diving trips in his speedboat. 

 

They face a year in jail or 100,000 baht fine or both after it was determined they were in a protected area. 

 

They also have been charged with violating 24 hour reporting of their whereabouts with the wife of one also in hot water. 

 

Thai PBS reported that the pair filmed themselves handling marine life for fun and prodded fish with a selfie stick to wake them up (as it was nighttime). 

 

Picture: Thai PBS

 

They faced a storm of criticism on social media including from leading environmentalist Dr Thon Thamrongnawasawat of Kaset University who went on Facebook to condemn their actions. 

 

Some on the Thaivisa forum who claimed they were part of the diving community partly defended their actions saying they were handling common animals and dismissed Dr Thon's views about the inappropriateness of night diving. 

 

Sophon Thongdee, the chief of the department of marine and coastal resources, disagreed and said that two men had been arrested.

 

They are Mr Attila O. a diving instructor and Mr Francesco S. a chef, on Phangan who owns a speedboat and likes to take customers from his restaurant out on dive trips, notes Thai PBS.

 

Sophon spelled out the details of the case:

 

"Both (these men) have given evidence to the Koh Phangan police and admitted they were the ones in the video at Salat Beach that was posted on YouTube. We have pressed charges according to the law because that is an environmentally protected area. 

 

"Touching wildlife there warrants a 100,000 baht fine or a year in jail or both".

 

He also told the media that he had ordered local officials to look into their permits and other documentation. He said that a diving instructor permit would be revoked for "this unacceptable behavior". 

 

He also said that he had made representations to Wichawut Jinto,the governor of Surat Thani province that includes Phangan, to help press charges against the two men. 

 

Initially, Francesco had not reported his change of address within 24 hours and his wife Kristiyaporn would be fined for that. 

 

Attila in his capacity of being the owner of an establishment where people stay also faces charges for not reporting guests within 24 hours.

 

Source: Thai PBS

 

 

 

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This is nonsense 

 

corals are protected not fish 

 

ridiculous and idiotic reaction 

 

maybe go after fishing boats that do actual damage to protected corals and marine life

"Dive Instructor" - Meh Should be restricted to Thai only.

Chef , likely running illegal charters, Investigate what is really going on

 

 

I guarantee that Sea Cucumber was not harmed and doesn't care

remember russian woman feeding bread to fish ?

 

https://www.thesun.co.uk/living/2940609/a-tourist-could-face-up-to-a-year-in-a-thai-jail-for-feeding-bread-to-fish-in-the-sea/

Being instructors they should have know it's against the law to touch animals in a National Park but to record it and publish o You Tube was a bit silly.

 

1 hour ago, Captain Monday said:

I guarantee that Sea Cucumber was not harmed and doesn't care

Have you interrogated it? When are you submitting your evidence to the court?

52 minutes ago, Matzzon said:

Have you interrogated it? When are you submitting your evidence to the court?

We used to throw them at tourist girls on the beach to make them scream.

A great conversation starter 

That's just perfect, let's make it widely known to the diving community, that an innocent night dive in Thailand gets you a one year jail sentence. It will greatly help tourism to restart, at least in the South.

 

Ok, and there is absolutely no anti Farang xenophobic feeling in Thailand.

27 minutes ago, Captain Monday said:

We used to throw them at tourist girls on the beach to make them scream.

A great conversation starter 

Yep, or a slap. ???? 

16 minutes ago, Boomer6969 said:

That's just perfect, let's make it widely known to the diving community, that an innocent night dive in Thailand gets you a one year jail sentence. It will greatly help tourism to restart, at least in the South.

 

Ok, and there is absolutely no anti Farang xenophobic feeling in Thailand.

Stupid behavior to touch/ handle marine life, even stupider to film yourself while doing it and incredibly stupid to post that vid on youtube.

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Demands for the arrest

whose demanding it?is  it Thai netizens again, suggest they go arrest  all their filthy fisherman who dump tons of trash into the sea off their  boats, ridiculous AS USUAL, bloody foreigners again eh, yeah never  a  Thais  fault EVER.

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Francesco had not reported his change of address within 24 hours and his wife Kristiyaporn would be fined for that. 

Someone needs to explain the latest tm28 and tm30 requirments to me. I thought this had been largely put out to bed. Not sure why his wife would be fined either.

I assume people who post videos on YouTube of themselves doing stuff want attention and the affirmation of "LIKES".

Well, they got the attention they crave and local officials really like it because they can pretend they care and distract from their lack of enforcement where it really counts.

Seems everyone's a winner.

BTW, I also thought the 24 hour reporting thing had been shelved.  Has there been a revival?

Fine them and lock 'em up... ????

quite absurd,thais fishing boats and dive boats drop anchors on coral,this is a sea cucumber please go and arrest the people harvesting them for chinese.this is racist BS

I can see why Steve Irwin never made it to Thailand.

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Initially, Francesco had not reported his change of address within 24 hours and his wife Kristiyaporn would be fined for that. 

How much was the fine for farang wearing odd socks or walking on the cracks in the pavement ? 

Don't do the crime, if you can't do the time... 



 

I know they broke the law but does nothing for Thailand’s image to promote tourism back give the covid 19 ! Would have thought community service as a punishment ?

49 minutes ago, Boomer6969 said:

That's just perfect, let's make it widely known to the diving community, that an innocent night dive in Thailand gets you a one year jail sentence. It will greatly help tourism to restart, at least in the South.

 

Ok, and there is absolutely no anti Farang xenophobic feeling in Thailand.

no doubt the "diving community" will be very pleased. in general the diving community strictly obeys a Dont Touch rule, out of respect the marine environment.

 

and PLEASE stop your idiotic nonsense dribble about upholding legal protection of sealife would suddenly be "xenophobic."

 

Well done, glad to see Thai authorities taking wildlife protection serious.

 

And...a reminder for some farangs you are in an actual real country with real laws and real people nd not freaking DINSEYLAND.

Jiminy Crickets... What's next, do not feed or touch the Bar girls?

11 minutes ago, darrenr said:

I know they broke the law but does nothing for Thailand’s image to promote tourism back give the covid 19 ! Would have thought community service as a punishment ?

Hmmm i think it actually paints a very positive picture that Thailand is doing it's best to preserve the sea life around this area.

So i guess it depends which way you want to look at it? 

2 hours ago, Matzzon said:

Have you interrogated it? When are you submitting your evidence to the court?

Actually I had a drink with the cucumber and he was fine, we had a really nice time.

9 minutes ago, holy cow cm said:

Jiminy Crickets... What's next, do not feed or touch the Bar girls?

"Touching the bar girls"  will eventually end up costing you a lot more than a 100,000 THB fine ???? 

hmmm, it is ok to bulldoze and back fill with soil countless wetlands and other biodiverse areas without ever conducting an EIA. I wish this was about environmental protection but we all know what it really is...

 

When I went to dive school, we were taught not to touch anything or stand on anything or remove anything. Observe only and leave it all alone.

5 minutes ago, Kaopad999 said:

Hmmm i think it actually paints a very positive picture that Thailand is doing it's best to preserve the sea life around this area.

So i guess it depends which way you want to look at it? 

Not really because when it comes to lining their own pockets they will happily put that first. Have you seen the krud they pump into the sea in and around Pattaya? What should be beautiful, crystal clear seawater looks like turd soup. This is just a silly diversion story, nothing more another example of anti foreigner... if it were a local it wouldn't even make the press. The punishment should fit the crime, fine him, tell him off and leave it at that. But no, they have to splash it all over the press, talk about huge fines and jail time, revoking on work permit and visa.. ridiculous....

4 minutes ago, GAZZPA said:

<snip> The punishment should fit the crime, fine him, tell him off and leave it at that. But no, they have to splash it all over the press, talk about huge fines and jail time, revoking on work permit and visa.. ridiculous....

I think the punishment fits the crime. A chef who likes to take people out on his speedboat it double speak for 'illegal divecenter'.

 

We'll have to wait what will actually happen, but I hope they both get expelled.

They are taking this much more seriously than if you

killed someone on the roads, especially if your a VIP,

seen recently owner of large company,killed 2 with his

car, suspended sentence !

regards Worgeordie