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

[Gold Star]

At least they left them unharmed after a selfie. But why stop there? Ban anyone caught fishing and the harvest of all seafood in Thailand. ????

 

[Thomas J]

How is it that Thailand has the resources to look at all the Youtube videos to discover that someone has been here in Thailand, went diving, and touched a protected marine species? 

[TERMINATOR3AB]

Possible  future  tourist  see this  

Wow  will be  rush to visit  Thaialnd  

hahahaha

 

[Boomer6969]

17 minutes ago, stevenl said:

That beginner diver should start in the swimming pool, and after that over sand.

You gotta be joking OWs are signed off after 4 introductory dives. I haven't seen anyone fail. And yet only very few have a proper buoyancy control once the are released in wild. 

 

So yes they "should" but they don't, especially when they are trained in a tropical resort environment, where the Dive Centers want numbers. 

[Millcx]

7 hours ago, AbeNormal said:

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

More craziness .. You can stick a hook in a fish mouth but not take a photo .. These inept red tapers have nothing better to do with their time .. Open your borders and stop acting over important

[Millcx]

4 minutes ago, Thomas J said:

How is it that Thailand has the resources to look at all the Youtube videos to discover that someone has been here in Thailand, went diving, and touched a protected marine species? 

Because that’s all they do all day as locals starve .. Browse all day 

[Card]

7 hours ago, AbeNormal said:

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

You mean like the idiot's speedboat?

[Hi Tea]

7 hours ago, AbeNormal said:

This is nonsense 

corals are protected not fish 

ridiculous and idiotic reaction

To quote your words, this is nonsense, ridiculous and idiotic reaction.

[Hi Tea]

6 hours ago, Xaos said:

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/

Yes...so?

[stevenl]

31 minutes ago, Bigz said:

Yeah with hindsight...

For a diving instructor, sop: don't touch, nothing at all to do with hindsight.

[crazykopite]

Go to Thong Sala pier and see the Thais fishing and throwing in nets to catch fish to take home and eat all these guys did was to pick up items and take pictures no harm done .are times so desperate that they will now fine you for anything how about fining Thais for throwing plastic all over the place or for urinating up against a coconut tree when there is a toilet 5 metres away ☹️

[NoComment]

3 hours ago, bodga said:

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.

Definitely not a Thai fault. 

They are foreigners that should know the rules.

Complete morons and brain dead to post on social media 

[Hi Tea]

3 hours 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.

Completely wrong, night diving will not get anyone a one-year jail sentence. 

 

What they have been charged with, and what they admitted to, carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and/or B100,000 fine, maximum, not mandatory!

[stevenl]

23 minutes ago, Boomer6969 said:

You gotta be joking OWs are signed off after 4 introductory dives. I haven't seen anyone fail. And yet only very few have a proper buoyancy control once the are released in wild. 

 

So yes they "should" but they don't, especially when they are trained in a tropical resort environment, where the Dive Centers want numbers. 

As a dive instructor here for 20 years now:  sure it happens, but shouldn't happen and is easily avoidable. Instructors and dm's I know do what they can to avoid this.

[Hi Tea]

3 hours ago, bodga said:

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.

You missed the part about the Thai woman being in trouble also, then?

 

Perhaps if someone posts videos of your allegations against "filthy fishermen"  they will be arrested and charged also!

[Hi Tea]

2 hours 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 ?

"Would have thought community service as a punishment?"

They haven't received any punishment yet.

[crazykopite]

3 hours ago, stevenl said:

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

What is stupid about it no harm was done you cannot tell me that this does not go on around the globe divers taking selfies with marine life what a pity that the Thai authorities do nothing about all the dumped fishing nets that kill the marine life living on the beach I can tell you I’m picking all the <deleted> up everyday .

[Hi Tea]

2 hours ago, tyga said:

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...

 

"...we all know what it really is..."

 

"We" do?  Maybe you do, please enlighten us.

[Hi Tea]

2 hours ago, worgeordie said:

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

And, so far, those arrested here have received no sentence.

[Hi Tea]

2 hours ago, TheFishman1 said:

Unbelievable Amazing Thailand only foreign do that not any Thai people TIT

Well, so far, the Thais that you seem to be suggesting do the same thing haven't bragged about it on social media!

[Hi Tea]

1 hour ago, sherwood said:

Dear oh dear, what a funny place Thailand is. You can run over a Policeman and get away with it but pick up a sea creature and put it back you might go to jail.

"...what a funny place Thailand is. You can run over a Policeman and get away with it..."

Who has that happened to, then?  Got away with running over a policeman, I mean.

[Hi Tea]

1 hour ago, Neeranam said:

Jail for waking up a fish, wow.

No one has gone to jail for "waking a fish".  Not even a fine, yet, either.

[Harry Fingerling]

From the narrative it just says stay away dirty Ferang.

[Hi Tea]

1 hour ago, maprao said:

I do recall the pick up driver who committed manslaughter by taking a life of the round the world cyclist near Chachangsao bh wreckless driving was fined 7000 Baht!

 

Go figure eh. Guess the fine fits the crime!

If you're making that comparison, what have these divers been fined?

[Hi Tea]

48 minutes ago, Thomas J said:

How is it that Thailand has the resources to look at all the Youtube videos to discover that someone has been here in Thailand, went diving, and touched a protected marine species? 

Thailand doesn't but maybe you should confirm that with the netizens who reported it.

[Moo 2]

When one wants to do something illegal in Thailand one has better have good friends like..."The Boss".

 

[Hi Tea]

47 minutes ago, Millcx said:

More craziness .. You can stick a hook in a fish mouth but not take a photo .. These inept red tapers have nothing better to do with their time

Nothing stopping anyone doing their photography, no one's been charged with taking a photo.

[NeoDinosaw]

2 hours ago, Tarteso said:

Thanks God ! Almost they are safe and don’t get the death sentence or life in prison... for touch a fish.

A holothurian is NOT a fish !!

[Hi Tea]

32 minutes ago, crazykopite said:

Go to Thong Sala pier and see the Thais fishing and throwing in nets to catch fish to take home and eat all these guys did was to pick up items and take pictures no harm done .are times so desperate that they will now fine you for anything

Funny thing is fishing from the pier isn't illegal, what these divers did was illegal.

[Dogmatix]

Given such grave concerns from Thai netizens and the tourism minister, the safest thing to do would be shut down diving in Thailand completely.