Tourist faces jail after sitting on coral - says he thought it was just rocks

[webfact]

Picture: Thai Rath

 

Environmental authorities filed a complaint with Sattahip police after a Thai tourist posted pictures of himself sitting on coral.

 

It happened in the area of Koh Khram Noi in Bang Saray. 

 

Marine Resources Conservation Division chief in the area Wuthipong Wong-in told Pol Lt-Col Samran Sukto that this was a protected species of coral of the Scleratinia order.

 

Sitting on it and tampering with it can kill it by causing stress, reported Thai Rath. 

 

And the crime is serious, punishable under several articles promulgated in 2019 to protect Thailand's natural resources.

 

In theory offenders can be jailed for up to ten years and/or fined a million baht.

 

Later in the day the Facebook poster called Wisoot Rattanasathian, 45, turned up to say that the incident happened a year ago and he'd only just posted the picture on February 12th.

 

He said he thought it was just rocks not coral and he just wanted a nice holiday snap in the natural environment. 

 

A couple of years ago a Hungarian man living in Thailand was deported for handling a sea slug off Koh Phangan. An Italian - a fellow diver - also got into trouble. 

 

The environment minister Varawut Silpa-archa has frequently got involved to throw the book at people damaging his country's natural resources, reports ASEAN NOW. 

 

Health insurance plans that meet the long stay visa requirements

 

-- © Copyright  ASEAN NOW 2022-02-14

 

- Aetna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

- Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

 

Get your business in front of millions of customers who read ASEAN NOW with an interest in Thailand every month - email [email protected] for more information

[RandiRona]

Its was just a rock and I thought that I was in Grand Canyon.

[Geoffggi]

Bureaucracy gone mad .........!!!!

[ezzra]

And the message is, don't <deleted> around with Thailand's marine's, fauna and flora or you'll pay heavily for it...

[SAFETY FIRST]

1 hour ago, Geoffggi said:

Bureaucracy gone mad .........!!!!

Ha, ha. You aint seen nothing. 

 

You want to spend a bit of time in Australia. 

 

[SAFETY FIRST]

1 hour ago, ezzra said:

And the message is, don't <deleted> around with Thailand's marine's, fauna and flora or you'll pay heavily for it...

I hope this message gets through to the Thais. 

 

 

[robblok]

1 hour ago, ezzra said:

And the message is, don't <deleted> around with Thailand's marine's, fauna and flora or you'll pay heavily for it...

Not a bad message to send, though this is not something major. I seen people do far worse standing on coral and stuff like that. This is not good let there be no mistake about it but its not a major crime IMHO. But sure something needs to be done to make people more aware of how delicate coral is. IF it is gone tourist wont come back.

[Gottfrid]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

He said he thought it was just rocks not coral

Sure!
 

1 hour ago, Geoffggi said:

Bureaucracy gone mad .........!!!!

Nope!

[Almer]

3 hours ago, ezzra said:

And the message is, don't <deleted> around with Thailand's marine's, fauna and flora or you'll pay heavily for it...

Thai women yes, fauna and flora no.

[mvdf]

Sentencing guidelines for judges and prosecutors:

 

Jail + hefty fine + deportation for foreigners

Wai + 2 weeks monkhood for Thais

 

 

[Guderian]

Meanwhile they happily chop down old, large, shady trees in Pattaya without giving them a second thought. Forgive me if I'm not convinced by this display of Thai environmental concern.

[crazykopite]

He’s a Thai national it will be a slap on the wrist unlike the poor farang who got deported for holding a sea slug . I’ve often seen Thais raiding the sea bead collecting baskets full of sea urchins I would of thought that was illegal they tend to do it at nightfall but nobody seems to be bothered about it .

[Fairynuff]

19 minutes ago, mvdf said:

Sentencing guidelines for judges and prosecutors:

 

Jail + hefty fine for foreigners

Wai + 2 weeks monkhood for Thais

 

 

Well that’s fine given that we always think we know better

[Moonlover]

5 minutes ago, crazykopite said:

I’ve often seen Thais raiding the sea bead collecting baskets full of sea urchins I would of thought that was illegal

Some sea urchins are edible and are not endangered, so probably not illegal.

[Liverpool Lou]

4 hours ago, Geoffggi said:

Bureaucracy gone mad .........!!!!

Facebook posting gone mad.

[Liverpool Lou]

23 minutes ago, mvdf said:

Sentencing guidelines for judges and prosecutors:

 

Jail + hefty fine for foreigners

Wai + 2 weeks monkhood for Thais

The man in question facing a fine and/or prison is a Thai, not a foreigner.

[Liverpool Lou]

11 minutes ago, crazykopite said:

He’s a Thai national it will be a slap on the wrist unlike the poor farang who got deported for holding a sea slug

Did he get deported?    If he did, it's pretty certain that it wasn't just for handling a sea slug, he was being investigated for other irregularities, wasn't he?

[mvdf]

6 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

The man in question facing a fine and/or prison is a Thai, not a foreigner.

That, as the yanks say, changes the game plan then.

[The Hammer2021]

Typical of the Thai authorities bullying farang!

[Liverpool Lou]

15 minutes ago, crazykopite said:

I’ve often seen Thais raiding the sea bead collecting baskets full of sea urchins I would of thought that was illegal

Collecting sea urchins from the seabed is a million miles away from the offence of damaging protected coral.

[The Hammer2021]

19 minutes ago, crazykopite said:

He’s a Thai national it will be a slap on the wrist unlike the poor farang who got deported for holding a sea slug . I’ve often seen Thais raiding the sea bead collecting baskets full of sea urchins I would of thought that was illegal they tend to do it at nightfall but nobody seems to be bothered about it .

Urchins are a renewable food source. Coral is not.

[Liverpool Lou]

3 minutes ago, The Hammer2021 said:

Typical of the Thai authorities bullying farang!

It's a Thai that "the authorities are bullying", not a foreigner!

[The Hammer2021]

1 minute ago, Liverpool Lou said:

It's a Thai that "the authorities are bullying", not a foreigner!

Can not be! Only 'dirty farang' get bullied, cheated, ripped off or mugged in Thailand..I KNOW BECAUSE I READ IT HERE ON THIS FORUM.

[Liverpool Lou]

1 minute ago, The Hammer2021 said:

Can not be! Only 'dirty farang' get bullied, cheated, ripped off or mugged in Thailand..I KNOW BECAUSE I READ IT HERE ON THIS FORUM.

Maybe you're right, Wisoot Rattanasathian's probably from Scunthorpe or Bradford, possibly Wales but there's no way he could be Thai!

[jak2002003]

4 hours ago, ezzra said:

And the message is, don't <deleted> around with Thailand's marine's, fauna and flora or you'll pay heavily for it...

Except if you are a fishing company...then you can drag your nets and anchor through the reef or use poison or explosions to catch the fish..... or speed boat driver full of tourists, throwing trash into the sea, oh, or oil companies having oil spills, or hotels pumping sewerage and grey water into the sea... That's all ok.   But don't pick up a sea slug or accidently sit on a lump of coral....that's obviously much worse for the reef and marine wildlife. 

 

[Liverpool Lou]

3 minutes ago, jak2002003 said:

But don't ... accidently sit on a lump of coral....that's obviously much worse for the reef 

Maybe that will be reflected in his punishment which will, obviously, not be a B1m fine and prison.

[jaiyen]

But when all the hundreds of Thai dive boats and speed boats drop their anchors on top of the coral in National Marine Parks, and with photo evidence, nothing is said or done. 

[connda]

Man sitting on coral:  Ten years in prison.

Coral wrapped in fishing nets and busted by anchor drops: <crickets>

[The Hammer2021]

7 minutes ago, jaiyen said:

But when all the hundreds of Thai dive boats and speed boats drop their anchors on top of the coral in National Marine Parks, and with photo evidence, nothing is said or done. 

Two wrongs dont make a right

[Tarteso]

..And without face mask! ????