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

[dallen52]

13 hours ago, n8sail said:

Sea urchins are massively over-populated in Gulf of Thailand...  this is because their main predator, crabs, are massively over-fished here.  I highly encourage MORE people to harvest them!

The coral this douche-nozzle is sitting on is a soft coral species, indeed damaged by physical touching.  Idiot.   At the depth he's at, approximately 3-5 meters, there are seldom exposed rocks, virtually everything hard is covered by corals, especially at Koh Khram Noi Northern end where this photo almost certainly was taken as that is where all the tourist cattle moo-cow boats go to.

 

I've spent hundreds of hours of my life sailing, scuba and free-diving this area.

 

OF course the environmental minister does nothing at all about the hundreds of Thai fishing boats anchoring on top of this exact type of coral every day to rest after a full night of squid fishing.

Soft target. 

Go for the farang underbelly. 

And his wallet...

[ExpatOilWorker]

7 hours ago, tgw said:

let's see if this is a repeat of this:

https://coconuts.co/bangkok/news/russian-tourist-borrows-100000-baht-bail-feeding-fish-off-phuket/

 

the Russian lady spent 2 nights in a police cell for feeding the fish !

 

why isn't this kind of overreaction prosecuted for "tarnishing Thailand's image" and "damaging Thailand's tourism business" ?

They already have a new law to ensure the 100k cash machine goes on.

 

To protect its coral reefs, Thailand on Tuesday enacted a law prohibiting the use of sunscreens in all national parks. 

Those who violate the law will face a fine of up to THB100,000 (US$3,022), according to the details published last night in the Royal Gazette.

 

https://coconuts.co/bangkok/news/sunscreen-banned-in-thai-natl-parks-violators-face-thb100000-fine/

[jacko45k]

12 hours ago, kingstonkid said:

Who the hell goes swimming fully dressed?  

 

Simple solution is hang him.  But probably he will wai and say sorry and get slapped.

People who may well drown. You should see Arab women..... 

Many also do not want to be blackened by the sun. 

[Moonlover]

8 hours ago, NeoDinosaw said:

In some Mediterranean countries the gonads of some echinoids are a delicacy. I have never seen them on a menu in Thailand - maybe I cannot afford to eat where they are served.   They maybe being collected to  sell to tourists  either as complete  tests ('shells')  or the large spines of some species.

It's a few years since I've ventured south, but AFAIA the selling of any artifacts from the sea as souvenirs is illegal. But taking urchins for consumption from waters is generally OK. I don't recall having the pleasure of eating them myself.

 

https://www.pattayamail.com/thailandnews/beachgoers-warned-eating-raw-sea-urchins-210750

[Chongalulu]

23 hours 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 .

In SE Asia the abundance of urchins are a pest and removal is helpful 

[Thunglom]

12 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Thou jest assuredly. IMO the VAST majority of damage to Thailand's environment is done by THAIS, even if it's done to provide facilities and tours for tourists.

 

BTW, if tourists are ignorant, why are the THAIS that take them on tours not informing them of the regulations? No tourist can get to such places without the assistance of Thais in some form. I reckon none of them walked there.

What a facile response!

"It is the ignorance of tourists on land and sea that contributes so much to the damage to Thailand's wildlife." - read and understand.

I haven't said anywhere that Thais don't contribute - you are just taking a racist viewpoint.

Thais who are ignorant or don't care are often responding to a market created by tourist.

I think you are just trying to find a "white" justification without fully understanding the situation.

Edited February 15, 2022 by Thunglom

[Stargeezr]

We all know that you just cannot cure stupid.  This is another example of that.

[bbbbooboo]

Hmmmm…. Hanging is too good a punishment for this man

[Thunglom]

On 2/14/2022 at 6:50 AM, jak2002003 said:

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. 

 

how does blaming others mitigate the damage done by this person?

Fishing crimes exist all over the world and Thailand needs to address them.

however you don't drag nets over coral unless you want to lose your nets and you boat.

Reef fishing is controlled to a certain extent in Thai waters however you still get blasting electrocution etc used but not just Thailand. Ghost nets are a real problem - but it isn't the issue here.

There are 2 issues here.

The first is the damage done to reefs by tourism

The second is Thailand's conservation policies.

We then come to how these issues are addressed or enforced by Thai authorities.

 

but ignorant allegations trying to deflect the blame onto Thai people I=nstaed of foreigners just avoids the real issues.

Edited February 16, 2022 by Thunglom

[paul1804]

On 2/14/2022 at 6:04 PM, Thunglom said:

It is the ignorance of tourists on land and sea that contributes so much to the damage to Thailand's wildlife.

No it is the ignorance of some tourists and many Thais who have little care for their environment, whether it be lack of education or otherwise many Thais care less for their own environment than the average western visitor,  believe me I see this every day on the land and the beaches which affects the sea. 

[paul1804]

On 2/15/2022 at 6:02 AM, dallen52 said:

Soft target. 

Go for the farang underbelly. 

And his wallet...

You are absolutely correct, not only do the idiot foreigners need educating but Thai laws explained and enforced by all Thai guides, tour leaders and resort owners etc and especially the fisherman who are doing damage on a daily basis to many reefs & beaches. This goes untouched by the authorities and is glaringly obvious which is so sad for the marine environment and subsequently Thailand and its people. 

[Abmong]

Look, but don't touch! Plenty of other things you can look at and touch in Thailand ????

[Abmong]

20 hours ago, paul1804 said:

No it is the ignorance of some tourists and many Thais who have little care for their environment, whether it be lack of education or otherwise many Thais care less for their own environment than the average western visitor,  believe me I see this every day on the land and the beaches which affects the sea. 

It's their country, as a visitor you need to be on your best behaviour as you would expect of visitors to your home.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 2/16/2022 at 9:49 PM, Thunglom said:

how does blaming others mitigate the damage done by this person?

Fishing crimes exist all over the world and Thailand needs to address them.

however you don't drag nets over coral unless you want to lose your nets and you boat.

Reef fishing is controlled to a certain extent in Thai waters however you still get blasting electrocution etc used but not just Thailand. Ghost nets are a real problem - but it isn't the issue here.

There are 2 issues here.

The first is the damage done to reefs by tourism

The second is Thailand's conservation policies.

We then come to how these issues are addressed or enforced by Thai authorities.

 

but ignorant allegations trying to deflect the blame onto Thai people I=nstaed of foreigners just avoids the real issues.

When the REAL problem is ignored and a few easy targets are prosecuted it makes a mockery of the entire enforcement situation. When the authorities deal with the LARGER problem than they can quite rightly deal with the minor problems.

 

Maya Bay may have been destroyed by tourists, but IMO not a single one could have gone there without a Thai taking them, and all apparently with the blessing of Thai authorities, till it was too late.

 

IMO the Thais ARE the ones responsible, for enabling tourists to be able to do the destruction.

 

Beating the "foreigners bad" drum is just deflecting the problem away from those responsible. Maya Bay should have been restricted and controlled from the start.

Edited February 17, 2022 by thaibeachlovers

[daveAustin]

Shame the (destruction of the) land, environment and animals therein are not policed with as much vigour as parts of the ocean are perceived to be. Dubious selective interest under the guise of caring for the environment. Pathetic. 

[Rimmer]

A flame has been removed

[Leaver]

On 2/14/2022 at 10:19 PM, tgw said:

let's see if this is a repeat of this:

https://coconuts.co/bangkok/news/russian-tourist-borrows-100000-baht-bail-feeding-fish-off-phuket/

 

the Russian lady spent 2 nights in a police cell for feeding the fish !

 

why isn't this kind of overreaction prosecuted for "tarnishing Thailand's image" and "damaging Thailand's tourism business" ?

 

I'm sure her arrest did wonders for Russian tourism to Thailand.  Oh well, at least they got 100k baht. It's all about money today, no thought about tomorrow.   ????