Report Thailand Bans Underwater Photography for Diving Trainees to Protect Corals

[snoop1130]

File photo for reference only

 

In efforts to protect fragile marine ecosystems, Thailand's Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has enacted a new regulation forbidding scuba-diving trainees and instructors from taking underwater photographs during training and examination dives. This directive, signed by Natural Resources and Environment Minister Chalermchai Sri-on, was officially published in the Royal Gazette.

 

The ban underscores urgent conservation measures aimed specifically at preserving the country's critically endangered corals, which have suffered significant damage from diving activities. The new rule stipulates that any underwater photography must be conducted by qualified divers who have completed the Advanced Open Water course through recognised organisations such as the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), Scuba Schools International (SSI), or the Advanced Scuba Diver course from the National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI), or an equivalent qualification.

 

Additionally, the ministerial order imposes restrictions on snorkelling activities over corals in shallow waters. Individuals are prohibited from snorkelling where seawater depths are less than two metres above coral formations and are required to wear life vests unless they have completed scuba diving or freediving courses.

 

 

 

Pinsak Suraswadi, director-general of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, indicated that any diving operators found infringing on these regulations could face legal consequences. Violators risk receiving a jail term of up to two years and/or fines reaching 200,000 baht, in accordance with the Act on the Promotion of Marine and Coastal Resources Management.

 

This new directive reflects a pivotal move to safeguard Thailand's marine biodiversity and highlights a growing emphasis on sustainable practices in diving and related activities. By restricting underwater photography to only qualified divers, the ministry aims to mitigate further harm to coral ecosystems while promoting responsible and eco-friendly diving practices.

 

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Bangkok Post 2025-04-25

 

 

 

[johng]

How on earth does taking a photo endanger coral ?

[connda]

10 minutes ago, johng said:

How on earth does taking a photo endanger coral ?

The gamma-ray ocular quantum gizmo-convert kills coral when the lens aperture opens and the sound of the shutter causes coral to commit suicide.  Fact!  Honest to goodness.  Cameras and coral - deadly combination!!! 🐠

[Moonlover]

11 minutes ago, johng said:

How on earth does taking a photo endanger coral ?

This is a very sensible ruling.

 

It's not the photo that endangers the coral, it's the trainee diver who has yet to master the all important skills of breath and buoyancy control. I've seen many a diver concentrating so much on getting the perfect shot that they loose touch with their orientation and drift into reef.

 

Learn to dive first, then consider taking a camera with you.

[johng]

12 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

Learn to dive first, then consider taking a camera with you

Why can't the instructor take a photo ?

[Ben Zioner]

47 minutes ago, johng said:

How on earth does taking a photo endanger coral ?

To be a good UW photographer you need total control of your buoyancy, trainee divers don't, therefore they will damage corals [mostly] with their fins when taking photographs.

 

To make sense they should ban anyone who hasn't obtained a UW photography certification. Also, diving operators shouldn't take anyone they haven't checked out to sensitive areas, they should be held responsible for any damage.

[johng]

Yeah, well I think I'll just give the whole thing a big fat pass,  perhaps many others will now too  loads of red tape and even jail time not even a photo to remember it by,  no thanks.

[BritScot]

13 hours ago, Moonlover said:

This is a very sensible ruling.

 

It's not the photo that endangers the coral, it's the trainee diver who has yet to master the all important skills of breath and buoyancy control. I've seen many a diver concentrating so much on getting the perfect shot that they loose touch with their orientation and drift into reef.

 

Learn to dive first, then consider taking a camera with you.

What utter nonsense! Having been a diving instructor in Thailand, having probably 400 plus dive in Thailand let me assure you this will destroy a very fragile industry for tourism.  Dive photos and dive videos are all part of the experience. If you want to save coral ban long-tails and crazy thai boats from fragile dive sites. I've seen anchors being dropped and dragging through protected sites with not a word being said.....

[Moonlover]

46 minutes ago, BritScot said:

14 hours ago, Moonlover said:

This is a very sensible ruling.

 

It's not the photo that endangers the coral, it's the trainee diver who has yet to master the all important skills of breath and buoyancy control. I've seen many a diver concentrating so much on getting the perfect shot that they loose touch with their orientation and drift into reef.

 

Learn to dive first, then consider taking a camera with you.

 

46 minutes ago, BritScot said:

What utter nonsense! Having been a diving instructor in Thailand, having probably 400 plus dive in Thailand let me assure you this will destroy a very fragile industry for tourism.  Dive photos and dive videos are all part of the experience. If you want to save coral ban long-tails and crazy thai boats from fragile dive sites. I've seen anchors being dropped and dragging through protected sites with not a word being said.....

I do not agree that 'a very fragile industry' would be under threat. The ban only applies to trainees and their instructors and rightfully so as I have said. And if the rational were to be explained to them, they would understand.

 

Dive centres could use a dedicated experienced diver/photographer to take the much wanted oh ah photographs and profit from it. (a method I've encountered in Turkey)

 

But you're certainly right about the damage caused by boats. We had the same problem in Egypt where I worked as a dive guide and it is very difficult, almost impossible to police.

[SABloke]

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Additionally, the ministerial order imposes restrictions on snorkelling activities over corals in shallow waters. Individuals are prohibited from snorkelling where seawater depths are less than two metres above coral formations and are required to wear life vests unless they have completed scuba diving or freediving courses.

 

Every time I think Thai laws/mandates can't become more ridiculous, the officials go ahead and prove me wrong. How the hell is this supposed to work/be enforced? I have spent countless hours snorkeling - sometimes the depth is less than 2m (I assume, since I don't take a depth gauge with me as I trundle out of my hotel room down to the sea). I don't damage any coral - I love and respect nature. But now I also have to take a bloody life-vest?? For what? I'm not taking one in my suitcase and I assume most hotels don't carry a ton of spare ones (if any at all).

Also, this ministerial order claims that I need a life-vest when snorkelling (to prevent drowing?), but if I'm not snorkelling, I can swim freely (no diving course required) and splash away and run along the coral at depths of less than 2m I assume 🙄

[2long]

While people like to jump on the bandwagon and say how stupid this is, actually it makes sense.

If I read it correctly, the rule is preventing those taking part in or teaching scuba courses from taking pics and clips. This make absolute sense.

The instructor should be teaching the course and the student is learning the course. These courses are typically OWC or AOWC, or even DSD/Intro dives. Everyone involved needs to be paying attention to the trainees' buoyancy and behaviour, and it's not the time to take pics or clips.

 

Many a time I have seen divers who aren't the best regarding buoyancy or air consumption racing around or overt the reef with a camera or GoPro in their hands. It takes a long time and many dives to become an accomplished diver who can control oneself.

[Trip Hop]

14 hours ago, Ben Zioner said:

To be a good UW photographer you need total control of your buoyancy, trainee divers don't, therefore they will damage corals [mostly] with their fins when taking photographs.

 

To make sense they should ban anyone who hasn't obtained a UW photography certification. Also, diving operators shouldn't take anyone they haven't checked out to sensitive areas, they should be held responsible for any damage.

I agree with your first point regarding being able to have correct buoyancy control whilst your mind is elsewhere i.e. the camera and the subject. However an underwater photography course will add very little, as these are mainly concerned with preparing the camera, basic photography principles and how they are affected by the underwater environment. 

[Trip Hop]

3 minutes ago, 2long said:

While people like to jump on the bandwagon and say how stupid this is, actually it makes sense.

If I read it correctly, the rule is preventing those taking part in or teaching scuba courses from taking pics and clips. This make absolute sense.

The instructor should be teaching the course and the student is learning the course. These courses are typically OWC or AOWC, or even DSD/Intro dives. Everyone involved needs to be paying attention to the trainees' buoyancy and behaviour, and it's not the time to take pics or clips.

 

Many a time I have seen divers who aren't the best regarding buoyancy or air consumption racing around or overt the reef with a camera or GoPro in their hands. It takes a long time and many dives to become an accomplished diver who can control oneself.

I agree 100%, not just to protect the reef etc but also for their own safety. As a former DM who only occasionally dives these days, over the years I’ve had to stop quite a few runaway ascents where an inexperienced or trainee diver has had their mind anywhere else except on their buoyancy. 

[Ben Zioner]

6 minutes ago, Trip Hop said:

I agree with your first point regarding being able to have correct buoyancy control whilst your mind is elsewhere i.e. the camera and the subject. However an underwater photography course will add very little, as these are mainly concerned with preparing the camera, basic photography principles and how they are affected by the underwater environment. 

 

If you have a lousy instructor, but yes the PADI world is full of them.

[KhunLA]

They do get a bit silly at times.  I've got hundreds of underwater photos, and didn't damage or touch any coral.

 

If wanting to get a very low photo, easy to avoid standing on anything, simply invert yourself, as I've done that many times when there wasn't any sand to stand, kneel or lay on.

 

I don't touch anything down there, as it may kill you.  Especially these guys ..

 

 

You should even wear hard bottom water shoes when at the beach.  As you don't want to get poked by a Cone Snail.  Rare, but some can be found in shallow beach waters.

[Trip Hop]

2 minutes ago, Ben Zioner said:

 

If you have a lousy instructor, but yes the PADI world is full of them.

i honestly don’t see what your point is here? Respect the underwater environment, don’t touch it and leave it as you found it is drummed into every student at the outset. Correct buoyancy appreciation and control is a skill that comes with experience and practice. A certificate stating you can take reasonable underwater photos is not really going to add anything more. When I was diving regularly I wasn’t exactly the best at taking photos, however give me a wreck to penetrate (where correct buoyancy is crucial) and it was a different matter. 

[stevenl]

As an instructor, i don't care if my students take photos or videos. I just make sure they don't come to close to corals or marine life.

[NoMoonLogistics]

I live on a beautiful reletavely unaspoiled horshoe bay on a relatively unspoiled island. The 3 (foriegn owned)  dive boats that operate out of here are nothing except a huge negative - both for the environment, and for the quiet enjoyment that everybody else comes here for.

 

They use ear-shattering longtail motors for thier tender boats - ferrying thier customers from the beach out to the moored boats many times in day. The biggest single environmental and social disturbance on the whole island.

They know perfectly well the hugely negative effects of this kind of noise has on marine life - and on thier nieghbours.

 

Thier boats leak oil.

Most of thier obviously novice "instructors" quite clearly come from backgrounds that have never sighted salt water it thier lives before - let alone developing even sea legs >> and these are the poeple shepherding all the learners on how to control themseves under water??

 

Needless to say all the dive sites on the island are rspidly degrading >> these cowboys just exploit but don't lift a finger to actually help the reefs or the environment generally.

 

 

[Unamerican]

3 hours ago, Moonlover said:

Dive centres could use a dedicated experienced diver/photographer to take the much wanted oh ah photographs and profit from it. (a method I've encountered in Turkey)

Yes, this is done in many countries, such as Brazil. 

[CecilM]

19 hours ago, johng said:

How on earth does taking a photo endanger coral ?

Makes sense. Scuba newbies can't control their buoyancy; taking photos will make them sink, or need to hold onto something. 

[newbee2022]

19 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

File photo for reference only

 

In efforts to protect fragile marine ecosystems, Thailand's Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has enacted a new regulation forbidding scuba-diving trainees and instructors from taking underwater photographs during training and examination dives. This directive, signed by Natural Resources and Environment Minister Chalermchai Sri-on, was officially published in the Royal Gazette.

 

The ban underscores urgent conservation measures aimed specifically at preserving the country's critically endangered corals, which have suffered significant damage from diving activities. The new rule stipulates that any underwater photography must be conducted by qualified divers who have completed the Advanced Open Water course through recognised organisations such as the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), Scuba Schools International (SSI), or the Advanced Scuba Diver course from the National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI), or an equivalent qualification.

 

Additionally, the ministerial order imposes restrictions on snorkelling activities over corals in shallow waters. Individuals are prohibited from snorkelling where seawater depths are less than two metres above coral formations and are required to wear life vests unless they have completed scuba diving or freediving courses.

 

 

 

Pinsak Suraswadi, director-general of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, indicated that any diving operators found infringing on these regulations could face legal consequences. Violators risk receiving a jail term of up to two years and/or fines reaching 200,000 baht, in accordance with the Act on the Promotion of Marine and Coastal Resources Management.

 

This new directive reflects a pivotal move to safeguard Thailand's marine biodiversity and highlights a growing emphasis on sustainable practices in diving and related activities. By restricting underwater photography to only qualified divers, the ministry aims to mitigate further harm to coral ecosystems while promoting responsible and eco-friendly diving practices.

 

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Bangkok Post 2025-04-25

 

 

 

A good step.

However, I'm afraid some/many will try to circumvent these new rules by taking their mobiles. Undetected.

[BusyB]

19 hours ago, johng said:

Why can't the instructor take a photo ?

 

Because they should both be focussed on diving skills so that the trainee can survive long enough to later take a course in underwater photography when they've mastered skills like buoyancy and avoiding the corals etc. That way they can avoid potential emergencies and not destroy reefs.

 

Recreational diving is fun and relatively safe. If taken seriously. It is not serious to be taking pictures as a trainee at 30 or 40m.

 

The instructors are as culpable as the novice in allowing such unprofessional behavior.

 

Most of my instructors have been first class. But I did have one set of instructor/guides who were bordering on criminally negligent. Caveat emptor.

 

Rescue qualified diver.

[johng]

13 minutes ago, BusyB said:

Recreational diving is fun and relatively safe. If taken seriously. It is not serious to be taking pictures as a trainee at 30 or 40m.

 

Seems to me they are trying to take away any sort of fun..a course on underwater photography yeah great even more red tape and even more expense

but perhaps more money for "rescue qualified divers" ??

[hotchilli]

20 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

n efforts to protect fragile marine ecosystems, Thailand's Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has enacted a new regulation forbidding scuba-diving trainees and instructors from taking underwater photographs during training and examination dives.

No selfies, training is serious business.

[hotchilli]

20 hours ago, johng said:

How on earth does taking a photo endanger coral ?

While taking a selfie and not paying attention to the instructor you could possibly drown and sink to the bottom thus damaging coral ?

[Richardsamui]

21 hours ago, johng said:

Why can't the instructor take a photo ?

Because it is not allowed by the dive organisations. No cameras allowed during training dives/ courses.  

[VBF]

5 hours ago, Trip Hop said:

i honestly don’t see what your point is here? Respect the underwater environment, don’t touch it and leave it as you found it is drummed into every student at the outset. Correct buoyancy appreciation and control is a skill that comes with experience and practice. A certificate stating you can take reasonable underwater photos is not really going to add anything more. When I was diving regularly I wasn’t exactly the best at taking photos, however give me a wreck to penetrate (where correct buoyancy is crucial) and it was a different matter. 

Indeed.  When I got my basic PADI Open Water certificate, I thought I was "good to go". Then a friend who was a DM, Instructor and former professional diver took me into a wreck. It was then that I found that my buoyancy control was very far from perfect!

If I'd had a camera to manage as well, even in open water, I'd have been a positive liability!

 

I was at the stage where, yes I was qualified but needed a lot more experience to call my self competent. 

A bit like driving a car - you pass your test, then learn to drive alone on busy roads.

[BusyB]

1 hour ago, johng said:

 

Seems to me they are trying to take away any sort of fun..a course on underwater photography yeah great even more red tape and even more expense

but perhaps more money for "rescue qualified divers" ??

 

Nothing stops a recreational diver from buying a camera and taking it down with them on any dive without paying for an underwater photo course. AFTER they've finished basic training. Obviously the results won't be as good as if they're trained by professional instructors but that's their business.

 

'Rescue qualified' means I've honed some skills and been trained in helping others in difficulty because I didn't want to have to look on helplessly while someone drowns. (That's what it's about: not drowning.) I have enough knowledge and experience to post the comment I did.

 

Whilst by no means a pro, I am aware of the dangers and can help novices at least till the pros get there. I have already saved one life (albeit before the rescue course). That qualification is the single best thing I did in diving - really made everything easier afterwards 'cos they really pushed me hard for the first time. The real McCoy and no longer daydreaming among the fishies. I'd recommend it to anyone who's got the Advanced course.

 

It is so easy to get into trouble and nature and physics can be very unforgiving. Most understand that.

 

[Shocked farang]

7 hours ago, BritScot said:

What utter nonsense! Having been a diving instructor in Thailand, having probably 400 plus dive in Thailand let me assure you this will destroy a very fragile industry for tourism.  Dive photos and dive videos are all part of the experience. If you want to save coral ban long-tails and crazy thai boats from fragile dive sites. I've seen anchors being dropped and dragging through protected sites with not a word being said.....

The bottom line about coral destruction is the "bleaching" that is consequence of global warming. Vast areas in Thailand have died and look white and dead. 

[pacovl46]

21 hours ago, johng said:

Why can't the instructor take a photo ?

Underwater photography and videography is an extra course you can take. Some diving schools offer a combination of let's say a photography and a buoyancy course. The truth of the matter is that buoyancy and managing your body in a way that you can get close to something without bumping into it isn't exactly easy as it is, especially because you also almost always have a current. Carrying a camera effects your buoyancy because it effects your center of gravity. I never took a camera course, but I definitely accidentally bumped into stuff when I did my open water course. There's no way I could've also filmed at the same time! I was busy enough just trying to not bump into the coral wall. That's why you should have mastered your buoyancy and body control first before you start doing underwater photography. Also, given how long it takes for corals to grow back, especially in the age of massive coral bleaching, I'm all for protecting them.