Diving Company to Face Charges for 'Starfish Ads'
By Khaosod English



Photos posted on the Facebook page of Lanta Adventure Trips.

KRABI — The Director of Lanta National Park in southern Thailand says he will file charges against a diving company that advertised its business with photos of a tour guide picking up marine life.

The park director, Kankasem Meesuk, said he received a complaint that Lanta Adventure Trips had published photos (below) on its Facebook account of a guide holding rare marine creatures such as starfish, turtles, and sea cucumbers.

"We have investigated the information and identified the perpetrators, including the person who picked up the marine life to show off to tourists, and the tour company," Kankasem said today.

He added that he will press charges of harming marine life in National Park area against the company, in accordance with the 1961 National Park Act. The maximum penalty for the violation is five years in prison and 20,000 baht fine.

According to its Facebook page, Lanta Adventure Trips offers snorkeling trips off of the Lanta Islands in Krabi province. The offending photos have been removed and replaced with an apology.

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1426766969&typecate=06&section=


-- Khaosod English 2015-03-20

We have only two left, so get in quick and book now with Somchia Diving. For just 10k baht we will take you out so you can capture and torture your very own starfish. But hurry when they're gone they're gone.

I thought star fish are a scourge to marine life

I thought star fish are a scourge to marine life

Only the 'crown of thorns' if its numbers get too large.

The biggest scourge by far are humans trawling, fishing, dumping and polluting.

Pity they cannot distinguish between a diving company, which tend to be responsible, and a snorkel boat tour.

I don't know what world they are living in, but starfish and sea cucumbers are not endangered by a long shot. More ridiculous shenanigans from the Thai government where they are only going after a small business man who has no clout. It should be more than enough to give them a warning and do it quietly, not blather it all over the news as if they are really doing something.

Don't punish the idiot, for he is an idiot. Take away the business license, as they clearly have not even trained their staff!!!

as long as they leave spongebob alone

I don't know what world they are living in, but starfish and sea cucumbers are not endangered by a long shot. More ridiculous shenanigans from the Thai government where they are only going after a small business man who has no clout. It should be more than enough to give them a warning and do it quietly, not blather it all over the news as if they are really doing something.

Just get you freakin fingers off marine life!

As i would like to show my children the underwater world to, before it destroyed by brainless people.

And no... Visit ocean world is not an option!

I don't know what world they are living in, but starfish and sea cucumbers are not endangered by a long shot. More ridiculous shenanigans from the Thai government where they are only going after a small business man who has no clout. It should be more than enough to give them a warning and do it quietly, not blather it all over the news as if they are really doing something.

Actually, many sea cucumbers are endangered as there is a huge demand in China: http://www.doc.ic.ac.uk/~kpt/terraquest/galapagos/issues/harvest/cukes.html

Typical for TV: when laws are not enforced, the Thai bashing starts. And when they are enforced? Ditto.

<deleted>! So a guy holds two starfish then lets them go and is fined. Meanwhile a trawler scrapes every living thing from the bottom of the ocean for 2 square miles then dumps the unwanted bits dead, and thats OK!?

I don't know what world they are living in, but starfish and sea cucumbers are not endangered by a long shot. More ridiculous shenanigans from the Thai government where they are only going after a small business man who has no clout. It should be more than enough to give them a warning and do it quietly, not blather it all over the news as if they are really doing something.

Actually, many sea cucumbers are endangered as there is a huge demand in China: http://www.doc.ic.ac.uk/~kpt/terraquest/galapagos/issues/harvest/cukes.html

Typical for TV: when laws are not enforced, the Thai bashing starts. And when they are enforced? Ditto.

As a diver, I also believe in not touching sea life, but I saw so many sea cucumbers and starfish as a diver I just had to laugh at this article. I'm more concerned with, say, sharks or whales or basic fishing stocks or as someone else pointed out the hugely damaging practice of dragging the ocean floor for a catch of whatever they are fishing for and destroying everything in its wake. That's a little bit bigger than one man holding a starfish.

As far as enforcing laws, absolutely. Go all out for corruption, human trafficking, murders, child molesters and thieves...please do. Thailand is so far behind the ball on protecting the ocean that this little news article is a joke. It's just plain posturing for the public...for the world..."look at us, we are doing something". Now if they were to come up with an all encompassing plastic bag reduction strategy and/or eventual replacement with something biodegradable...now that would impress me.

Eh, humans are doomed anyway which would be good for the earth and all creatures great and small, because eventually, without humans, the earth will recover. Global warming, pollution, over population, a world war or pandemic will doom the vast majority of the human population in 100-200 years and then the earth can be left to recover and thrive.

Everybody that has predicted the end of the world/end of humanity throughout history has been incorrect. Maybe someday someone will nail the prediction but until then do what you can to improve and protect the environment so that it will be there for our childrens children.