Trang's tour operators complain about closure of Hat Chao Mai marine park

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Trang's tour operators complain about closure of Hat Chao Mai marine park



TRANG: -- Hat Chao Mai national park in Trang province will be closed for four months starting June 1 until September 30 for the safety of tourists and also to allow the marine environments to rehabilitate.

Park chief Manote Wongsureerat said Tuesday that he didn’t understand why tour operators were unhappy with the park closure and complained about the measure despite the fact that the park had notified them in advance since mid-May.

He said that the president of Tourism Business Association of Trang was also presented at a meeting with park officials on April 20 during which the association was informed of the park closure timetable.

The tourist destinations that face closure include Koh Mook, Koh Waen, Koh Choek, Koh Kradan, Tham Morakot and all the sites of shallow corals.

Mr Manote said that previously the marine park was closed for six months from May 15 to October 15 during the monsoon season but he decided to shorten the closing period to just four months when the monsoon was considered as very strong and dangerous for tourists to make visits.

Mr Prateep Jongthong, president of Tourism Business Association of Trang, complained that the closure would hurt tourism business causing damages estimated at several hundred million baht. He also complained that the park had threatened to take legal action against boat operators who defy the ban.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/trangs-tour-operators-complain-about-closure-of-hat-chao-mai-marine-park


-- Thai PBS 2015-05-26

[h90]

Do I get it right: before it was closed 6 month. Now it is closed 4 month, but closed means really closed. Before they just didn't care?

[Bob12345]

Mr Manote said that previously the marine park was closed for six months from May 15 to October 15 during the monsoon season but he decided to shorten the closing period to just four months when the monsoon was considered as very strong and dangerous for tourists to make visits.

Because it could be dangerous they opened the park 2 months longer?
I think the reporter/translator got a bit confused here, they should close it longer when it is more dangerous.

But why wouldn't the tour operators not complain? People who complain in Thailand get freebies from the government to stay quiet (rice farmers, rubber farmers, palm oil farmers, taxi operators, minimum wage workers, etc), they should only announce they will do a protest march in Bangkok before they can actually cash in.