Fish-feeding Russian tourist jailed in Phuket

[malt25]

18 hours ago, gdgbb said:

She hasn't received any penalty yet, she has to appear in court first for that to happen.

 

"She hasn't received any penalty yet"

You think ! A couple of nights in the lock up not a penalty ???

Finding & putting 100,000 baht at risk is also, in my opinion, somewhat of a penalty.

Mental torment of the whole fiasco is also a bit of a penalty, don't you think ?

 

[steve73]

1 hour ago, fish monger said:

Oh look...! Here is my THAI wife and fellow teacher friend, on vacation from school, FEEDING THE FISH...! In Phuket no less...One law for Thais, one law for the tourists...

 

Surely it's obvious.... Feeding fish is a job reserved only for Thais...!  (Russian will probably get fined for not having a work permit as well.)

[scotchonrocks]

Amazing Thailand where it's OK to ride a motorbike with a family of five onboard up the wrong way on the highway and not OK to feed fish anywhere near a coral reef. What a paradise ... I mean paradox!

[geriatrickid]

19 hours ago, DNPBC0 said:

Are there signs on the beaches in the regulated areas warning people about the  prohibition? How are tourists expected to know about the issue?

Yes.

 

19 hours ago, johng said:

Absolutely disgusting  I hope this gets the worldwide media attention it deserves.

People should not destroy the natural habitat.  The warnings are there. She was warned.

 

19 hours ago, gdgbb said:

I don't think that drunk drivers in Pattaya potentially do that much damage to coral reefs.

You are one of the few who sees the big picture.

 

19 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

But they are a potential threat to health and live of other humans.

 

Yes they are. Same idiots who destroy the natural fauna and coral destroy the opportunity for others to see it.

 

The Police did not stop this  woman. It was the  Marine and Coastal Resources Department  who have been under  pressure to stop this activity. Critics have short memories. 

 

[Eligius]

19 hours ago, johng said:

Absolutely disgusting  I hope this gets the worldwide media attention it deserves.

Totally agree with you, Johng. This should go into every popular newspaper in every country around the world. It is absurdity and injustice on stilts!

[Familyaffairs]

Overkill !!!!!

[darksidedog]

5 minutes ago, geriatrickid said:

Yes.

 

People should not destroy the natural habitat.  The warnings are there. She was warned.

 

You are one of the few who sees the big picture.

 

Yes they are. Same idiots who destroy the natural fauna and coral destroy the opportunity for others to see it.

 

The Police did not stop this  woman. It was the  Marine and Coastal Resources Department  who have been under  pressure to stop this activity. Critics have short memories. 

 

Do you feel the action taken was justifiable?

Would not a warning and a request for her to cease what she was doing more appropriate, along with an explanation of why?

How far apart are the warning signs? Every 10 metres or one at each end of the beach?

I do not believe for one second that she deliberately tried to endanger the coral or the inhabitants.

The measures taken were draconian by most peoples judgement and totally unwarranted.

If the habitat is indeed in such danger, it should be very clearly explained to every visitor, prior to them being allowed near the water.

Only after this should any action be remotely justifiable.

[Old Croc]

12 minutes ago, geriatrickid said:

The Police did not stop this  woman. It was the  Marine and Coastal Resources Department  who have been under  pressure to stop this activity. Critics have short memories. 

 

Of course the police didn't make the arrest, but charges have to be brought at a Police station and they handle the bail and custody arrangements until a case gets to court.

The quote at the top of my post was from the MCRD website

[JDMCanuck]

Hope Russia sends a strong message  to the tourist ministry as this makes Thailand look really bad to overseas tourists. 

[renaissanc]

I speak Thai, read Thai, and read the News every day. But I had no idea that it was illegal to feed fish in the sea. How could a tourist possibly know this? Why can you feed fish in the Chao Phaya River but not near Koh Racha? I expect that the judge will dismiss this insane case.

[stevenl]

(deleted) unbelievable..... were there signs in Russian saying Do Not Feed The Fish....were there signs in ANY language saying Do Not Feed The Fish ?

Yes, there are.

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[TheMacMan]

OK - I am all for cleaning the beach and for supporting and policing the marine life and yes, people should NOT disturb the marine biosphere..... BUT SERIOUSLY.... 2 nights in jail and a 100,000 bht bail and court!!???

 

Everyday we read about drunk drivers, crashes with no license, bag snatches, violent physical abuse on tourists from locals.... (yes, I know, it happens in all countries!) and we then hear that the guilty are forced to apologise, Wei, and handed a 100, 500 or 1000 bht fine.

 

In a country where death, rape, violent assault rates are given a smaller fine and nothing changes, and feeding a fish is given such a harsh over-the-top penalty there is NO HOPE FOR LAW AND JUSTICE.

Show me a thai family or person fined and treated like this and I will accept it.... but in the meantime I can see some local thai little kiddies throwing some food stuff to the fish off the pier.....

 

Come to Thailand, we will take your money care of you 

Edited February 23, 2017 by TheMacMan
spelling correction

[Happyman58]

Driver falling behind the wheel killing student no charge 500 baht fine.Women feeding fish 100,000 baht fine Now that makes sense Soon all tourist will be not coming anymore Then Thailand will be smiling again

[Nip]

I've lived here 16 years and now there are many many more reasons why not to come here than there are to come here. It's taken a while to accept that in the eyes of most Thais we are lesser beings and they really don't want us here. Anybody who invests time or money in Thailand  is crazy. As the song goes ...."This party's over I'm going home."

[FitnessHealthTravel]

It's just getting more and more embarrassing. Do they realise how freakin stupid they look, seriously!

[johng]

If tourists are damaging the national parks (they are just by being there having some impact)
Then close the gates and dont let any humans enter for a few years for the environment to recover, all the now unemployed fishermen and tourist guides etc can be commandeered into national park border protection patrol with authority to shot on sight any trespassers.

[abab]

I wish that all tourist steal in temples to teach the retarded in charge that we can make more problems than them !

 

 

 

[Ratcher]

Absolute stupidity. Amazing Thailand. Hope this gets the publicity it deserves. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot. 

[Destiny1990]

Wouldnt a simple warning be more appropriate?

[thetruth revealer]

19 hours ago, evadgib said:

If she'd been run over by a speedboat the driver would not have spent 2 days in pokey or choughed up THB 100k bail!

 

"Just when you thought is was safe to go back into the water..."

 

...of course it would have been suicide !!! Thais dont do things like that ......

[khounteen]

Those jokers must be smoking something really good...

[sotsira]

This has to rank as one of the most ridiculous arrests i've come across in the 15 years of living 

in Thailand, it even beats the arrests of the Bridge Club players in Pattaya. 

[elgordo38]

20 hours ago, Brer Fox said:

The Thai's can cover the sea floor with garbage, factory discharges, filth and rotted sewage which would deny natural food sources for the fish but that's OK. 

You make a good point. When you compare the two it really gets ludicrous. Somebody with some power should say "hey enough" Once the BIB gets something in their gun sight its happy trigger time. 

[kannot]

20 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

Drunk driving in Pattaya, bail 20'000 to 40'000 Baht, 10'000 fine.

Feeding fish, bail 100'000 Baht.

They are cracking up

 

what do you mean "are"!!!

[Kabula]

Perhaps I should never return to the beach in Thailand again fearful of breaking another ridiculous law few know about.

 

 I've lived here for 11 years and never heard of such a law.

 

Worldwide, reefs and fish are dying by the trillions, perhaps someone should feed them. ?

 

I would file a law suit, alleging harassment, discrimination, excessive incarceration and fine.

 

 I'd be sure to get the news in international media.  I bet charges would get dismissed and a small settlement offer made so all parties could get on to better things!

 

Like feed the fish in another country!

 

This news alone has to affect tourism.

 

 

[kannot]

36 minutes ago, Destiny1990 said:

Wouldnt a simple warning be more appropriate?

Id  say "caution" was a better word, I think "warning" is too strong especially with the crap the Thais continually  do, like they so "care" about their environment, drive thru any  village houses surrounded by crap, old  tyres plastic etc etc

[hotchilli]

Wow... penalties in this country amaze me, talk about a back-to-front system

500 baht fine & a smack on the wrist for worse crimes than this... such as robbery & causing injuries

Jeez just feeding fish... incredible!!

[kannot]

54 minutes ago, FitnessHealthTravel said:

It's just getting more and more embarrassing. Do they realise how freakin stupid they look, seriously!

NO................they really dont

[janpharma]

At Kao Chamao (national park in Rayong) they sell fish food and ecourage the visitors to feed the fish...Thai logic...and Thainess...

[kannot]

ask the "winkers"  if  its ok to feed the dogs and pigeons, bloody  things