Smoking ban on 20 popular tourist beaches

Thailand bans smoking on 20 popular tourist beaches



Tourists sunbathe at Phuket's Patong beach on Nov 30, 2014.

Thailand is to ban smoking on some of the country's most popular tourist beaches, with the prospect of up to a year in prison for those caught lighting up, according to reports by local media.

The move follows a recent survey of litter on Patong beach, Phuket - visited by millions of foreign tourists each year - which found an average of 0.76 cigarette butts per square metre in a sample area, which would amount to 101,058 butts on the 2.5km-long stretch of sand.

The survey was undertaken by the country's department of marine and coastal resources, which described it as a "serious problem". Discarded cigarette butts accounted for a third of rubbish collected by the department.

"Cigarettes have a direct effect on the natural environment," director-general Jatuporn Buruspat told the Phuket Gazette .

"The butts clog the drains contributing to floods. When the cigarettes stay under the beach sand for a long time, it also negatively affects the ecosystem. And then when the chemicals from the cigarette butts reach the water, it also releases cadmium, lead, arsenic and some acid from insecticide which are poison to the natural food chain."

The ban, which will come into play in November, will affect 20 beaches including Patong, Koh Khai Nok, Koh Khai Nai (Phuket); Hua Hin, Cha-Am, Khao Takiab (western province of Prachuap Khiri Khan); Pattaya, Jomtien, Bangsaen (eastern province of Chonburi) and Samila (Songkhla city).

After a trial period, the ban is expected to be enforced on all Thai beaches, as well as on passenger and tourist boats, to tackle the problem of butts damaging the underwater environment.

Anyone found to be breaking the law will face one year in jail or a maximum 100,000 baht (S$4,080) fine, or both.

The Bangkok Post also reported the news, adding that Thailand has the sixth most rubbish-strewn areas of sea in the world.

~News courtesy of Straits Times~

Phi Phi islands

Phi Phi islands

Phi Phi islands are considered to be one of the most enchanting islands of Southeast Asia.

These places are accessible through a 90 minute ferryboat ride either from Phuket or Krabi.

Offering both land-based and water-based activities, Phi Phi islands are renowned for their stunning tropical beaches.

Glowing and clear turquoise waters bustling with multi-colored oceanic life and massive yet staggering rock formations.

This archipelago of six islands magnetizes hundreds of tourists to behold its paradise perfect panoramas.

You can experience these things while being mesmerized with the beauty of these islands:

Take a visit to Phi Phi Leh hosting the world-famous Maya Bay.

Witness a tropical dream come true by holidaying in the Bamboo Island

Treat yourself to a once in a lifetime rock climbing experience

on the lofty limestone cliffs.

~Info courtesy of The Nation~

Coral reefs in severe state of degradation

Coral reefs in severe state of degradation

Coral reefs at a popular marine national park, which covers the famous Phi Phi Island, have reached a severe level of degradation due to bleaching, a survey revealed.



"Bleaching has affected up to 70 per cent of the coral reefs around Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park. Of the affected corals, 47.52 per cent have died," a senior government official disclosed at an academic seminar yesterday.

Songtam Suksawang, who heads the National Parks and Protected Area Innovation Institute, described the situation as "worrying".

His institute conducted the survey between 2009 and 2013 across seven marine national parks and works under the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP), which hosted the seminar.

The state of the coral reefs at Mu Koh Lanta National Park is even worse, with up to 80 per cent of them in a bad state. "Now, only 17 per cent of the corals are alive," Songtam said.

The survey also revealed that the size of living corals along Mu Koh Surin National Park had shrunk by 70 to 90 per cent, while those along Mu Koh Similan National Park had shrunk by about 40 to 50 per cent.

At the Moo Koh Chumphon National Park, about 70 to 80 per cent of the staghorn coral that were seeded as an experiment have also died from bleaching.

Coral bleaching emerged as a serious threat to Thailand's marine resources around 2010 and 2011, prompting the DNP to shut down at least 10 diving sites to prevent further damage.

Songtam said there were signs that reefs in previously shut down diving spots such as Hin Klang at Hat Noppharat Thara - Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park had recovered satisfactorily.

"Now, we plan to propose that the number of tourists is limited at each spot," he said.

He also suggested that clear diving tracks be built to ensure that divers do not get too close to the coral reefs and cause damage.

Meanwhile, DNP chief Manopas Hua-mueangkaeo said the number of visitors to national parks had risen by 8.2 per cent last year, and this year, the DNP plans to open marine national parks to tourists from October 15.

~News courtesy of The Nation~