A single sea turtle lays seven nests and coral bleaches in the Gulf of Thailand
Island Wrap #43: Travel & Environment edition for May 21 to June 11, 2021
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In this edition of the Island Wrap you’ll find updates on coral bleaching, sea turtle nesting, dugong conservation and king cobra threats to go with my picks of recent travel and news stories from Thai islands and coastal areas. If you’re wondering about the Phuket Sandbox plan, final approval was delayed this week as officials iron out the details. I’ll update you on any new developments next week.
Yesterday I joined Gary Bowerman and Hannah Pearson on The South East Asia Travel Show to discuss risks and hopes surrounding the Phuket Sandbox plan, and how the pandemic has impacted different types of Thai tourism businesses unequally. Their Bali-focused chat with Stuart McDonald of Travelfish is worth a listen too.
I also want to spotlight two publications that I turn to stay informed. First, Erin Cook’s terrific Dari Mulut ke Mulut e-newsletter is well worth a weekly look for updates and commentary on many key issues across Southeast Asia. Second, The Phuket News does an admirable job of covering local news and insights from Phuket and other parts of the Thai Andaman region, and its management is requesting support.
The latest here at Thai Island Times is an introduction to the Ko Bulon group of islands in what I expect will be the first of three stories covering one of my personal favorite parts of Thailand. Next time I’ll explain how the natives are preserving their culture and environment alongside low-impact tourism, and I’ll follow that with a first-person narrative to display the beauty and serenity of Ko Bulon Leh.
Last week I also made a table of contents page that will stay pinned to the homepage. I’ll add to it any time I publish an ‘evergreen’ article to make it easier for you to find content you’re interested in without digging into the archives.
Pick of the Wrap: CHARITY
The Mirror Foundation lifts people out of poverty and helps stateless people gain Thai citizenship, which is extra important right now due to a lack of access to Covid-19 vaccines. Established in 1991, the NGO maintains several projects in both Northern Thailand and the Bangkok area. One of them is “Happy Hospital,” an initiative bringing joy to kids who are suffering from serious medical conditions. I learned about it recently through a moving CNA story that documents the excitement of one chronically ill boy as he meets the sea for the very first time.
Weather and shipwrecks
Side impacts from Cyclone Yaas drenched the Andaman coast as other major storms blew through the eastern Gulf late last month. Footage from Ko Chang and Ko Kood shows how some rivers got squeamishly close to overflowing. The weather has calmed down since then, but officials are warning swimmers of rough seas off Phuket and villagers about the likelihood of flooding in parts of Ranong.
In Trat province, 200 pigs drowned after the boat charged with transporting them to Vietnam capsized in rough seas on May 21st. Off nearby Ko Chang, one person was rescued but their mate was unfortunately lost at sea after powerful waves flipped their speedboat on May 27th. More recently, a tugboat that was pulling a container barge from Myanmar to Indonesia ran aground on the west coast of Ko Phra Thong after a rope got tangled around the propeller in rough seas.
Sadly, a fisherman found the body of a 28-year-old Australian man floating near Ko Si Boya the day after the deceased’s small boat was found empty and adrift further north in Krabi on June 1st. How he ended up in the water is unknown.
Coral bleaching in the eastern Thai Gulf
Drone and in-water surveying revealed worsening coral bleaching as sea temperatures remain above 31 C in parts of the eastern Gulf. At two of the rare reefs set directly off the Thai mainland, around 50% of the coral at both Phala Beach in western Rayong and Chao Lao Beach in Chanthaburi has bleached in recent months. Both are shallow-water sites where much of the coral is exposed at low tide.
The situation is not as dire at deeper-water reefs off Ko Si Chang and Ko Man Nai, though 10% to 20% of coral has bleached at these sites as well. Officials from the Dept. of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) and other agencies are keeping a close eye on sea temperature, hoping for cooler weather as we get deeper into rainy season. The good news is that little to no bleaching was found at reefs off Ko Kood, Ko Nu in Songkhla and all of the sites surveyed in the Thai Andaman Sea.
Sharks, dolphins and dugongs
Dept. of Fisheries scientists are being praised for their efforts to increase the number of endangered bamboo sharks in the eastern Gulf. Eggs from these black-and-white striped bottom feeders are hatched in an aquarium before the baby sharks are released on the seafloor to avoid predators closer to the surface. A Reuters report has photos and a video documenting this important conservation work.
To commemorate World Ocean Day on June 8th, National Geographic Thai recollected the story of Mariam, a dugong calf that generated a wave of sadness followed by widespread motivation to clean up the seas after she died from plastic waste ingestion two years ago. For a more intensive read, Nature ran a paper by some of Thailand’s foremost marine scientists on how diminished genetic variation may threaten the future survival of endangered dugongs in the Thai Andaman.
Recent photos from the Dept. of National Parks (DNP) show roughly 30 false killer whales near Ko Torinla south of Mu Ko Surin Marine Park, marking one of the largest pods of this dolphin species documented in Thailand in recent years. At Phuket’s Sirinat National Park, a lone pilot whale beached with a wounded dorsal fin. Locals splashed water on it while awaiting its transfer to a marine center for treatment.
The news was grimmer from Phuket’s Freedom Beach when a mature bottlenose dolphin washed up dead on June 7th; its body was taken in for an autopsy. Late last month, a pod of bottlenose dolphins frolicked in front of DMCR personnel off the coast of Samut Sakhon in the upper Gulf.
A prolific sea turtle mama
Leading the recent sea turtle news is “Mae Tao Sri Chan,” the nickname given to a green sea turtle that’s laid hundreds of eggs in a whopping seven nests at a beach in Ao Siam National Park over recent weeks. Her proficient nesting joined many other nests found in and around this relatively new national park over the past year to make the southern coast of Prachuap Khiri Khan province one of the most productive wild sea turtle nesting grounds found anywhere on the Thai Gulf coast.
An encroaching sea from Cyclone Yaas forced marine officials on Phuket to move a nest full of green sea turtle eggs that first appeared on Laem Pai Beach back on April 18th. Further north in the Similan Islands, the tracking device attached to a green sea turtle mother nicknamed “JW Marriott” showed how she stayed within six km of Ko Huyong, one of the Similans set aside specially for sea turtles.
In Chonburi province, two different turtle finds displayed the cycle of life. The body of a roughly 30-year-old hawksbill sea turtle washed up near Bang Saen Beach on May 29th, followed by the discovery of a roughly one-month-old sea turtle that was stranded on the coast at Ban Suan the very same day. Both were taken to a marine center, the baby for recuperation and the body for an autopsy.
Trat Online broke the story of “Uncle Neet,” who kicked off his grassroots turtle conservation efforts 13 years ago when he bought one at a market because he feared it might be eaten or otherwise harmed. Having repeated this act of kindness many times over, he now breeds 12 land species amounting to a total of 2,000 turtles, letting all of them live out their days in the safety of his own turtle sanctuary.
Meanwhile, down south, the gold-hued forest turtle that often joins a Krabi woman to listen to Thai country music also pulled on some heart strings.
King cobras “terrorize” Trang
Residents of Ban Kok Kor in Trang province “claimed that there are up to 20 king cobras hiding in the bushes in the village, adding that the snakes are seen slithering across the village road on daily basis, to the extent that the elderly and children have been warned not to leave their homes,” reports Thai PBS World. A village man died from a king cobra bite recently, and one member of a snake-catching team was himself bitten during the capture of a four-meter king cobra in the village on Wednesday. He’s recovering after being rushed to a hospital for venom antiserum.
A four-meter king cobra was also caught curled up on the second floor of a house in Hat Yai after a cat loudly hissed to alert its owner about the lethal predator in their midst. And in Ao Luek, a district in Krabi province where big and deadly snakes are reported with frightening frequency, a woman discovered yet another four-meter king cobra peering down at her from the rafters inside her house.
For some less bone-chilling reptilian news, check out this video of two mature monitor lizards happily hugging one another on Ko Hong.
Coconuts Bangkok has the scoop on Sriracha Tiger Zoo’s desperate plan to sell 11 of its elephants due to pandemic-related loss of income. At nearby Khao Khiao Open Zoo, 11-year-old Seenlada Supat has been playing keyboard for lucky lemurs, often while they crawl all over her instrument and her full-body crocodile suit.
Social media corner
The Twitter account @RetroSiam posts many intriguing photos of Thailand in the past. Perhaps this recently tweeted image will encourage you to reflect on what Phuket was like four decades ago. Or, if you were lucky enough to visit the island back then, I hope this brings back some fond memories.
Food and travel
Quiet achiever ‘greens’ Thailand’s unsustainable travel industry — Denis D. Grey for Nikkei Asia:
This is an insightful profile of Richard Sandler, the creative New York-born man behind two of the most impressive eco-resorts that I reviewed over my seven years of inspecting lodgings throughout Thailand: Golden Buddha Resort on Ko Phra Thong and Our Jungle House near Khao Sok National Park headquarters.
Thailand’s dipping legend: Sriracha Sauce — Apichai Sundaravej for Bangkok 101:
Though often associated with Vietnamese food nowadays, the roots of Sriracha trace back to Thailand and the 83-year-old guardian of what’s thought to be the original recipe still makes the stuff in his modest Bangkok kitchen. If you ever want to meet him, Chin takes visitors to sample this famous red chili sauce during her food tour.
Hello from the third wave — Bangkok Glutton:
Food writer Chawadee Nualkhair reflects on the closure of once-thriving restaurants like Bo.lan before sharing a recipe from a friend in Phuket for miang pla, a chili dip made with the unlikely ingredient of Thai-style peanut brittle.
Ko Phangan cannabis guide — Phanganist:
Okay, it’s not what it sounds like. Instead of entering the treacherous territory of writing about illegal marijuana on an island with plenty of it, this guide covers the few spots on Ko Phangan serving food and tea made with cannabis leaf that has little CBD and no THC. To understand the difference and how the leaves now fetch oddly exorbitant prices in Thailand, see this editorial from Bangkok Post.
New unseen attraction: The emerald cave of Pha Chompoo at Ko Nu, Songkhla — INN (Thai language):
Photos and a video spotlight a sea cave filled with emerald water and rimmed by the pink stone of Ko Nu, an islet reachable by kayak from Samila Beach in scenic Songkhla town.
Thailand pushes the Andaman Sea coast to be a UNESCO World Heritage site — Sanook (Thai language):
Members of the Thai government are taking advantage of their seat on this year’s UNESCO Committee to propose that Mu Ko Ranong, Laem Son, Mu Ko Surin, Mu Ko Similan, Khao Lamphi - Hat Thai Mueang and Sirinat national parks combine to form a new Natural World Heritage site. All of these protected areas are located in or on the central to upper Andaman Sea, from Phuket to Ranong. Also form Sanook, this photo gallery shows off the beauty of Ko Kradan further south.
Video corner
Oftentimes you don’t have to go far in the islands to watch and listen to bands out of Thailand’s homegrown reggae music scene. For a five-minute taste of it, check out Jadee Bootee Band’s music video of their song, ‘Bum Bum,’ set to footage of beach scenery and fire dancing on Ko Samui. It’s featured on What I Like, a channel dedicated in large part to the promotion of Thai reggae artists.
In other news
IN FOCUS: Fearing starvation, Thailand’s ethnic Karens of Bang Kloi seek return to ancestral land — Pichayada Promchertchoo for CNA:
This might be the best story ever written about the plight of the Karen people who were displaced from their native land in Kaeng Krachan National Park starting in 1996. It’s a long read, but well worth the time if you’re keen to understand a conflict that’s now at the heart of indigenous rights issues in Thailand.
Ukrainian ambassador dies of ‘heart attack’ on Ko Lipe — Bangkok Post:
The sudden death of 45-year-old Andrii Beshta while he was on holiday sparked suspicion of foul play, but an autopsy confirmed the cause of death. Members of his family later joined Satun provincial leaders for a ceremony in the late diplomat’s memory near Ko Lipe, an island that was reportedly dear to his heart.
Wealthy Thai-Indian couple drown on Ko Tao — Bangkok Post:
More suspicious was the drowning of two billionaires in a swimming pool at a resort on Ko Tao on June 4th. Autopsy results suggest that the couple — who were 55 and 58 years old — did in fact drown. How that could have happened in a relatively small pool with a maximum depth of two meters is under investigation.
Campaign to help paralyzed noodle vendor raises almost B400k — The Phuket News:
Residents of Phuket raised the equivalent of nearly $13,000 USD for 25-year-old Mr. Aroon Thongplab, who was paralyzed by a bullet shot by a drunken off-duty police officer on Bangla Road in the early hours of February 23rd.
More than 10 kg of heroin mysteriously washes up on Phang Nga beach — INN (Thai language):
The package turned up with tidal debris at Laem Pakarang north of Khao Lak on May 27th. Two weeks later, nine more kg of heroin wrapped in similar packaging washed up on Ko Jum’s Ting Rai Beach down in Krabi province.
Two piers in South get upgrade — Karnjana Karnjanatawe for Bangkok Post:
Nearly 60 million baht is being poured into upgrades to Saladan Pier, the main point of entry for boat passengers on Ko Lanta Yai, while Pakmeng in Trang is getting a new pier at a cost of 140 million baht. The first project makes some sense to me, but I was shocked to hear of the price tag and the huge steel building now being erected beside the new pier at Hat Pakmeng. This decidedly sleepy pier services only a handful of tour boats, longtail boats and the tiny ferry to Ko Ngai.
High speed rail project construction in Chonburi linked to three major airports expected to start this October — Goong Nang for The Pattaya News:
The long-delayed work on a high-speed rail line linking Bangkok’s two airports with Si Racha, Chonburi town, Pattaya and U-Tapao Airport finally appears set to commence. I covered this “three airport line” and Thailand’s other high-speed rail project in Nakhon Ratchasima for CNN back in 2019.
East-South ferry launch — Karnjana Karnjanatawe for Bangkok Post:
“The Dolphin,” a passenger and vehicle ferry imported from Japan, recently made its maiden test runs on a planned 600-km Thai Gulf route linking Chonburi to Songkhla, which reportedly takes nearly 22 hours all up. The ferry has a restaurant, kids play area and cabins for snoozing, and the expected addition of a port of call in Prachuap Khiri Khan province might make the route more viable down the road.
How a Khao Lak club is riding the surf wave to serve the local community — Craig Sauers for BK Magazine:
The cafe / social enterprise known as Salt Surf Club is empowering ethnic Moklan teens by teaching them job and surf skills at the same time. Some of the teens have overcome fears of tsunamis like the one that devastated the area on December 26th, 2004, to become surf enthusiasts with dreams of going pro.
Satun woman orders sea scallops online and hits the jackpot with a melo pearl as big as a crystal ball — Thairath (Thai language):
The latest ‘striking it rich from the sea’ story comes from the lower Thai Andaman coast, where 29-year-old Ms. Seefina Kasemsan bought a kg of sea snails from a vendor on Facebook for 120 baht. After boiling a few of them, she discovered a notably large melo pearl that — based on similar finds in the past — will fetch her more than enough money to fulfill her desire to upgrade the family home.
In memory of Daragh John O’Higgins — The Phuket News:
“Daragh, who was 59, was a familiar face to many not only on Phuket but on Ko Samui and in Bangkok and Pattaya, where he worked and lived for over 12 years.” RIP. 🌴
If you’ve been enjoying Thai Island Times, please help to keep it alive by making a $5 USD monthly contribution if you’re able. If you’d prefer to make a one-time donation in any amount, you can do so here. For a Thai bank transfer, please get in touch.
The old Phuket photo was fun. I actually made it there very briefly 50 years ago (in a previous life). I remember people selling prawns on the beach as big as your forearm.