Island Wrap #75: Dugongs in trouble, coral bleaching, extreme heat, and more

A spin through the most intriguing and consequential news and other media from the last month in Thailand's islands and coastal areas.

Greetings island lovers and welcome back to your free monthly news review from Thailand’s islands and coastal areas — and sometimes beyond.

To also access the Thai Island & Coastal Directory and many other in-depth articles while supporting independent travel media from Thai Island Quest…

Catch of the month

The beauty of the Khao Tao area, with Ko Sadao in view, on the mainland in Prachuap Khiri Khan province’s understated Pranburi district.

Weather & shipwrecks

Thailand reels under heatwave as some regions hit record high temperatures of 44.2 deg C (Bloomberg via The Straits Times on extreme heat that warped railroad tracks in Nakhon Si Thammarat and has sadly led to numerous heat stroke deaths, including among stray animals, as Thailand and the wider region grapples with what Thai PBS calls a “wake up call” over the warming climate.)

Thailand: Passengers scramble to escape burning ferry (The BBC with footage of a night ferry on fire as it neared Ko Tao — as other fires occurred on tour boats in Ayutthaya and Phang Nga, as well as a trawler near Ko Surin. Thankfully, in all four incidents, all passengers escaped unharmed.)

Four French nationals missing in Pattaya Sea found safe on island (The Pattaya News on how the group spent a night stranded on the remote and uninhabited island of Ko Maniwichai after their boat drifted off.)

Travel

Hidden Thailand explored on a kayaking trip up country’s Andaman coast, with untamed nature and unique lodgings en route (SCMP with a paywalled article on the joys of aquatic travel between Satun and Phuket.)

A coastal gem (Bangkok Post with a bit of history on bustling Ko Larn.)

Phetchaburi on a plate (Thai PBS digs into the seafood delights of the salt-farming and fishing areas between Hat Chao Samran and Bang Tabun.)

Thailand’s cooling rice dish to beat the heat (The BBC on khao chae, a traditional Songkran dish of Mon origins, that remains as popular as ever.)

Why mango sticky rice is one of Thailand’s most beloved summer dishes (CNN Travel shares another fabulous hot-weather Thai dessert.)

The heart of Thailand’s coconut culture (Koktail on how “the coconut has woven itself into the fabric of Thai life”.

IN PICTURES — Eid al-Fitr prayer said at Bangkok’s historic Tonson Mosque (Thai PBS with a rare look inside a ceremony at a striking Thai mosque.)

Tourism

Thailand leads push for six-nation visa to lure moneyed tourists (Bloomberg via Yahoo News on an idea for a “Schengen-type visa” that could ease travel between Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar and Vietnam.)

Premier urged to tackle overtourism (Bangkok Post on proposals that include charging tourists a 300-baht fee and promoting secondary destinations.)

Thailand’s safety reputation on the rise among Chinese travellers (TTG Asia)

Transport

Fifth Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge to ‘open in November’ (Bangkok Post on the new link over the Mekong River between Bueng Kan and Paksan in Laos.)

Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang set for $4.8bn expansion (Bangkok Post, which in a separate article covers plans to expand Ko Samui’s airport as well.)

Environment

The widest-ever global coral crisis will hit within weeks, scientists say (The New York Times on the warm-water scourge that is already hitting reefs in Thailand.)

Southeast Asia’s plastic tidal wave: Imported trash swamps region (Nikkei Asia with an in-depth report that, while focusing more on Indonesia than Thailand, lays out the vast scope of the sea rubbish problem in the region.)

Thai divers seek to take on ‘ghost gear’ threatening marine life (Reuters via CNA explaining how “Experts say the lack of a coordinated strategy is hindering the pursuit of more comprehensive and effective solutions to track, manage or outlaw dumping of fishing equipment.”)

‘A new era of slaves’: Thailand’s plan to loosen fisheries laws renews fears of illegal fishing, forced labour (CNA)

Phuket begs for water fix (Bangkok Post on calls to “find a sustainable solution as the island province suffers from water shortages every year,” a situation that is mirrored on Ko Larn, Ko Phi Phi, Ko Samui and Ko Phangan, among others.

Industrial waste plant in Rayong goes up in flames, people evacuated (Thai PBS on the failure at a plant that has also been accused of polluting local water supplies, as explained in a troubling in-depth report from 2021.)

Wildlife

• As a warming sea leads to the decline of seagrass that is essential to the survival of Thailand’s dugongs, these endangered ‘sea cows’ are being forced to “seek new feeding grounds” beyond their usual habitats.

• Boaters are asked to look out for an injured dolphin recently spotted in a heavily trafficked part of Ao Sattahip in Chonburi.

• “A new scorpion species about 2.5cm long has been discovered at Kaeng Krachan National Park,” reports Bangkok Post.

Society

Thailand needs economic reform, not economic stimulus (Fulcrum with an opinion piece on how Thailand might emerge from its weakening currency and lagging growth compared to some of its regional peers.)

Long road ahead for hill tribe justice (Bangkok Post with an op-ed covering a hint of justice for the indigenous Karen people of Kaeng Krachan.)

Editorial: Thai health minister change could have major ramifications for cannabis legalisation in Thailand (The Phuket Express with some well-informed thoughts on how a recent cabinet reshuffle appears to have possibly been a good thing for the pro-cannabis side of this prickly debate.)

A superstition boom full of faith in Thailand (Thai PBS on how the Thai penchant for “superstitious objects, lucky charms, amulets, talismans and even occult rites, known as mutelu”, is alive and thriving.

In other news

Son of Spanish actor goes on trial for Thai island murder (The Straits Times following up on a brutal crime committed on Ko Phangan last year.)

Park officers to remove shrine at Koh Pling (The Phuket News on a mysterious shrine that recently appeared on this uninhabited island off Phuket.)

The art of garbage collection (Thai PBS with fine photography featuring a Bangkok-based artist who devotes much of his time to picking up rubbish.)

Thailand: Story of kite maker’s life (Bangkok Post with a video report spotlighting one man’s passion for an age-old Thai art.)

I leave you with…

But of course, the ginger kitty whose action-packed days spent roaming Suvarnabhumi Airport recently went viral online.🌴

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