News Forum - Tourist who sat on endangered reef faces 10 years in prison, up to 1 million baht fine

[Thaiger]

A Thai tourist who posted a photograph of himself sitting on an endangered coral reef faces a fine of up to 1 million baht and a 10-year prison sentence. Wisutr Rattanasathian shared a photograph on his Facebook page on Saturday, which shows him sitting on the protected reef off Koh Khram Noi, in the Sattahip district of Trat province, eastern Thailand. The photo prompted the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources to file a police complaint the following day, according to a Bangkok Post report. Department official Wutthipong Wongin, who has responsibility for the eastern coast, used Wisutr’s photo as […]

The story Tourist who sat on endangered reef faces 10 years in prison, up to 1 million baht fine as seen on Thaiger News.

Read the full story

[DoUKnowWhoIAm]

16 minutes ago, Thaiger said:

fine of up to 1 million baht and a 10-year prison sentence.

With the recent oilspils in mind, I'd say this is a ridiculous exaggeration. 

[Grumpyoldman]

Yet again social media gets someone into trouble.  When will people learn the pointlessness of FB, Twitter, etc etc.

[HolyCowCm]

20 minutes ago, DoUKnowWhoIAm said:

With the recent oilspils in mind, I'd say this is a ridiculous exaggeration. 

Yeah sort of ridiculous. Do you remember what happened to the two Expat foreingers taking selfies with fish a couple years ago? I think near Kho Phangan? One left out of the country and not sure what happened to the other. But wasn't looking good for them at all. Perhaps not finished in the courts. Thing about oil and those type of companies are maybe the behind the scenes who is invested in them as stock holders, and maybe it also is a national security issue if pushed more. But it seems that sort of thing is well protected.

[Thommo]

Now I understand why the TAT want the chinese tourist back so badly (scuba divers and snorklers).

Its a great business plan, the fine revenue will make up for any gap in the tourist revenue.

 

[kalyan]

Negative Propoganda !, this will affect Tourist incoming as nobody want to go Jail for 10 years and pay 1 million baht, just an tsunami or a oil leak from a ship is enough to remove everything.

 

[Fanta]

Cheaper to kill a panther. Tastes better too.

[HolyCowCm]

10 minutes ago, kalyan said:

Negative Propoganda !, this will affect Tourist incoming as nobody want to go Jail for 10 years and pay 1 million baht, just an tsunami or a oil leak from a ship is enough to remove everything.

I think as the case as is par for the course here is it will just like everything else will be silenced and most tourists will not ever know anything about it or the penalties same as that of taking pictures in some situations with fish is illegal.

[Cabra]

Any damage done by tourist pales in comparison to what the fishing trawlers do to the reef every single day. 

[riclag]

Have  the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources seen what comes on beaches every time there’s a storm ! 

Bunch of idiots ! Say what!

[Stonker]

52 minutes ago, HolyCowCm said:

Yeah sort of ridiculous. Do you remember what happened to the two Expat foreingers taking selfies with fish a couple years ago? I think near Kho Phangan? One left out of the country and not sure what happened to the other. But wasn't looking good for them at all. Perhaps not finished in the courts. Thing about oil and those type of companies are maybe the behind the scenes who is invested in them as stock holders, and maybe it also is a national security issue if pushed more. But it seems that sort of thing is well protected.

IIRC they were fined a couple of thousand baht each, and I expect this will be similar.

The "left out of the country" was nothing to do with the court cases for the farang divers but was down to Immigration Police action over working without a work permit wjich they could hardly ignore given the publicity.

[Stonker]

8 minutes ago, Cabra said:

Any damage done by tourist pales in comparison to what the fishing trawlers do to the reef every single day. 

Not in that area, which is off limits to fishing trawlers - and enforced.

[HolyCowCm]

4 minutes ago, Stonker said:

IIRC they were fined a couple of thousand baht each, and I expect this will be similar.

The "left out of the country" was nothing to do with the court cases for the farang divers but was down to Immigration Police action over working without a work permit wjich they could hardly ignore given the publicity.

Ahhh. Now it is all coming back to me. No work permit.

[Stardust]

And what will be the charge for the oil company who destroyed the coral reef and marine life in this area in a much bigger and huge area including the beaches. We didn't hear anything yet nor any payments to affected people and fishermen who all have no income now. If they come up with 10 years prison for this pic everybody wants to know the charges for this petrol company who destroyed a huge area with coral reefs, marine life and all the affected people!

[Stardust]

1 hour ago, Cabra said:

Any damage done by tourist pales in comparison to what the fishing trawlers do to the reef every single day. 

In Sattahip especially from leaked oil pipelines is the worst damages on the coral reefs and all the marine life there. 

[KoratBob]

But the cop who kills a doctor at a crosswalk gets released on bail? Hmmm .. do it detect bias enforcement?

[Stonker]

5 minutes ago, KoratBob said:

But the cop who kills a doctor at a crosswalk gets released on bail? Hmmm .. do it detect bias enforcement?

Umm ... how?

I'm not suggesting there's no 'bias', but this guy has been released on bail too.

[HolyCowCm]

1 hour ago, Stardust said:

And what will be the charge for the oil company who destroyed the coral reef and marine life in this area in a much bigger and huge area including the beaches. We didn't hear anything yet nor any payments to affected people and fishermen who all have no income now. If they come up with 10 years prison for this pic everybody wants to know the charges for this petrol company who destroyed a huge area with coral reefs, marine life and all the affected people!

Watch them conclude it was either a fast rip current that mysteriously opened the valve releasing the oil, or a playful dolphin did it and it is no one's fault.

[Grant]

Question

Does the Coral sitting man

deserve as much time in Prison as a Red Bill owner who killed a Policeman???

What a Joke these Police are???

[Dedinbed]

On 2/14/2022 at 3:40 AM, Thaiger said:

Thai tourist who posted a photograph of himself sitting on an endangered coral reef faces a fine of up to 1 million baht and a 10-year prison sentence.

could've been worse if a sharp bit of coral had gone up their starfish .. 

[Mudshark]

On 2/14/2022 at 12:29 PM, HolyCowCm said:

Ahhh. Now it is all coming back to me. No work permit.

Ahhh, the obsession with work permits. An expat staple. However no problems with visa or work permits until  they were cancelled by the authorities. One guys Thai wife did get a TM30 violation charge though.

A pretty straight forward case of legal seizure & stripping of business, property assets, plus  hefty fines. Others call it 'legalized theft'.  Attila Ott ran a popular dive business in Koh Phan Ngan, for seven years, The Pink Panther Scuba Dive Club. The other man was a chef at a local restaurant. They were jailed at the IDC prison in Bangkok after their visas were taken away. A notorious place where foreigners have died in the past. Just a reminder of what could happen to you, if the locals move against you.

 

[Stardust]

On 2/14/2022 at 10:40 AM, Thaiger said:

A Thai tourist who posted a photograph of himself sitting on an endangered coral reef faces a fine of up to 1 million baht and a 10-year prison sentence. Wisutr Rattanasathian shared a photograph on his Facebook page on Saturday, which shows him sitting on the protected reef off Koh Khram Noi, in the Sattahip district of Trat province, eastern Thailand. The photo prompted the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources to file a police complaint the following day, according to a Bangkok Post report. Department official Wutthipong Wongin, who has responsibility for the eastern coast, used Wisutr’s photo as […]

The story Tourist who sat on endangered reef faces 10 years in prison, up to 1 million baht fine as seen on Thaiger News.

Read the full story

And what face the petrol company who pollutet the coast and sea close to Sattahip with thousands of litre of oil including the national park are with protected coral reefs and marine life? 

[HolyCowCm]

3 hours ago, Mudshark said:

Ahhh, the obsession with work permits. An expat staple. However no problems with visa or work permits until  they were cancelled by the authorities. One guys Thai wife did get a TM30 violation charge though.

A pretty straight forward case of legal seizure & stripping of business, property assets, plus  hefty fines. Others call it 'legalized theft'.  Attila Ott ran a popular dive business in Koh Phan Ngan, for seven years, The Pink Panther Scuba Dive Club. The other man was a chef at a local restaurant. They were jailed at the IDC prison in Bangkok after their visas were taken away. A notorious place where foreigners have died in the past. Just a reminder of what could happen to you, if the locals move against you.

So what happened to them in the end? Still here or tossed out for a while?

[Mudshark]

One is gone - the other filed a court case against the expulsion (and property seizure)  at that point the Thai press went silent. I assume, but do not know, he wised up and got out the heck out  too. Basically this was legalized theft and expulsion. Nasty. 

 

Edited February 16, 2022 by Mudshark

[Grumpish]

On 2/14/2022 at 11:33 AM, Thommo said:

Now I understand why the TAT want the chinese tourist back so badly (scuba divers and snorklers).

Its a great business plan, the fine revenue will make up for any gap in the tourist revenue.

You ever had to share I dive boat with a load of Chinese tourists? "Please don't use the toilets while there are divers in the water" the boat briefing went. I surfaced into a cloud of shit, it took ten days for the antibiotics to clear the very messy and painful ear infection.