Phuket – Evason Phuket

The World Cup is no exception to the crackdown at Pattaya venues

Judith D. Perez — Sat, 19 Nov 2022 08:36:16 +0000

Stay up late to see this World Championship? Not in one entertainment place in pattaya, you are not. Region 2 police are cracking down on entertainment venues in the popular nightlife city and making no exceptions to World Cup closing times. The police plan strictly enforce Seven important rules, Pattaya City officials said at a news conference yesterday.

At the press conference, Maj. Gen. Nantawut Suwanlaong laid out the rules applicable to the 1,329 entertainment venues and restaurants registered to legally sell alcohol in Pattaya’s Bang Lamung district. He set the rules and announced that police would enforce them nightly, including his pledge to personally take part in weekend patrols. The rules he lists are:

Persons under the age of 20 are not allowed to enter bars and entertainment venues.
Minors are not permitted to purchase alcohol in any venue, including restaurants.
Although various zones have closing times between midnight and 2am, all entertainment venues must close without customers until the statutory closing times.
After the statutory closing time, the sale of alcohol is strictly prohibited without exception.
No weapons or illegal drugs are allowed in any entertainment venues.
Human trafficking is strictly prohibited in all entertainment venues.
Gambling is illegal and prohibited in all entertainment venues.

The Major General said that tourists should always have their passport or at least a stamped copy with them. Pattaya Police will check tourists’ documents at these locations while conducting night-time inspections. He said the recent incidents have prompted a strong reaction.

“Recently, many incidents and chaos have happened in Pattaya, causing public nuisance. Region 2 Police… have stepped in to enforce the rules in Pattaya. We enforce all these rules in Pattaya. From now on, dozens of police officers and relevant officials will patrol at 1:00 am every day to enforce these seven rules and encourage venues to close on time every day. I personally patrol every Friday and Saturday to ensure that the statutory closing times are observed.”

Thailand’s cabinet will discuss a proposal to extend entertainment venues’ hours of operation to 4am on November 29. The idea has received a lot of support – but also resistance – on the internet. Another proposal is to expand Pattaya’s entertainment zones to popular tourist areas with many venues such as Jomtien, East Pattaya and Nakula.

However, Nantawut stated that Region 2 police would strictly oppose either measure. They are demanding that if the cabinet approves the proposal, they will remove Pattaya from the list of areas and leave the nightly partying to destinations like Phuket and Koh Samui.

Even because of the World Cup starting tomorrow, the police representative was a thorn in his side. He specifically said they would not be making exceptions for the global sporting event, although many will be after 2am. The senior police officer also issued a stark warning to rule-breakers.

“If a venue operator is found to be violating these rules, they will face legal action and be ordered to close permanently. If they cannot follow these seven rules, zone rules or opening times, Region 2 Police will reject any proposal to extend opening hours or adjust entertainment zones in Pattaya, which are currently under consideration in the Thai cabinet.”

Advocates sound alarm over tourism toll on Thai elephants | Best countries

Judith D. Perez — Mon, 14 Nov 2022 16:48:00 +0000

PHUKET, Thailand — On Phuket, a mountainous island in Thailand’s far south, a popular tourist attraction called Elephant Swims draws visitors who can sip mango smoothies while watching the waves crash around baby elephants near shore. Tourists can pay as much as $70 for a one-off photo with an elephant, where the camera captures them perched on the animal’s head or trunk.

Tourism is returning to Thailand after two years of travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic – and elephants are a popular tourist attraction. There are just over 3,000 wild elephants in Thailand and up to 3,800 in captivity – but experts say many of the latter are suffering.

Before the pandemic, the elephant tourism industry was generating between $581 million and $770 million a year, according to a 2020 report by World Animal Protection, an international animal rights organization based in the United Kingdom. While countries like Sri Lanka and India have come under fire for the treatment of captive elephants, experts say the situation is particularly dire in Thailand, where nearly three-quarters of Asia’s elephants live in the tourism industry.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made conditions for captive elephants worse, according to animal experts, who say as tourist funds dried up, elephants were left without food. It costs several hundred dollars a month to feed just one elephant.

“Before COVID, elephant tourism brought huge sums of money to Thai people,” says Nitipon Piwmow, a member of the Thai Parliament who works to raise awareness of elephant abuse in Thailand. “Then everything stopped: no tourists, no income. But elephants need to eat, and with no income, they were stuck in this situation for almost two years. I have seen many elephants die.”

Visitors are seen at the Elephant Swims tourist attraction in Phuket, Thailand, on May 29, 2022. (Paul Isidort/IWMF)

Between 2010 and 2020, the number of elephants living in the worst conditions in Thailand increased by 135%, according to the World Animal Protection Report. A 2015 study found that 86% of the country’s captive elephants were living in substandard conditions.

In Thailand, captive elephants are often forced to paint on canvas with their trunks, perform show tricks such as balancing on two legs with a hat, swim with tourists and carry them on their backs. But the tasks have consequences for the animals: for example, putting weight on an elephant’s back is harmful because its skin sits directly on the bone. Over time, this deforms their spine, says Best Atthakorn, who works with Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand, a non-governmental organization that works to rescue and rehabilitate abused animals.

At Elephant Swims, after the eight female elephants are done for the day, they climb a spiral staircase to their cages, where they are chained at the ankles. (Men are too aggressive for the job, staff explains.)

Elephant Swims did not respond to requests to comment on this article after repeated attempts to contact them regarding the welfare of their elephants.

Thailand’s Animal Welfare Act 2014 protects wild elephants in the country, but captive elephants can be traded, bred and used in tourism. In fact, they have a long history of working in captivity as a national symbol of wealth and royalty. Now that tourists are returning with the easing of pandemic restrictions, elephant attractions are keen to reopen. One of the first to resume operations was Elephant Swims on Lucky Beach in southwest Phuket.

“If the elephants want to go swimming alone and the people just come with them, that’s good,” says Atthakorn. “But if the tourists want to come shower with the elephants every time and the mahout (elephant handler) has to pull them by the ear with a hook and take them to the lake or pool, I don’t think that’s a good thing at all.”

To familiarize elephants with humans, trainers often use what is known as the “crush method,” in which the baby is separated from its mother, placed in a cage, and the elephant tied in a way that is docile enough to walk with to interact with people.

“How can an elephant do these tricks? They have to train really hard, and that’s not natural for the elephant,” says Piwmow. “This is abuse.”

The release of captive elephants into the wild is illegal under Thai law and even elephants rescued from abuse must remain in captivity. Captive elephants have also learned to rely on humans and lack the skills to survive in the wild, said Atthakorn, who noted that training an elephant often comes with abuse.

“People use the hook to control the elephant, and that’s pretty bad,” says Atthakorn. “Sometimes they chain the elephants in the elephant camps and when we rescue them here it’s been a few years but they still feel used to the chain.”

Asian elephants, which live in remote areas of South Asia and Southeast Asia, are classified as Vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. To protect them, elephant sanctuaries have sprung up and are becoming increasingly popular with international volunteers. These sanctuaries also welcome tourists who are the main source of income.

One of the first animal rescue centers, Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand was founded in 2001 by Edwin Wiek, a Dutchman.

“Because Thailand treats wild animals in captivity, there was no way to bring animals to sanctuaries,” says Wiek. “So I decided to start one.”

WFFT is based in Phetchaburi, a province a few hours south of Bangkok. The center saves hundreds of animals from abuse, including gibbons (part of the great ape family), tigers, cougars, otters and even a chimpanzee that lived in a small cage in a schoolyard for 30 years. The WFFT also houses an elephant sanctuary. With 13 mahouts caring for them daily, the WFFT lets elephants roam free in a 44-acre enclosure. The sanctuary allows tourists to admire elephants close enough for a photo but behind a high fence.

“Ten years ago nobody questioned whether feeding an elephant or touching its trunk was okay or not, but now it’s an issue,” says Wiek.

Green Elephant Sanctuary is located on Phuket Island, about 24 km from Elephant Swims. Like WFFT, the Green Elephant Sanctuary works to save elephants from abuse but has a more relaxed attitude towards interacting with tourists. The elephant keepers, known as mahouts, let tourists hand-feed the elephants, rub mud on their backs, and wash them with buckets and long scrubbing brushes. Guides take groups of tourists to see where the elephants sleep, which is conveniently across from each elephant mahout’s hut. A female elephant in the sanctuary was used to transport timber in the logging industry and now has a mahout who takes care of her every day.

“We check how the elephants are feeling every day,” says Montara Pomseranee, a tour guide for the Green Elephant Sanctuary. “If they’re happy and normal they can do the tour, but if they’re sick the vet can examine them. We don’t force elephants to do anything they don’t want to do.”

The Green Elephant Sanctuary and WFFT have managed to weather the tourist dry spell even as donations have dwindled. WFFT had money from big donors like “Tiger King” Carole Baskin and contacts Wiek retained from his previous work in women’s fashion. In fact, the WFFT managed to take in three new elephants from mahouts on Phuket’s Rawai Beach during the pandemic, says Wiek. (One of these elephants is Thung Ngern, which means “sack full of money.”) At Green Elephant, Swiss founder Urs Fehr was able to provide funds for workers and elephants to eat.

With little support from government funds, support from interested tourists keeps the elephant sanctuaries running and provides the elephants with a relatively natural environment.

According to Piwmow, the goal is simple: “Let the elephants be elephants.”

This coverage was supported by the Round Earth Media program of the International Women’s Media Foundation. Anna Lawatanatrakul contributed to the reporting.

Patong Hill will be opened for small cars traveling to Patong

Judith D. Perez — Thu, 10 Nov 2022 04:51:00 +0000

PHUKET: Small vehicles will be allowed to drive up Patong Hill from Kathu today (Nov. 10), starting at no later than 4 p.m., Phuket officials have announced.

The news came after a meeting this morning with the approval announced by the Phuket Info Center.

No further details have been explained so far.

The announcement follows Phuket Governor Narong inspecting the landslide site on the hill last night and attended a meeting with local officials last night to update on the safety of the site.

Work to stabilize the site continues, with large rocks and heavier soil being placed at the base of the escarpment exposed by the October 19 landslide.

Despite daily rains for the past few weeks, the site was considered safe, according to a report this morning from the Phuket office of the Public Relations Department (PR Phuket).

The cumulative effect of precipitation remains small. Soil pressure at the site is still below the critical threshold, the report said.

There were no other ground movements at the site, the report said.

“The road is still safe. The traffic route can be used sparingly according to local conditions,” the report concluded.

Driver injured in wet Kathu road accident

Judith D. Perez — Sat, 05 Nov 2022 05:56:23 +0000

PHUKET: A 24-year-old man suffered injuries when he lost control of the pickup truck he was driving and crashed into an electricity pole on Phra Phuket Kaew Rd in Kathu early this morning (November 5).

Lt. Col. Wattanathorn Bamrungthin of the Kathu Police said officers were notified of the accident at 1:30am near the Bangchak gas station.

The pickup truck stalled crookedly in the lanes, preventing traffic from passing through, Lt Col Wattanathorn was told.

Police and rescue workers from the Khao Yai Rescue Foundation, based at Kathu Township, arrived and found a silver Isuzu pickup truck registered in Songkhla, which was badly damaged on the front.

The driver, Teerasak Charoensri, 24, was injured. He was given first aid before being taken to Mission Phuket Hospital. No information was given about the extent of his injuries.

In their initial investigation, police said Mr Teerasak was driving from Phuket International Airport when the accident happened. Its intended destination has not been reported.

Mr Teerasak lost control of the pickup truck on the wet road, police said. The pickup went over the curb on the median, then crossed the lanes and crashed into the utility pole next to the road.

Officers had the vehicle recovered so traffic could continue as normal, police said.

Police did not mention whether Mr Teerasak had a valid driver’s license, whether he was speeding at the time of the accident, or whether he had been tested for alcohol or other substances.

Man City go on top, Leeds wreak more misery on Liverpool

Judith D. Perez — Sun, 30 Oct 2022 07:46:23 +0000

SOCCER: Manchester City moved to the top of the Premier League thanks to Kevin De Bruyne’s impressive goal in a 1-0 win against Leicester yesterday (29 October) as Liverpool’s five-year unbeaten home win in the league ended in a 2-1 defeat in front of fans was to Leeds.

Leeds United’s Crysencio Summerville (second right) celebrates with his team-mates after scoring his side’s second goal. Photo: AFP

Chelsea manager Graham Potter made a nightmare return to Brighton with a 4-1 defeat, while Tottenham went down 2-0 to beat Bournemouth 3-2 to remain third.

City were without top scorer Erling Haaland with a foot injury and were left deadened in attack without the Norwegian’s firepower.

But a magic moment from De Bruyne was enough as the Belgian’s free-kick hit the post four minutes into the second half on its way past Danny Ward.

City needed a brilliant save from Ederson to prevent another sensational goal from a Belgium international when he deflected Youri Tielemans’ volley onto the bar.

“I want that Kevin and we need that Kevin. He can blind the goals and assists. But we need that kind of commitment in the game and that was the case today,” said City manager Pep Guardiola.

With Arsenal absent from the hosts Nottingham Forest until tonight, the win puts City a point ahead of the Gunners at the top of the table.

Liverpool are now 13 points behind City after suffering a Premier League defeat at Anfield in front of fans since losing to Crystal Palace in April 2017.

Leeds started the game bottom of the table but climbed up to 15th^th with their first win in nine games courtesy of Crysencio Summerville’s stunning 89^th minute winner.

Rodrigo’s early opener for the visitors was quickly undone by Mohamed Salah.

But Liverpool have now lost twice as many games in their first 12 league games this season as they did in 38 last season.

Jurgen Klopp’s men are looking increasingly underdogs only to return to the Champions League next season as they slip to ninth place, still eight points adrift of the top four.

“We can’t qualify for the Champions League if you’re playing as inconsistently as we are at the moment,” said Klopp.

Brighton’s revenge on Potter

Potter has been unbeaten in his first nine games since leaving Brighton to take charge of Chelsea last month.

The Seagulls, by contrast, had not won in their first five games under new boss Roberto De Zerbi, but that all changed in a dominant first half from Brighton.

Leandro Trossard blasted home the first set before Chelsea gifted Brighton two more before half-time when both Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Trevoh Chalobah deflected crosses into their own goal.

Kai Havertz’s header early in the second half returned a goal but Pascal Gross rounded off a memorable win for Brighton late on.

“It felt good…until the game started,” Potter said of his return to the South Shore. “There’s no way I’m going to throw the players under the bus because they’ve been brilliant for us.

“I have to take responsibility and try to find a way we can do better.”

Spurs Rally

Tottenham faced a third straight league defeat after Kieffer Moore struck twice for Bournemouth on either side of half-time.

Spurs have looked toothless at times in recent weeks but won the game thanks to two set pieces after Ryan Sessegnon pulled a goal back just before the hour mark.

Ben Davies rose highest and headed in an Ivan Perisic cross to equalize before Rodrigo Bentancur struck the winner home from another corner in added time.

Newcastle underlined their threat to the traditional powers for a place in the top four with a 4-0 win over Aston Villa.

Callum Wilson batted twice to advance his appeal for England’s World Cup squad with Gareth Southgate in the presence of Gareth Southgate at St James’ Park.

Joelinton rounded off a fine counterattack to make it 3-0 before Miguel Almiron continued his sensational form with his sixth goal in as many games.

Crystal Palace moved into the top half with a 1-0 win over Southampton while Odsonne Edouard scored the only goal at Selhurst Park.

Wolves remain in the bottom three despite coming from behind to salvage a 1-1 draw at Brentford.

Fulham moved up to seventh place despite wasting many chances in the 0-0 draw with Everton.

7-Eleven robbed at knife point in Pa Khlok

Judith D. Perez — Tue, 25 Oct 2022 10:39:00 +0000

PHUKET: Police are trying to trace a man who used a knife point to rob a 7-Eleven store in Pa Khlok earlier this morning (October 25).

Thalang police were called to the scene at 3am, a 7-Eleven store at Baan Para, Moo 4, Pa Khlok.

The man entered the store wearing blue jeans and a gray long-sleeved jacket and a black full-face helmet that covered his face, the police officer said.

The approximately 165 cm tall man threatened the employee with a knife to hand out cash from the till. The employee obliges.

The robber made off with about 4,200 baht in cash, the clerk said.

The robber was last seen speeding away on a motorbike towards Baan Laem Sai, the clerk confirmed.

The employee was unable to identify the make and model of the motorcycle due to the darkness, police reported.

Thalang Police Chief Colonel Pisit Chuenphet has assigned Thalang Police Deputy Chief Investigators Lt-Colonel Suchart Luecha to track down the robber.

Lt. Col. Suchart has experience in the area, having previously served as Pa Khlok subdistrict patrol chief, a Thalang police report said.

Police are now checking surveillance cameras from the store and other cameras in the area to track down the robber and bring him to justice, Thalang Police said.

Regulator paves way for telecom mega-merger

Judith D. Perez — Fri, 21 Oct 2022 05:24:37 +0000

BANGKOK – The national telecoms regulator has cleared the way for the country’s second and third-biggest mobile operators – True Corp and Total Access Communication (DTAC) – to merge, albeit with conditions.

Progressive Movement leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit joins consumer advocates who have gathered to demand that the NBTC reject the True Corp-DTAC merger deal Thursday (October 20) at the telecoms regulator’s headquarters. Photo: Apichart Jinakul/Bangkok Post

Conditions include a price cap and price controls, the National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC) said in a statement on Thursday (October 20). Bangkok Post.

The long-awaited decision comes almost a year after the deal was first announced due to concerns about less competition in the market.

The merger would leave the country with just two operators: the merged entity and the current market leader, Advanced Info Service (AIS).

Other conditions reportedly include a requirement for an independent review of operators’ cost structure and service fees for at least five years. Service tariffs such as voice, data and messages must be accounted for separately and are based on average prices, the NBTC said.

The merged company will overtake AIS as the market leader. True and DTAC currently have 34% and 21% of the country’s mobile subscribers, respectively. AIS controls 44% of the market.

True, DTAC and AIS did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

DTAC is supported by the Norwegian company Telenor. Thai agribusiness conglomerate Charoen Pokphand Group owns a 49% stake in True Corp, while China Mobile owns 18%.

Telenor and CP Group are said to each own a third of the shares in the newly merged entity, China Mobile 10% and the remaining shares listed on the stock exchange.

The NBTC had debated for months whether it had the legal authority to approve or disapprove a merger between two telecom operators and what possible legal liability it might face depending on its actions.

After a meeting that lasted more than 10 hours Thursday, the five-member board merely “acknowledged” True’s and DTAC’s intention to merge, reportedly by a vote of 3-2, and imposed conditions in the name of “consumer protection”.

The office of NBTC has reportedly proposed 14 remedies for the board to consider, including a three-year ban on the merger of True Move H Universal Communication (TUC), a wireless business of True, and dtac TriNet (DTN), a wireless services unit of DTAC .

TUC and DTAC are also threatened with a three-year ban on frequency sharing.

In addition, TUC and DTN could be forced to lease 20% of their mobile network capacity to mobile virtual network operators.

However, full details of all the terms agreed by the board were not immediately available.

“A place I really enjoy”

Judith D. Perez — Sun, 16 Oct 2022 15:57:00 +0000

A bantamweight title contender, “Wonder Boy” Fabricio Andrade has traveled the world, moving from Brazil to China and now Thailand. Along his journey he has honed his skills to become the fighter he is today. But it is at Tiger Muay Thai in Phuket that he has found a home.

The 25-year-old is among the many world champions and high-profile martial arts talents training at Tiger Muay Thai. He trains under the best including interim ONE World Heavyweight Champion Anatoly Malykhin, former ONE World Middleweight Champion Vitaly Bigdash and senior lightweight contender Timofey Nastyukhin.

Under the tutelage of the elite Phuket coaching staff, Andrade has morphed into an absolute killer. In a recent interview with Tudor Leonte from Sherdog.com, ‘Wonder Boy’ spoke about his time in Thailand’s most famous seaside town. He said:

“I’ve been here for five years, or more. Thailand was already my home. It was like a place I really enjoy. The atmosphere and training at Tiger [Muay Thai] was really good. They have a lot of good coaches, a lot [training] partner and I’ve made a lot of friends in the time I’ve been here.”

Andrade will have the support of everyone at Tiger Muay Thai as he steps into the circle for his next bout. The 2nd place bantamweight contender takes on reigning ONE World Bantamweight Champion John ‘Hands of Stone’ Lineker in ONE’s Main Event on Prime Video 3, broadcast live via Prime Video from the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. will be transmitted October 21.

If Fabricio Andrade wins this fight, he will become the youngest ONE World Bantamweight Champion in history.

Fabricio Andrade is confident he will end John Lineker’s short tenure in the division

Since entering the ONE Championship in mid-2020, “Wonder Boy” Fabricio Andrade already knew he was going to be World Champion. In fact, he was sure he would challenge then-champion Bibiano Fernandes as well as the aforementioned John Lineker once he joined the promotion.

The repeated appearances of the 25-year-old testified to his self-confidence. On the other hand, Andrade believes that Lineker stayed calm because he avoided a fight with “Wonder Boy”.

In the ONE on Prime Video 3 virtual press conference, Fabricio Andrade reiterated his claim that he will indeed beat Lineker when the circle door closes and capture the coveted ONE Gold. He said:

“I’m the guy who called him. He ducked me. 100% I will put on a show, there will be another knockout and we will have a new champion.”

Mum apologizes for the actions of the murderer son

Judith D. Perez — Thu, 13 Oct 2022 06:08:28 +0000

BANGKOK – The mother of Panya Khamrab, the former policewoman who perpetrated the Nong Bua Lam Phu nursery massacre, deeply regrets what her son did.

She has apologized to the families of the victims and plans to visit each family soon to apologize in person, the reports Bangkok Post.

Her regrets were conveyed by Dr. Amporn Benjaponpitak, Director General of the Department of Mental Health, who said the killer’s mother wanted to contact the families, which is why she recorded a video message.

“Panya’s mother wanted to apologize and express her regret that she was unable to attend the royally sponsored cremations,” said Dr. Amporn.

She also said his mother denied receiving any threats or being forced to leave her home in Uthai Sawan tambon by local people who may have blamed her for what happened, some media outlets have claimed.

In her video message, which she was happy to publish, she said she could not attend the funeral service because she was so upset.

“I want to apologize to everyone for the actions of my son. I am truly and deeply sorry. I’ll pay a visit and apologize to each family when I’m less desperate. I’m very sorry,” she said. She is currently living in Udon Thani with another son.

Meanwhile said Dr. Amporn said the department categorized the number of post-traumatic stress disorder cases attributed to the massacre into three groups — red, yellow, and green.

“The number of those most affected in the red group has increased from 170 to 260 people and includes witnesses, injured people and relatives,” she said.

Medical personnel examined the victims’ mental health. They also assessed the stress level in the yellow group, which includes volunteer rescue workers, teachers from two nearby schools and local administration officials indirectly affected by the incident, she said.

Two deputy general directors of the department, Dr. Thiti Sawangtham and Dr. Jumpot Promsida, believed that local funeral rites and religious ceremonies played a major role in the healing process of those affected.

They said shared sorrow and empathy created emotional support for everyone involved in the tragic incident. The mental health department has urged people and the press to respect the privacy of survivors.

After Tuesday’s cremation, families collected the ashes at Wat Rat Samakkhi, Wat Sri Uthai and Wat Thep Mongkhon Phichai.

Unesco status demanded in Andaman

Judith D. Perez — Sun, 09 Oct 2022 02:00:00 +0000

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-archa is preparing to nominate three nature reserves in the Andaman Sea for UNESCO recognition.

On Koh Miang in Phangnga province, Mr Varawut led a project on buoy maintenance and underwater debris collection as the island prepares to welcome tourists to the Similan Islands on October 15.

He said the ministry will propose the Andaman Sea Conservation Areas, covering an area of over 1.8 million rai in the three Andaman coastal provinces of Ranong, Phangnga and Phuket, to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The nomination process will be completed by February next year, he added.

“This survey aims to examine the preparations during peak season and diving season in the Andaman Sea. The Andaman Coast is such a unique place that we would like to nominate it for Unesco as it needs long-term protection also by the local people,” Mr Varawut said.

He said he will study the national park’s willingness to welcome a limited number of tourists and manage waste collection. The park must also ensure that dive operators do not allow outboard boats to carry divers.

He said the ministry tasked the 26 national park chiefs with preserving the underwater ecosystems and the safety of tourists. Personnel must pass cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillator (AED) training and provide accessible water safety equipment.

He also added that Koh Tachai in Similan National Park will be ready to open to tourists once the coastal coral reefs recover. However, staff must limit the number of visitors to avoid dive-related injuries.