Andaman Tourism Boats Tapped for Safety and Conservation Program
Two government agencies launched a joint maritime safety and conservation program for tourism boats in the Andaman, establishing new regulations at three pilot sites including Koh Racha and the Surin Islands to protect coral reefs and manag
On August 4, the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources and Department of National Parks launched a joint effort to regulate tourism boats across three locations in three southern provinces, aiming to raise maritime safety standards while protecting marine resources sustainably. Dr. Pinsakul Surassawadee, director of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, and Arthorn Charoenchansaa, director of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, chaired a meeting attended by representatives from multiple agencies including the Sirinart Marine National Park Foundation, the Royal Thai Navy, the Tourism Authority, the Port Authority, and the Fisheries Department.
The meeting approved guidelines to elevate marine tourism standards and implement systematic boat management in pilot areas: Koh Hong in Krabi, the Surin Islands in Phang Nga, and Koh Racha in Phuket. The program will establish designated mooring points, passenger loading zones, and boat routes; control vessel numbers according to site capacity; strengthen safety standards for operators and tourists; and reduce damage to coral reefs, seagrass beds, and rare marine species. New regulations for dive boat operations will take effect in 2568 (2025) to protect coral ecosystems by requiring moored buoys instead of anchors, setting guidelines for dive operators and tourists, and monitoring environmental impact continuously to balance sustainable tourism with marine conservation.
